Schuler 's laser blank cutting systems supply press lines of many automotive OEMs and suppliers. As a result, complete sets of cutting tools can be saved on new models - with around a dozen tools per vehicle body, this results in a cost reduction in the millions of euros. OEMs and TIERs also benefit from laser-cut blanks in the downstream forming process.

The proportion of aluminum in vehicles is increasing, but the surface-sensitive material presents processors with the challenge of gentle handling. Aluminum tends to form burrs on the lower cutting edge. If this burr becomes detached and remains in the forming tool, it leads to marks on the material surface and thus to rejected components. To avoid burrs, additional system components such as flake extractors or blank cleaning systems are required as well as system stops to clean the forming tools. Aluminum blanks produced on a Schuler Laser Blanking Line hardly form any burrs. By eliminating the need for regular cleaning, laser-cut blanks increase the productivity of the press lines.

Depending on requirements, blank geometries can be adapted in the laser cutting program and produced in small batches without tools. In contrast to the flatbed lasers usually used for this purpose, the blanks are not cut out of a rectangle in a laser blanking line, but directly from the continuously passing strip material of the coil.

In addition, there are technical material savings and corresponding cost savings.

Higher output

In addition to the aspect of material savings, the much higher output rates speak in favor of cutting in "Dynamic Flow". While flatbed lasers can usually produce between two and three such blanks per minute, the output rates for hoods on a laser blanking line, for example, can reach up to 35 parts per minute with a system efficiency of over 80 percent.

Depending on the purchasing strategy, either small tryout batches can be flexibly run on the laser blanking line at the touch of a button between series production or purchased from a supplier with a laser blanking line. Laser blanking combines the possibility of flexible geometry adjustment and tool-free cutting of flatbed lasers with short response times, as it not only allows faster production but also eliminates the upstream cut-to-length process.

Changes can also be made during series production. While adjustments to the forming or cutting tool involve pre-production and tool work, the contour of laser-cut blanks can be easily changed. The previous status can also be restored at any time. This also offers the opportunity to test optimizations.

According to documents from Schuler / am