Automation for Laser | Laser Automation of Laser Processing Machines

Herochu Laser Automation
Automation for Laser | Laser Automation of Laser Processing Machines
Built-to-fit cell for 3015–6025 mm machines, from $8 900, CE/ISO certified

Specification

A 40 kW fibre laser can pierce 25 mm mild steel in under half a second and cut a 4 m × 2 m nest in four minutes, yet the average stand-alone machine still waits twelve minutes for the next sheet. Herochu Laser Automation removes that idle window completely. One compact module loads, unloads, separates parts from the skeleton and returns scrap to the recycle bin—without the operator leaving the control panel.

Purpose-built, not retro-fitted

The frame begins as a single 8 m laser-cut beam of S355 steel, milled in one pass to guarantee ±0.1 mm straightness. Linear guide rails are bolted directly to the machined shoulder, eliminating the shim stacks that creep on welded frames. A 20 mm pitch hardened chain runs inside the rail, lubricated by a sealed-for-life polymer block that never bleeds oil onto the sheet. The result is repeatability of ±0.5 mm at full 9 m/min lift speed, even after 40 000 cycles.

Chain drive that never sleeps

Competitive units often use timing belts to save cost; belts stretch, fray and throw carbon dust into the laser cabin. Herochu stays with duplex 1 ¼” chain, tensile strength 80 kN, guided by polyethylene wear strips. The drive sprocket is induction-hardened to 55 HRC and sits in a sealed cartridge that can be swapped in fifteen minutes using only a 13 mm spanner. Motor-gearbox is a 1.5 kW helical unit, efficiency 96 %, so energy draw at 50 % duty cycle is under 0.7 kWh per tonne of sheet—important when electricity is €0.18 kWh and every cent counts.

Speed that matches the beam

Vertical lift 9 m/min, shuttle in/out 12 m/min. A 5 mm stainless sheet leaves the storage tower, crosses the transfer table and lands on the cutting pallet in 38 seconds. That is fast enough to keep a 12 kW laser busy on 6 mm mild-steel nests, yet gentle enough for 0.5 mm brass: the suction frame uses zone-selective cups so only the area under the sheet is energised, reducing dimpling to <0.02 mm.

3 T or 5 T per shelf—your call

Shelf beams are cold-formed 220 × 80 × 6 mm C-channels, moment of inertia 1 680 cm⁴. At 3 T rating the deflection is 1/1 000 of span; at 5 T we simply add a 40 × 40 mm stiffener weldment and keep the same outer dimensions. No second-guessing, no “light” or “heavy” frame variants—one chassis covers both ratings, so you can upgrade later by changing only the beams.

Tower or floor, 8–13 levels

The tower bolts to the workshop floor with M20 chemical anchors; footprint is 1 200 × 2 500 mm for a 3015 cell, 1 400 × 3 200 mm for 6025. Height starts at 3 600 mm (8 levels) and rises in 500 mm increments to 6 100 mm (13 levels). Ceiling height is often the limiting factor, so we supply a laser-measured site template that shows exactly where roof joists can be notched or where sprinklers must relocate.

Part sorting, not just unloading

A second gripper head with fork fingers slides under the cut nest while the suction frame still holds the skeleton. The head lifts parts ≥50 × 50 mm and sets them onto an out-feed conveyor or a manual sorting table. Scrap drops through a 1 200 mm wide flap into a bin on a floor-scale; when weight reaches the pre-set value the tower pauses and the forklift icon flashes on the HMI—no need for the operator to watch a clock.

Controls you already speak

The PLC is Siemens S7-1200; HMI is a 12” KTP colour touch. Ethernet/IP and OPC-UA are standard, so the tower talks to Trumpf, Bystronic, Amada, Mazak or Prima Power machines without a translator card. Program storage is 2 GB; you can archive 10 000 nests with material certificate, heat number and grain direction. Bar-code or QR reader on the load station verifies the correct sheet before the cycle starts—no more 4 mm in a 3 mm program.

Safety that satisfies the strictest insurer

Light curtains 1 800 mm high guard the transfer zone. Category 3 PLd safety relays monitor every guard switch; if the curtain is broken the chain drive coasts to stop in <200 mm. Tower doors are polycarbonate on aluminium frame, UV-stable and replaceable in minutes. The entire cell carries CE marking to EN ISO 13849-1 and EN 60204-1; the declaration of conformity and risk assessment are shipped in the same folder as the manual.

Energy and air, real numbers

Average compressed-air consumption is 180 Nl/min at 6 bar—one third of a typical shop compressor. Annual energy cost for a two-shift operation (4 000 h) is roughly €1 100 at Central European power prices, less than the wages of one apprentice for a single week. Sleep mode drops power to 120 W when idle; the tower wakes in <3 seconds on laser request.

Installation without drama

The module arrives pre-wired in five major sections: base frame, lift carriage, shuttle bridge, suction frame and control cabinet. Two technicians using a 5 t forklift and a mobile crane can commission the cell in two shifts. All cables are numbered and plugged into Harting connectors; no terminal stripping on the shop floor. A laser tracker checks rail parallelism; if the floor is within ±5 mm we shim nothing—tighten the anchors and start production.

Service that respects uptime

Chain tension is monitored by a sprung idler with an inductive sensor; the HMI warns when elongation exceeds 2 %, usually after six years of two-shift work. Bearings are sealed for life; the first scheduled replacement is year ten. Should you ever need us, we keep a European spare hub in Rotterdam and a North-American hub in Chicago. Critical parts ship the same day; standard parts within 48 h. Remote diagnostics via secure VPN allow us to upload new firmware or trace a fault while you stand at the cabinet.

Price list that starts where you are

• Base tower 8 levels, 3 T, 3015 format: $8 900
• Each extra level: $590
• 5 T upgrade: +25 %
• 6025 format: +18 %
• Part sorting module: $3 200
• Stainless suction cups for aluminium: $450
  Prices are FOB Shanghai; DDP Europe or USA available. Lead time is 45 calendar days for standard spec, 60 days if you need ATEX-rated sensors or tropical paint.

ROI you can prove

A German job-shop cutting 250 tonnes per month on two 12 kW lasers reported 62 h/month loading time before automation. After the Herochu install the same tasks took 9 h, releasing 53 h of laser and labour capacity. At €80 machine-hour rate the monthly saving is €4 240; payback on a $14 600 cell arrived in 3.4 months. Add the gain from fewer double-sheet mis-cuts and the finance department stopped asking questions.

Next move

E-mail us the make and model of your laser, the sheet sizes you store and the ceiling height you have. We return a 3-D PDF drawing, floor-loading diagram and locked price within 24 h. Order a single tower; expand later by docking a second unit to the same out-feed conveyor—no software rewrite needed.

Stop feeding your most expensive machine by hand. Let Herochu Laser Automation deliver the right sheet at the right second, shift after shift, while your operator focuses on nests, not on forklifts.