German Association of Laser Users in Sheet Metal Processing (VdLB) for expert exchange at the ABICOR GROUP headquarters

Skilled labor shortages, cost pressure, and high demands on weld seams – if you want to stay competitive in sheet metal processing, you have to constantly put your processes to the test. That is exactly why open exchange among experts is so important today.

The VdLB provides the perfect platform for this. For their annual general meeting this year, we welcomed over 50 participants to the ABICOR GROUP headquarters in Buseck. As a long-standing member of the association, Thermacut invited everyone interested to take a closer look at its cutting technology product portfolio. ABICOR BINZEL fit right into this area of interest, and the VdLB members got hands-on experience of some of our products and their applications.

An insight into production

First thing in the morning, our guests saw exactly how we manufacture this technology. After our Management officially welcomed them and Andreas Rudolf (PT Photonic Tools) gave a compelling presentation on the ABICOR GROUP's laser portfolio, we moved straight into practice. Divided into matching groups, the guests went on a detailed factory tour, among other things. Through these exclusive insights into our production, the participants saw our high production standards and the size of our site for themselves.

The visitors' reactions spoke for themselves. One VdLB member summed up his enthusiasm: "I didn't know ABICOR BINZEL before. But based on what I saw this morning, I have to say I was really blown away."

Full control over the wire feed

In our Innovation and Technology Center (ITC), we got straight to the heart of the matter. There, we tackled a real challenge from the everyday workshop environment: consistent wire feeding, which is crucial for a clean weld seam in manual laser welding. If deviations occur because the wire feed rolls fail to grip properly, you risk bonding defects.

The guests saw how to solve this problem with the wire feeder unit ABIDRIVE LASER. Thanks to its powerful four-roll drive, it feeds the wire to the process with milimeter precision. What is especially important for welders in their daily work: Instead of an error-prone touchscreen, the device features a robust rotary knob that you can operate intuitively even while wearing gloves.

But the test didn't just showcase the precise wire feed – the process itself also impressed everyone. One guest was highly enthusiastic about the possibilities of the handheld laser: "With laser welding, I find the speed quite interesting, especially when working with thin sheet metal. And also in the area of stainless steel, because you can naturally weld things that might not have been possible before. You get less distortion, less heat input."

Automation for every requirement

At the next two stations, our guests saw that the path to automation can look completely different depending on your requirements and batch size. The welding cobot iBOTone^® provided the practical proof first. It showed how easily you can implement recurring welding tasks economically, starting from batch size of 1 piece and without any programming skills.

However, there was not only something new for craft and medium-sized businesses: In the industrial high-speed sector, such as automotive engineering, the MPH Tactile laser optics proved highly effective. It provided professionals from large-scale production with plenty to talk about regarding maximum flexibility and high speeds.

Self-tested: Plasma cutting in practice

At another station, everything revolved around cutting: In the cutting lab, our sister company Thermacut demonstrated the performance of the EX-TRACK^® CNC plasma and oxy-fuel cutting system. Alongside pure theory, the focus here was on practice. The guests grabbed the torch themselves and tested the manual cutting process.

They loved the intuitive handling: "This was my first time dealing with plasma cutting. The simplicity combined with the investment makes it highly interesting for basically any application. I like it!"

Strong exchange and a clear view into the future

After so much professional input, the official part seamlessly transitioned into a joint lunch. In a relaxed atmosphere in our in-house canteen »ABITERIA«, the main focus was on networking among the VdLB members and with our experts.

In the end, everyone agreed: The development in laser and cutting technology is advancing rapidly. Or, as one member put it regarding the technology's future: "I believe laser cutting and welding will become increasingly important than they already are. The market will develop significantly in that direction. Laser technology has a bright future."

We would like to thank all participants of the VdLB for their great interest, the many valuable conversations, and the amazing feedback!

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