In today's competitive metalworking market, cutting speed is no longer the only differentiating factor. The real bottleneck lies in materials logistics: the time the machine spends idle waiting for raw materials. Our Loading and Automation Systems are designed to transform your fiber laser cutter into a high-performance, autonomous production cell, capable of operating extended shifts with minimal human supervision.
The Productivity Challenge: Arc On Time
A modern 6kW or 12kW fiber laser cutter is extremely fast. It often finishes cutting a sheet in less time than it takes two operators to manually remove the cut pieces and load the next heavy plate. This results in downtime when the laser is off, wasting up to 50% of your daily production capacity.
Automation radically solves this problem by performing material change cycles in seconds, ensuring that the cutting head is working almost 100% of the available time.
Bestutter Material Handling Solutions
We offer a scalable range of solutions, from ergonomic aids to fully integrated smart warehouses.
Pneumatic Vacuum Loaders (Jib Cranes)
It's the ideal solution for workshops handling a high mix of jobs (high mix/low volume). These slewing boom cranes equipped with industrial suction cup systems allow for:
- Ergonomics and Safety: A single operator can lift steel plates of up to 1000 kg without physical effort, eliminating the risk of back injuries and accidents due to falling material.
- Surface Protection: Special rubber suction cups prevent scratches and marks on delicate materials such as polished stainless steel or aluminum, reducing the rejection of parts due to aesthetic quality.
- Versatility: Ability to handle sheets of various standard sizes (4x8, 5x10 feet) with total safety thanks to its vacuum backup systems in case of electrical failures.
HYSTORE Automatic Storage Towers
The HYSTORE system is a vertical "smart warehouse" solution directly connected to the laser changer table. It is essential for high-volume serial production and contract manufacturing.
- "Lights-Out" Operation: Allows scheduling jobs to run at night or on weekends without operators present. The tower feeds raw sheets and automatically unloads the processed skeletons.
- Space Optimization (Footprint): By storing material vertically on compact shelves, you free up hundreds of square meters of floor space previously occupied by scattered sheet metal pallets.
- Inventory Management: The system controls what type and thickness of material is on each shelf, allowing production changes (e.g., switching from 3mm Carbon Steel to 6mm Stainless Steel) in a matter of minutes, without the need for a forklift.
Software Integration and Control
The key to successful automation is communication. Our systems are not "islands"; they integrate natively with your Bestutter machine's CNC control.
- Perfect Synchronization: The laser alerts the loader when it has finished, and the loader confirms when the table is clear and ready, avoiding costly collisions.
- Sheet Separation: Optional advanced systems may include sheet separation (peeling) modules to ensure that only one sheet is loaded at a time, even if they are oiled or stuck together by static electricity.
Financial Benefits and ROI
Investing in automation only pays for itself through:
- Labor Cost Reduction: A single operator can supervise 2 or 3 automated laser machines simultaneously.
- Increased Output: Increase daily production by 30% to 50% simply by eliminating manual waiting times.
- Consistency: The loading rate is constant at the beginning and end of the shift, without depending on staff fatigue.
Take your plant to the Industry 4.0 level. Contact our engineers to design the automated cutting cell that your growth demands.