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What should you keep in mind when automating steel pre-processing with tube and sheet metal lasers?
In the metalworking industry, speed and precision go hand in hand. It is precisely this combination that makes modern laser cutting systems so valuable. Yet choosing the right laser configuration is far from straightforward. Which type of machine is best suited for which product? How do you prevent thermal distortion in thin-walled material? And what does the full integration of software, machine, and process mean in practice?
This blog explores several key themes related to laser cutting in steel fabrication. Using a concrete real-world example from one of our customers, a manufacturer of steel balcony railings, staircases, and balustrades, we’ll demonstrate how this works in practice.
Challenges in laser cutting steel
In steel fabrication for architectural applications such as balcony railings, stair handrails, and balustrades, the finished product always has a visible side. That may seem obvious, but it has major technical implications for the cutting process.
Anyone laser-cutting thin-walled steel tubular profiles faces a specific risk: the heat released when cutting one side can transfer to the other side of the profile. The result is subtle distortion or marks on the visible side. This is unacceptable for products that will ultimately be installed in plain view.
This requires precise adjustment of the focal length, power, and speed of the laser. It is not just a matter of choosing the right machine, but also of correctly adjusting the process for each profile type. This is precisely where the combination of machine knowledge and process experience makes all the difference.
Tube laser and sheet metal laser: two machines, one production line
Many manufacturers in the steel construction industry work with two types of raw materials: profiles (tubes, hollow sections, angle bars) and sheet metal. Both require a different type of laser system.
A tube laser is specifically designed for cutting elongated profiles. The machine feeds the profile past the cutting head, which determines where and how to cut based on the geometry of the cross-section. This makes it possible to precisely create complex cutouts, such as holes for bars or connection points, even in profiles with irregular cross-sections.
A sheet metal laser works differently: the sheet material lies flat on a worktable, and the cutting head moves in the X and Y directions. Modern systems feature automatic loading, allowing the material to be fed in and removed without manual intervention. This increases process continuity and reduces the risk of errors.
Combining both systems in a single production line makes it possible to process the full spectrum of steel semi-finished products, from sheet to profile, without having to move or readjust the material in between.
Software as the key to efficiency
Modern laser cutting machines are only as good as the software that controls them. There are significant differences between systems in terms of control and nesting optimization.
Nesting, the process of arranging shapes to be cut as efficiently as possible on the available sheet material, has a direct impact on material consumption. A good nesting program minimizes scrap and automatically calculates the most logical cutting sequence.
A similar principle applies to tube lasers: software such as TubeT determines, based on the drawing and production files, which operations are performed in what order, taking into account the geometry of the profile and the desired accuracy.
In addition, integration with the broader production system plays a role. How quickly can drawings be imported? Is there direct feedback to the ERP system regarding the progress of an order? And how quickly can the machine be switched between different products or profile types? These are questions that concern not only the machine but the entire production process.
Automation and continuity
A laser system that is idle produces nothing. That is precisely why automatic loading, especially for sheet metal lasers, is a key component of a well-designed production line. By automatically feeding sheets from a stacking magazine and automatically removing cut products, the machine can run continuously, even when changing formats or material thicknesses.
With tube lasers, the challenge is different. Here, the focus is on feeding long materials measuring several meters in a controlled manner. Storage solutions capable of handling both round and rectangular profiles offer the greatest flexibility in this regard.
The degree of automation must always be weighed against the production situation. Are you dealing with large runs of the same product? Then full automation quickly pays off. For smaller batches with a lot of product variation, flexibility in setup is more important than just the cycle time per piece.
What experience teaches us
The combination of a tube laser and a sheet metal laser, carefully selected based on the products and the desired capacity, provides a solid foundation for efficient and precise steel processing. But the machine itself is only part of the story.
The way the process is managed, from the initial analysis of the production process through installation, training, and commissioning, largely determines how quickly the investment pays off. Operators who are involved with the machine early on build up knowledge more quickly and develop a sense of ownership of the system sooner. This has a direct positive impact on the quality of the work and the lifespan of the equipment.
Phased implementation, commissioning one machine first and then the second, also allows practical experience to be directly incorporated into the guidance provided for the second installation.
Want to know what this looks like in practice? Read the case study about the laser solution implemented for a manufacturer of steel balcony railings and staircases: Smart Laser Solution for Trahecon | Van Dulst Techniek
Curious about what laser cutting can do for your production process? Contact us at verkoop@vandulst.nl or call 0180 510 455.
questions? 0180 510 455
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