Automated laser cutting and storage processes

Altrad Montaż Sp. z o.o. supports construction projects with the development, transport and installation of high-quality scaffolding and formwork. Altrad Montaż has been operating in the market for more than 30 years, providing services in consultancy, technical development and renting of suitable solutions for different types of construction projects. The company has an in-house production plant where the key components of the solutions offered are made.

With the installation of the new Mitsubishi GX-F laser cutting machine at Altrad’s production facility, the company decided to integrate it with an automation system (Loader with storage system). The automation enabled autonomous loading and unloading, as well as the transport of material between the laser cutting machine and the automated storage system, which was located near the laser table.

The proximity of the automated storage system increases the availability of sheet metal assortments and makes it possible to quickly put cut-out parts on the shelf. The TwinTower sheet metal storage system integrated with the automation module has 27 shelves with a load capacity of 3,000 kg, giving a total load capacity of 81,000 kg, in an area of just 35 m². The automation module (Loader), equipped with a set of dedicated vacuum suction cups and a sheet separation system is responsible for picking up a single sheet from the storage column area and transporting it to the laser cutting machine table. The automation module is also equipped with a two-element forks for unloading the cut parts from the laser cutting machine table to the shelf.

The automated laser cutting system is equipped with Smart WMS Standard software with the Planner Lite module, which allows control of storage operations and the automation module, as well as the management of the queue of orders executed by the laser cutting machine. The automation of many repetitive activities and the simple control of the entire process enables to exploit the full capacity of the newly implemented laser cutting machine.