Above: LT12 is the newest laser cutting system from BLM Group, a solution for customers in the 6-inch to 12-inch tube range.
August, 2024- BLM Group last year unveiled its LT12 tube laser, a laser cutting system that’s larger than the company’s LT8.20 and with somewhat lower load capacity than its LT14.
“We developed the LT12 after feedback from service center customers wanting to be more efficient in the 6-inch to 12-inch tube range and also able to process these tubes more efficiently than the LT14,” says Lorenzo Carminato, business development manager for BLM Group.
LT12 is a Goldilocks in the BLM Group portfolio. In the 19th-century fairy tale, Goldilocks tests porridge, chairs and beds searching for the temperature, size and comfort solutions that are just right for her. In 2006, BLM Group launched LT14 and LT24 for jumbo tube lasers to process larger and heavier materials. A few years later, the manufacturer unveiled LT8.20—a fast and nimble laser cutting system for lighter tubes (up to 27 pounds per foot). LT12 fills the size capacity gap between these two legacy technologies, bringing to market a laser cutting system with handling speed similar to LT8.20 and the load capacity of LT14.
“Each customer has their own needs and dimensional capacities. We listened and diversified our portfolio to meet those needs,” explains Carminato. BLM Group talked with customers who asked for a product larger than LT8.20. But for these customers, the jump to LT14—with its larger footprint—was difficult to justify. LT12 allows customers to process light tubes with great performance, while having the flexibility to process larger tubes when needed.
The first LT12 prototype was installed with a pilot customer two years ago. “We tweaked and adjusted the prototype based on this customer’s feedback. We’ve been actively selling our LT12 for a year now. The feedback has been positive about the machine and the customers are reporting that [their] profits have increased,” says Carminato. In addition to the prototype, BLM Group has installed two other LT12s in North America and three more machines are on order from the company plant in Levico Terme, Italy. In 2001, BLM Group established a facility in Novi, Michigan, to provide sales, technical and financial services to customers in North America.
UP TO 12-INCH OD
Round tubes, squares, rectangles, special sections and open profiles can all be processed using LT12, which features a 3D cutting head and capacity for tubes and profiles weighing up to 41.6 pounds per foot. LT12 can process tubes up to 12 inches in diameter or square tubes up to 10 inches. The configurable LT12 maintains laser cutting performance with fiber laser sources available in 3, 4 or 5 kilowatts. The chain loader and unloader can be configured up to 41 feet.
LT12 is suited for service centers that sell to customers in the agricultural equipment sector. “A majority of agriculture business is 4- inch to 10-inch rectangular tubing, which is a sweet spot for the LT12,” notes Carminato. Other applications supported by LT12 capabilities are in light structural; for example, canopies or small sheds with lengths longer than the traditional 20 feet.
MANY MODES
One of the many modes on LT12 is the Scrap Efficiency mode. “This mode allows the tail carriage clamping mechanism to reach through the steady rest—the front chuck—to bring more of the tube in the cutting zone and help minimize scrap,” says Carminato. LT12 can be ordered with an exclusive Active Scan feature, an optical measuring system that uses real-time compensation to counteract axial errors created by misshaped tubes or profiles.
“When we program the machines, the data is based on nominal tube dimensions. But most tubes are not actually in nominal sizes,” explains Carminato. In real time, Active Scan adjusts the positions and geometries needed to cut any tube that’s not at nominal size. “If a tube is not cut to the exact dimensions, the tubes may not fit together. So Active Scan is a great benefit for assembly and welding and reduces the risk of rejection of the tube or assembly that is not to exact tolerances,” adds Carminato.
With a 3D cutting head, LT12 has capacity for tubes and profiles up to 41.6 lb/ft. and the chain loader and unloader can be configured up to 41 feet.
The technology package on LT12 also includes Active Weld, which detects the weld seam by looking both inside and outside the tube, then repositions the tube to ensure the weld seam is oriented to the programmed position. “In scenarios without Active Weld, the operator would need to manually position the tube to communicate this information,” says Carminato.
DRILL AND TAP
Efficiencies can be enhanced and wait times reduced with the integrated Drill & Tap feature— an option on LT12—which enables laser cutting, drilling and tapping threaded holes from 1/8 inch to ½ inch diameter within the same system. A 16-tool magazine with tool integrity control allows these machining operations to be fully automatic, programmed directly in the CAD/CAM design.
“Drilling and tapping is important to do while the part is in the machine to spare the secondary processing step and related manual work,” explains Carminato.
These added features on LT12 also give service centers more leeway when staffing machine operators. “Once the job is set up correctly, the LT12 can be cutting parts for hours with minimal supervision,” reports Carminato.
Another important feature of LT12 is the Overhead Universal Support Template that operates from above to hold the tube in place. For added guidance, LT12 is outfitted with Universal Support Templates under the tube as well. “When used in tandem, these features help prevent long parts from tail wagging— the swinging or straying movement of the tube that can impact accuracy and quality,” notes Carminato.
One other special feature on the LT12 is the Focusing Head, the BLM Group proprietary tube cutter with a longer focal length. The Focusing Head allows the LT12 to reach deeper into concave materials such as wide-flange beams and certain aluminum extrusions. The LT12 is able to tilt up to 50 degrees from vertical, a 5-degree advantage over LT8.20 and the LT14. The machine also has a smaller footprint compared to LT14 and is equipped with four cameras, giving the operator full visibility to the inaccessible areas due to the fiber source.
“LT12 empowers BLM Group customers to offer more services and better solutions to their customers,” states Carminato. Goldilocks would approve.
BLM Group, 248/560-0080, http://blmgroup.com/
