Laser competence: TRUMPF places importance on applications

TRUMPF’s clear commitment to application-oriented innovations in laser technology makes the “LASER 2007. World of Photonics” trade show an obvious launching pad for the company’s new products. Only the beam source that has widely proven itself in industrial applications is the right one. States Jens Bleher, Managing Director of the TRUMPF Laser Technology business field, “At the trade show, we intend to show our latest innovations in laser beam sources and the unique variety of our products for all fields of industrial materials processing.”
At the leading trade show for optical technologies, TRUMPF launches the newest addition to its product family, the TruFiber 300. This fiber laser is ideal for precision welding and cutting, in particular. “With this development, TRUMPF demonstrates its fiber laser know-how, gleaned from more than 20 years of industrial experience in high performance lasers for material processing,” says Bleher. The extremely compact TruDisk 1000 disk laser is another new product. Lasers from the TruPulse series will be available in higher performance classes starting at the trade show. With the marking lasers from the TruMark series, TRUMPF will be showing innovations as well as with the TruMicro lasers for microprocessing. “We intend to better position ourselves for the future, particularly in the growth market of micro processing,” emphasizes Bleher. “With the increasing miniaturization of components, conventional processes are hitting their limits – and this opens up new application areas for the laser.”

New names for innovative lasers

Names create identity, ensure transparency and give an overall view. That’s reason enough for TRUMPF to introduce a new system for assigning names to its products. Over the years, the product lines have grown and, with them, the number of names. That is why TRUMPF has lately introduced a uniform and transparent naming system. In the Machine Tools business field, the name changeover took place in October 2006. The Laser Technology business field is now following suit.

The new system works according to a simple formula: For lasers and machine tools, the following applies: The prefix “Tru” identifies the brand; then the technology follows in English, which is followed by the output class in numbers. With the help of this new name, each product can be immediately classified in the broad product range. In the case of lasers, the beam source type is distinguished by the new name, for example, TruDisk, TruCoax or TruPulse. As a second name element, a number follows that identifies the output class.

Beam sources for a broad application range

It is impossible to imagine everyday manufacturing without fast-flow CO2 laser beam sources. More than 14,000 units installed by TRUMPF worldwide are reliably doing their jobs. Lasers from the TruFlow series offer the best performance in welding and cutting applications with the highest level of product reliability. For thin sheet applications, TRUMPF offers compact, diffusion-cooled lasers under the name TruCoax.

Disk lasers from the TruDisk series have proven themselves in the broad area of industrial material processing and are qualified for demanding welding tasks, even for thicker sheet metal. In the automotive industry, for example, laser scanner welding with disk lasers is catching on. For precision welding and cutting, TRUMPF also offers disk lasers in lower performance classes.

This application spectrum is being expanded by the fiber laser TruFiber 300 from the new TruFiber series. When it comes to delicate components, they are impressive due to their very fine weld seams and tiny kerfs.

For micro processing, a high pulse-to-pulse, output power and beam position stability is a particular advantage for the TruMicro product series. These lasers are for example used in photovoltaics for isolating edges and for drilling solar cells out of silicon.

Pulsed solid-state lasers from the TruPulse family are used for manufacturing sensors and actuators in the automotive industry and for welding and cutting filigree components. They are the top choice in the consumer electronics industry, precision engineering and medical technology.

For laser marking, TRUMPF relies on the Q-Switch laser from the TruMark series. Labeling, traceability and unique identification of components is mandatory in many industries. Contact-free laser marking brings typeface, material variety and component geometry together in almost any desired combination. Whether data matrix code, clear text, logo or graphics, lasers with high pulse-to-pulse stability make it possible to create markings of the highest quality – and also cost effectiveness. In addition to many other innovations, TRUMPF is launching a newly developed product series, the TruMark Series 3000.

Flexible material processing

At the “Laser 2007. World of Photonics” trade show, TRUMPF has a broad range of laser beam sources on display. But besides these TRUMPF offers also industrial laser systems. The machines from the TruLaser Cell series are laser processing centers for formed sheets, three dimensional or rotation-symmetrical workpieces. They combine precision engineering with high-performance laser technology. With the TruLaser series for flat sheet metal cutters, TRUMPF is offering flexible laser cutting centers for reliable sheet metal processing. For tubes and profiles, machines from the TruLaser Tube series can handle anything.

With standardized systems, modular clamping technology and catalogued process parameters, when it comes to laser welding in flexible sheet metal processing, TRUMPF has an economical alternative to conventional joining techniques, such as its linear welding machine from the TruLaser Weld series. Even the robot cells from the TruLaser Robot series are highly productive systems for cutting, welding and surface processing. With the TRUMPF laser workstation TruLaser Station, individual parts and small batches can be processed at a reasonable cost. They are suitable for spot or seam welding on small workpieces or for effortlessly repairing large formings and tools with laser surface processing.




© 2007 TRUMPF, 2007-11-02