Since Albert Einstein set out his theory of how they work a good hundred years ago - and back then it was a theory and no more - lasers have come to dominate a wide range of applications in technology and research. No matter whether they're used in a simple light pointer, range finder or labeling device, to replay optical storage media such as CDs, DVDs and Blu-ray discs, to transmit messages or as a laser scalpel - it's hard to imagine modern everyday life without these beams of light. In industrial environments, lasers are mainly used in cutting and welding tools. A prime example is the TruLaser Tube 7000 fiber from TRUMPF Laser- und Systemtechnik GmbH. This brand-new tube-cutting machine can process tubes and profiles up to 254 mm in diameter and with a material thickness of up to 10 mm.

Be it delicate tubes for office furniture or large profiles for agricultural machinery, the new TruLaser Tube 7000 fiber no longer makes a distinction and processes both with the same outstanding level of speed and precision. At the heart of this machine is the four-kilowatt TruDisk 4001 - a high-performance disk laser manufactured in-house. While its robust beam source attains the high cutting speeds typical among solid-state lasers, the RapidCut function cranks it up a notch, more than quadrupling machine dynamics by superimposing the movements of the tube axis and cutting head. The optional PierceLine function adopted from the sheet metal working industry, meanwhile, monitors and regulates the piercing. The piercing procedure is terminated as soon as the material has been completely cut through, which delivers more accurate results and shorter machining times. The developers from TRUMPF also drew on expertise from laser flatbeds for the cutting data. All in all, the TruLaser Tube 7000 fiber takes less time to process tubes and profiles than its stablemates with CO2 lasers. "Taking the typical mix of parts worked by our customers, we increase productivity by 15 percent - thanks to solid-state laser technology alone. Depending on the part geometry, RapidCut can substantially increase this percentage even further," explains Karl Schmid, Head of Product Management for Laser Tube Cutting.

TRUMPF Laser- und Systemtechnik GmbH (71254 Ditzingen, Germany)
Website: www.trumpf.com