Electric developments

EuroBLECH exhibition, which was held in 2006, showcased latest developments in electric drives by the leading punch press companies. Amada installed AC servo drives on a new laser-punch machine, EML Z-3610 NT sheet metal flexi-center, which combines a 360 kN servo-electrical punching machine with a 4 kW laser in a half flying optic format. Trumpf exhibited a wide range of lasers, automated cells, bending cells, and punch presses. Rainer also launched its LUX 15.15, a machine optimized to work in conjunction with lasers and has a large throat that allows it to work on the 3 m by 1.5 m sheets generally used for laser cutting thereby providing high material utilization through nesting and allowing laser shops to standardize on one material format. E-Brake, a belt drive from Safan, developed to ensure an even pressure across the beam and posses all the typical advantages of servo-electric machines in terms energy consumption, low noise, and high accuracy.