Large And In Charge (Stainless Structurals - United States)

LVD’s Taurus fiber laser is engineered for extra-large cutting capacity with a modular design, allowing the machine to be expanded in increments of 13 ft. up to a maximum bed length of 137 ft. According to the company, “Taurus makes it easy to access cut parts and load raw material because only the cutting gantry is covered. The 13-ft.-wide gantry provides protection around the cutting head and nozzle changer. Taurus also features a second 19-in. controller on the gantry and a handheld control for jog actions,” as well as bevel cutting.

Del Giacco says his fiber laser is approximately 78 ft. by 12 ft., processing both stainless steel and steel plates. Stainless Structurals was cutting these parts on a CO2 laser prior to the installation of the Taurus.

“Probably the biggest advantage of the fiber compared to the CO2 laser is the speed of the cut,” he says. “It also has less kerf, which is more apparent in thicker material with a CO2 laser.” He also comments on the convenience of the bevel cutting. Instead of moving parts over to a time-consuming secondary bevel process that requires skilled labor. “If you can bevel it in the laser, most of the time, that part can be used as is. This machine can go up to 45 degrees, which is fine for most applications. In addition, it can perform a Y-shaped cut, which is very useful when welding material.”

The fiber laser’s long bed can handle multiple plates at a time, minimizing the machine’s downtime. “While we are loading on one side, it’s cutting on the other side. When it moves over, we move to the other side to unload and reload—a continuous process,” notes Del Giacco. While a short-bed machine needs to stop for unloading and loading, the Taurus can keep cutting. “That’s a huge advantage. It’s also an advantage for maintenance because personnel can maintain one area of the machine while the other is still operating.”