Van converter Trucksmith (Uffculme, Devon, England) has invested £1 million (over $1.2 million) in metal cutting fiber laser technology—an Amada Ensis 3015 2kW fiber laser with ASLUL automated sheet handling. The equipment has enabled the company to automate production of sheet metal components for their low-loading Luton vans, which include the Renault Master LoLoader, Vauxhall Movano KneeHi, and Fiat Ducato Canniloader.
"We have been innovating for more than two decades, and as technology has improved we have been first to embrace it," says Daniel Trebble, Trucksmith's managing director. Fiber laser cutting is a great example of how we can produce highly accurate components—even through the night using a fully automated cutting schedule—to enable our skilled people to build vehicles more efficiently."
"The technology we've chosen is not only more productive, but also energy-efficient since it enables 2kW of laser power to profile steel components that would previously have required a 4kW laser," Trebble adds. "This new capability has been integral in the development of a brand-new dropside van—the Renault Trafic Target."
The Amada laser technology can cut through 25mm sheet steel, and offers continuous variable beam control across every material thickness and a cutting speed of over 4700ipm.