EuroBLECH 2024: Trumpf claims ‘breakthrough’ in automated sorting...

28 Oct 2024

...and nLIGHT launches new laser technologies for cutting and process monitoring.

Trumpf presented a new solution for the automated sorting of 2D laser-cut parts at last week’s EuroBLECH 2024, in Hannover, Germany. With the SortMaster Station and the SortMaster Vision, users can sort parts reliably and without any programming effort, says the industrial machinery and industrial laser systems giant.

The SortMaster Station removes the parts from the sheet metal in the first step, regardless of their geometry. The machine operator then sorts the separated parts manually or has them removed and palletized automatically by the SortMaster Vision. Meanwhile, the laser cutting machine can be processing the next sheet.

Thomas Schneider, Trumpf’s CTO for Machine Tools, commented, “The automated sorting of parts is one of the biggest challenges in the sheet metal world. Conventional methods are particularly suitable for simple components with medium sheet thicknesses of up to 12 mm.

Sorting with cameras and intelligent software

“With the SortMaster Station and the SortMaster Vision, Trumpf enables automated sorting of any sheet metal parts and once again demonstrates its technological leadership,” Schneider said. The new solution is available in a 3-meter format for the laser cutting machines of Trumpf’s 3000 and 5000 series.

The solution uses the LiftMaster Compact loading and unloading automation system from Trumpf. It removes the cut sheet from the pallet changer of the cutting machine and transfers it to the SortMaster station. This separates the components from the scrap skeleton in just a few seconds. The separated parts are then conveyed to the sorting area.

The SortMaster Vision is used for automated sorting. “Partnering for several years with Intrinsic, a leading AI and robotics software company in the Alphabet Group, we have introduced adaptive robotics capabilities to SortMaster Vision, including automated perception and robot path planning. This enables a robot to autonomously recognize the separated parts using AI-supported image recognition,” said Schneider.

The software autonomously calculates the robot’s motion plan including the gripping points. The SortMaster Vision obtains all the part information from the cutting program. It uses this to simulate various removals in advance and selects the most suitable one at runtime.

“Thanks to this innovative process and partnership with Intrinsic, customers can now automatically sort parts that could not be removed using conventional solutions, even with a batch size of one,” said Schneider. These include, in particular, small or complex parts that are prone to tipping over or tilting in the scrap skeleton.

nLight launches laser systems for cutting and monitoring

Also making the news at EuroBLECH 2024, nLight, a developer of powerful semiconductor and fiber lasers for industry, announced the launch of two new products: N Finity and ProcessGuard, designed to support the increasing requirement demands in metal fabrication.

The company stated that the new products “enhance the quality of cutting for thick metal applications and improve the accuracy and cost of process monitoring.”

• N Finity delivers fine-tuned and optimized beam characteristics for high power cutting applications, significantly increasing cutting speed and enhancing accuracy for thick metal cutting; and
• ProcessGuard integrates nLight Plasmo’s process monitoring capability into its lasers, eliminating the need for expensive and cumbersome external optics and equipment, while maximizing yield, productivity and uptime.

Headquartered in Camas, Washington, nLight employs over 900 people with operations in the U.S., China, Finland, Korea, Austria and Italy.