Traditionally, complete machine shops have primarily used multi-station presses to process sheet metal, involving turning, milling, planing, drilling, grinding, and wire cutting. These processes rely heavily on mechanical forces and rigid tools to remove excess metal layers. These processes are complex, prone to deformation, and consume significant manpower, material, and financial resources.

CO2 laser processing method

CO2 laser cutting machine is the first laser processing equipment used in the domestic elevator industry. It uses non-mechanical energy such as light, electricity, and chemistry to complete the material stripping process. It can process high-hardness materials with lower-hardness materials. Compared with traditional processing methods, this processing method has unique advantages such as non-contact, easy processing, safety and environmental protection. However, the optical fiber needs to rely on multiple sets of lenses for reflection and conduction, the optical path adjustment is complicated, the maintenance cost is high, and the energy conversion efficiency is relatively low, which makes the use cost high.

Fiber laser cutting machines occupy the elevator market

Elevator manufacturing primarily relies on stainless steel with a thickness of approximately 3mm. Using CO2 laser cutting machines for this process consumes a lot of power and gas. Due to their high cost and complex commissioning, CO2 laser cutting machines have been unable to keep pace with the development of the elevator industry. New fiber lasers operate solely on electricity, eliminating the need for additional laser-generating gases, resulting in significantly lower operating and maintenance costs. Their significant advantages, such as their ability to cut highly reflective materials like copper and aluminum and their lack of an external optical path, are gradually replacing CO2 laser cutting machines and becoming the preferred tool for the elevator industry.

Flat sheet metal in the elevator industry can be processed with flat laser cutting machines, but many three-dimensional sheet metal parts are still processed using wire EDM. For these applications, a 3D fiber laser cutting machine is a wise choice.

Example of escalator "faucet cover" processing

The "faucet cover" shown in the picture is typically cut using a press or laser cutting machine, followed by stretching and forming the holes using a bending machine. This method can easily cause the holes to deform, failing to meet the needs of high-end users. To address this issue, some manufacturers use wire cutting after stretching, but wire cutting is too slow, requiring nearly half an hour to cut a single "faucet."

A 3D laser cutting machine performs 3D laser cutting (including cutting the holes and the ends) after the "faucet cover" is formed. Cutting a single "faucet" takes only two minutes, ensuring a guaranteed roundness of 0.1mm for the cut holes, and allows for easy adjustment to accommodate different products.