Laser Cutting Machines for Industrial Sheet Metal Processing
Laser cutting machines cut sheet metal without touching it. A focused laser beam melts the material in a narrow kerf and a gas jet blows the melt out downwards. No tool wears and no mechanical force acts on the workpiece, so fine contours come out clean and dimensionally accurate. The same machines are also called laser cutting systems or laser cutters. KNUTH supplies a graded programme of CNC laser cutting machines with a fibre laser source, from the compact machine for the workshop to the high power system for large format sheet.
Fibre Laser or CO2 Laser: Which Technology Fits
Today the fibre laser, often written fiber laser, is the standard for cutting metal. Efficiency is much higher than on a CO2 laser, so the energy cost per part falls. No laser gas is needed to generate the beam, and there is no mirror optic in the beam path, which lowers the maintenance effort. On thin and medium sheet the fibre laser also cuts faster, and reflective metals such as copper and brass are accessible to it. Non-metals such as wood, acrylic and textiles remain the domain of the CO2 laser. Every machine in the KNUTH programme works with a fibre laser source and is designed for metal.
Machine Sizes and Power Classes
The programme is graded by table format and laser power, in four steps:
- Compact class: square table format and a small footprint, for workshops, prototypes, maintenance and small batches.
- Standard format with extendable table: the common sheet format, with a motorised extendable table, gas console and filter unit.
- Shuttle table series: the same power spectrum plus a second table, which is unloaded and loaded while the machine keeps cutting.
- High power class: the highest power classes for thick plate and short cycle times, in the largest table formats.
Table dimensions, laser power and travels for each series are listed in the machine overview above.
Materials, Sheet Thicknesses and Cutting Gas
In focus are structural steel, stainless steel and aluminium, plus further metals depending on machine and power class. On thin sheet and electrical steel the fibre laser plays to its strength, because it works quickly and puts little heat into the part. As laser power rises the cuttable thickness grows, and at a given thickness the cutting time falls. Three figures therefore decide the power class: the material, the largest sheet thickness and the cut edge quality you need. Oxygen is economical as cutting gas on thicker structural steel, while nitrogen delivers oxide free edges on stainless steel and aluminium.
CNC Control and Programming
Laser cutting machines are CNC machines throughout, and a conventional version of this machine type does not exist. The contouring control guides the cutting head across the sheet and regulates feed rate, laser power, gas pressure and focus position in step with one another. Programming runs through nesting software: you import the geometry from CAD, the software lays the parts out on the sheet, minimises offcut and generates the cutting programme. Cutting parameters are stored for common material and thickness combinations, which shortens setting up. A CNC laser cutting machine is exactly this interplay of contouring control, process control and programming at the computer.
Automation: Shuttle Table, Loading and Extraction
On modern machines the bottleneck is rarely the cutting time, it is the idle time around it. The shuttle table is therefore the most effective first step towards automation: the second table is loaded and unloaded while the machine keeps cutting. On several series it is part of the standard equipment. Loading and unloading systems and sheet storage towers go further, and whether that pays off at your batch sizes is something we work through with you. Laser cutting also produces smoke and fine dust, and on the larger series an extraction and filter unit belongs to the scope of supply.
Applications and Industries
Laser cutting machines are found wherever sheet metal becomes a component. Typical fields are subcontract manufacturing and sheet metal fabrication, machine and plant engineering, vehicle building, control cabinet manufacturing, metal construction and medical technology. You will find the matching machines in Sheet Metal Processing, for example Press Brakes and Guillotine Shears. For thick plate and simpler contours a Plasma Cutting Machine is often the more economical choice. For the highest accuracy on hardened materials, Wire Cut EDM is the right process.
Accessories and Consumables
A laser cutting machine needs wear parts continuously. Cutting nozzles, protective glasses and filter elements wear in operation. We keep these parts in the programme permanently: Laser Cutting Consumables. Include them in your calculation from the start, because together with electricity and cutting gas they determine the cost per cut metre. Further equipment for workshop and operation is listed under Machine accessories.
Why KNUTH
KNUTH has supplied machine tools for more than 100 years and keeps around 1,000 machines permanently in stock at the European warehouse in Wasbek. Every machine is quality-tested in Germany, inspected with documentation and delivered CE compliant for the European market, with the declaration of conformity and the complete documentation included. As a supplier rather than a laser manufacturer we select series and components, test them and stand behind machine, accessories and service with one contact person.
Service, Spare Parts and Availability
Installation, commissioning and operator training are available on request, and the scope is set out in the quotation. Our own service network looks after the machines afterwards, with engineers who travel to site. Common spare parts come from the central warehouse, special parts directly from the manufacturers. Spare parts supply is guaranteed for 10 years for every machine. The lead time depends on machine size and configuration, and we state it bindingly in the quotation. Do you need a recommendation or a quotation? Contact us by email or phone. We advise you on machine size, power class and automation.
Further Machine Categories at a Glance
Here is an overview of our machine range. Select a category to learn more about individual machines and their technical data.
