Eagle Laser History & Technology THE MOST ADVANCED FIBER LASER

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1 Eagle Laser History & Technology THE MOST ADVANCED FIBER LASER By Chip Burnham, Co-Founder Faimont Machinery Eagle pioneered fiber laser in the application of sheet metal cutting. It began back in the mid 2000 s when Marcin Ejma, Eagles founder, was a successful machine tool builder and CO2 laser expert. He stumbled upon the small IPG Photonics booth at the back of a trade show. He asked about their new fiber laser technology and during the ensuing discussion saw the true potential of fiber technology for cutting applications. Ejma recalled. I knew that if the fiber laser could cut, it would solve 70 percent of the maintenance problems we were having in the laser industry with CO2 based systems. Ejma began working with IPG to adapt fiber laser to XY machines, purchasing the serial number 2 of the new power units from IPG. million Euros of grant money to be invested in R&D and production facilities. Eagle s only requirement is to be a successful, growing high-tech company in Europe, a requirement they have certainly met. The Most Advanced Fiber Laser Over the years, Eagle would be the first in the world to release 6, 8, 10, 12, and 15 kw fiber laser machines. Today, Eagle is Europe s fastest growing fiber laser system provider. The Eagle team s extensive laser and machine tool knowledge is renowned for delivering the most advanced and productive flat-stock fiber laser machine tools. Eagle s success caught the eye of the European Union. Upon evaluating Eagle s technological capabilities and organizational strength, the EU saw fit to gift Eagle 15 Profitability in your shop requires you to produce quality parts as quickly as possible. If you can cut production time in half, you save not only the machine operating cost, but also labor and overhead, said Brian Kent, Co- Founder of Fairmont Machinery and fiber laser expert. Eagle delivers twice the performance of other fiber lasers in three key areas: 1. Highest Power up to 15 kw 2. Quickest Motion 6g acceleration 3. Fastest Material Change 9 second pallet change Higher power not only means you cut thicker, it also means that on all but the thinnest of material you will also cut faster. Eagle has always led the industry in fiber laser power, and the new eva patented cutting head reliably delivers 15kW of continuous cutting power. 1

2 Quicker motion means you start, stop, and corner faster. Every time you double the acceleration you cut the time and distance it takes to change speed in half. Most fiber machines today are 1g to 2g. Kent states, Acceleration is far more important than top linear cut speed. A 2g machine will take three times longer in seconds and inches to get up to speed as a 6g Eagle. Eagle produces parts faster. Faster sheet exchange becomes an important part of overall part cycle time when a machine produces parts this fast. For that reason, Eagle designed the fastest pallet changer available. In just 9 seconds the inspire and evision lines of machines will swap a pallet. It is servo driven, not hydraulic, and can add 1 to 2 hours a week of cut time per shift. A chain links the two pallets, and the repeatability of removing and reinserting the same pallet is inch, meaning you can stop a cut, inspect the part, and resume the cut while maintaining tolerance. The ideal machine had to take into account the unique attributes of fiber laser as well as provide extremely high reliability and ease of use. Eagle s machine design is a work of art, says Kent. Pursuit of the Ideal Fiber Laser When other machine tool builders were retrofitting their existing CO2 lasers with fiber, Eagle was crafting the ideal fiber laser from the ground up. Every square inch of the machine is intended to maximize the productivity of fiber laser cutting. The laser processes of CO2 and Fiber are different; the machines must be different as well. Fiber cuts faster for the same power input and can employ significantly higher power than CO2. Therefore, the machine must have higher top speed and quicker acceleration. Fiber does not require the use of elaborate high-precision mirrors to deliver the laser beam to the material. Therefore, fiber laser has lower operating cost and simpler maintenance. Fiber s wavelength is ten times tighter than CO2. Therefore, fiber eliminates the issues with reflective metals. Fiber laser s focal length can be longer than CO2. Therefore, fiber laser can cut thicker. IDEAL MACHINE CONCEPT EAGLE S IDEAL MACHINE DESIGN FEATURES: Base Axis: The ideal base for a high-g laser is rigid, temperature stable, and vibration dampening. Eagle utilizes specially engineered polymer concrete, as found on CMMs and some EDM machines. Bridge Axis: The ideal bridge is stiff, extremely light, and as short as possible. It is also driven from the center of mass to eliminate Abbe Error. Eagle places the between, rather than atop, the base axis to make it as short as possible and is driven from the center of mass. On the flagship inspire machines, Eagle uses carbon fiber instead of steal. This advanced composite material weighs 2.7 times less than a steel bridge, is stiff, and dampens vibration. It very similar to the material used on Boeing and Airbus commercial aircraft wings. 2

3 Z Axis: Eagle s patented eva cutting head is lightweight, fast, and designed for ultrahigh laser power and reliability. The eva is capable of handling 15kW of continuous (not peak) fiber laser power reliably. Drive System: Linear motors on all axes, highspeed digital controls, and optical absolute encoder feedback are used in creating the world s fastest 6g fiber laser. Material Exchange: Eagle has replaced typical hydraulic pallet changer drive systems with an advanced servo driven pallet changer. It will swap material in 9 seconds. greatly enhancing system throughput and reducing part cost. However, not every shop needs one or two storage towers and lights-out operation from Crane Master Store. Some shops need semi-automated assistance loading and unloading the pallet changer. In these cases, Eagle has an array of material handling options, starting with simple eloader jib crane for manual loading, automatic loading with the Loading Unit, and more automated options for automatically removing the cut parts and remnant and loading a fresh sheet with Crane Master. Material Handling Automation Beyond the integrated pallet changer, Eagle offers a full array of material automation. Unlike many automation systems available today, Eagles automation is completely integrated into the operator control station. For example, when a material is lifted from a storage tray, the raw material thickness is optically inspected and checked against the cutting program. It also means all system data, from the laser machine to the material storage towers, are available via Industry 4.0. Crane Master Store Crane Master In typical Eagle form, the automation system is fast enough to ensure maximum laser beam on time. The material can be pulled from a storage rack and presented to the pallet changer in just 65 seconds, less time than it takes to cut a sheet or plate of material. The entire system is designed for unattended operation, Loading Unit Software and Data Management eloader esoft Suite provides a complete array of capabilities in an easy-to-use and powerful format. The standard and optional modules are vast and powerful. Cutting Quoting Nesting Simulation Library of shapes Remnant control Drop and cut Work order management and more 3

4 for all gas management, Igus high-speed cable carriers, Beckhoff digital controls and drives, Rampf polymer granite bases, Renishaw Resolute optical encoders, and Nord gear and drive systems. Where reliable technology does not exist, Eagle invents it. Typical fiber laser cutting heads have motors and mechanical devices to move the optic lenses to change focus characteristics. The problem is, motion devices near the optics can allow in contamination. A small dark spot on a lens or protective glass makes a hot spot when ultrahigh-power lasers beams created by 8 to 15kW are passing through. The sophisticated nesting system takes into account the special capabilities of an Eagle laser when creating a nest. Eagle uses high-speed linear motors on all axes, including the Z axis. So, rather than waste processing time avoiding pre-cut areas the software can utilize elliptical lift and drop Z-axis moves as the machine jumps at up to 13,780 ipm between cutting paths. The result is the shortest processing time and highest material utilization. This open architecture system can integrate into your existing programming and work order system, or can act as a new infrastructure for data management. Every aspect of shop productivity has been covered, ensuring you maximize your laser ROI. Kent says, Eagle has mastered the ultrahigh-power cutting head. They fix the internal lenses and glass covers in place to eliminate contamination caused by motors and gears, yet Eagle still deliver full focal control. The patented eva cutting head delivers high reliability and is the only solution for ultrahigh-power fiber laser cutting. Reliability is Built In Eagle then made sure reliability would be maintained at a global level by choosing only the world s best global suppliers. IPG Photonics for the laser power source, Festo 4

5 We knew that some shops would replace two to four lasers with an Eagle laser, so we had to ensure uptime, says Kent. The first year of our comprehensive 4 Point Laser Success Program is free for all new customers. 4 POINT Laser Success Program Fairmont Machinery and Eagle combine to offer a comprehensive service and support program to carry you through the life of your equipment. We knew that some shops would replace two to four lasers with an Eagle laser, so we had to ensure uptime, says Kent. The first year of our comprehensive 4 Point Laser Success Program is free for all new customers. Summary Eagle is the world s most advanced fiber laser, combining top physical performance attributes such as motion dynamics, laser power, and material exchange with designed-in reliability and guaranteed service. For the right application, Eagle can be the most profitable member of your machinery arsenal. Have your test parts cut and see for yourself what an Eagle laser can do for you. 1. $1000 On-Time Service Tech Guarantee If you have a critical need, our service tech will arrive within one working day or we will pay you $1,000 each late day. You can have confidence that we will be there to support you. 2. Lowest Price Consumable Guarantee We will beat any price you find for an alternative consumable by 5%. We are committed to maintaining a low operating cost for your equipment. 3. Sustained Performance During commissioning of your new Eagle laser, we will cut a part representing your typical production, save the program, and shelve the material. Then, if we ever question the performance level of the Eagle system, we will load the material and program back into the machine to uncover any anomalies. 4. Quarterly Checkups Once a quarter our qualified technician will come on-site to check the machine, perform maintenance, educate your team, and review diagnostic reports to ensure your machine and your team are operating at peak performance. 5

6 EFFICIENT inspire series is the most productive fiber laser in the world. This series is ideally suited for highprecision mass production. UNIVERSAL evision series is our universal machine, incorporating many of the advanced attributes of the inspire series. These machines deliver efficient production and satisfy diverse applications. ECONOMIC esmart series is our economical option for both long and short production runs, matching standard performance attributes of today s fiber lasers. 6