"We have to manufacture cheaply in order to survive on the market," explains Robin Göbel. The partner and operations manager of Metalltechnik Göbel in Dippoldiswalde sees the future of laser technology in fiber laser cutting. Like all contract manufacturers, the sheet metal processing company from Saxony is constantly improving its production. It has opted for the Bystar Fiber 4020 with 10 kilowatts of laser power from Bystronic. The Göbel company combines the cutting machine with the Bytrans Extended 4020 automation system, which handles the complete material feed and removal. The reason for the expansion was the desire to run the machine unmanned and also on its own during the night shift. "This gives us higher capacity utilization and more cost-effective production," says Göbel. The laser cutting machine with a 10-kilowatt laser determines the speed within the automation. It offers cutting speeds that are up to four times faster than the comparable industry standard with 4-kilowatt fiber lasers. When asked what makes the fiber laser cutter so special, Robin Göbel replies that the speed of the machine surprised him. "It's still unbelievable what the technology can do."

Automation modules for the process chain
Bystronic already made the difference with the first laser cutting machines at the beginning of the 1980s: with flying optics and a shuttle table, the company already had two unique selling points in the laser cutting market at that time. The company has also been developing press brakes for around 20 years. Today, it is a leading global provider of high-quality solutions for the entire sheet metal processing chain. In addition to the company's headquarters in Niederönz, Switzerland, Bystronic is represented in over 30 countries with its own sales and service companies. The dependency in Germany is located in Heimsheim near Stuttgart and is responsible for the entire sales network and services in Germany.

"It's still incredible what technology can do," says Robin Göbel, partner and operations manager at Metalltechnik Göbel (right). © (Image: Bystronic)

In addition to high-tech machines, the focus in the age of Industry 4.0 is primarily on corresponding automation and software solutions - for the entire material and data flow during cutting and bending. The corresponding software is largely developed in-house and is one of the most innovative on the market.

Not every metal processor immediately opts for a solution with an automation extension like Metalltechnik Göbel. However, in order to make optimum use of the speeds of modern metalworking machines, automation is essential for many users. One of the great advantages of Bystronic machines is therefore the modular system. A fiber laser cutting machine can be used as a stand-alone system or combined with a loading and unloading system. In addition to Bytrans Extended, which Metalltechnik Göbel has in operation, there is also Bytrans Cross - also up to format 4020 for large parts. With the Bysort 3015 sorting module, a further level of automation can be achieved for Bytrans Cross. The laser's shuttle table is cleared and, if required, cut parts are also sorted.