One of the most important European exhibitions concerning processing of sheets and tubes took place from the 3rd - 6th November 2015 in Stuttgart, Germany, . According to official statistics, the exhibition Blechexpo 2015 (with its twin Schweisstec 2015), was attended by over 38,000 visitors from 110 countries who were given the opportunity to see presentations and stands of over 1,200 exhibitors.
At their stand with an area of 160 m2, MicroStep presented two high-end cutting machines from the current product portfolio. A hot novelty was the latest generation of the laser cutting machine MSF with a 3D tilting head that allows high precision bevel cutting of parts of up to 15 mm material thickness (black steel) with a 45° bevel. The system is integrated with the latest version of the cutting head HighYAG Bimo FSC 2.1 HP and a version for bevel cutting that allows cutting with large power (> 4 kW). The exhibited laser source was a 6 kW YLS-6000 from the market leader, IPG Photonics. The MSF machine with a cutting table of 3 x 1.5 m was equipeed with the following: a calibration unit ACTG for auto calibration of the 3D tilting head (ACTG is a patented technology developed by MicroStep), as well as a combined station for monitoring and cleaning of the cutting nozzle and calibration of the capacitive height sensor in the cutting head. All this stirred a great interest amongst visitors.
The Blechexpo exhibition in general had a very strong representation of manufacturers in the field of laser cutting which re-affirmed the growing trend of cutting with fiber laser. It has become an increasingly popular technology. According to indicators up to 30 % of laser cutting machines sold at present are equipped with fiber laser technology compared with 70 % of CO2 lasers (the dominating technology a few years earlier). The trend is towards bigger power sources. Most sold sources are 4 kW, while 6 kW sources came to the market this year and it is said 8 kW sources are to come within the next two years.
The second exhibited machine was a multifunctional cutting machine, called the MG. It is a traditional type of high-precision and variable cutting machine, designed for HD plasma and oxy-acetylene cutting in combination with drilling or marking. This machine has undergone a robust modernization at MicroStep in recent years - the machine is now more structurally stable, faster and more dynamic, with more additional equipment. The exhibited machine had two technology options - a plasma rotator (a 3D plasma cutting torch with a tilt of up to 50°) and a fully automatic drill for diameters of up to 40 mm with automatic tool exchange. Attached to the cutting table, the machine had an additional shaft with a positioner for cutting tubes and square profiles with diameters of up to Ø300 mm.
"The exhibition had a very good attendance. MicroStep once again demonstrated its strong position in the market which reflects the continuing interest in our multi-functional cutting systems and technologies," Igor Mikulina, director of MicroStep Europa GmbH, MicroStep's sister company in Bavaria, Germany, which organized the exhibition presentation of MicroStep. In the Bavarian town of Bad Wörishofen, MicroStep Europa has built a new building this year for nearly 50 employees and also opened a showroom with cutting machines.
"From the response at the exhibition we feel that we are on the right track. Metalworking companies stand before a growing challenge to optimize production; they need to produce quickly and efficiently in order to stay in competition. This includes modern production means, e.g. multifunction machines, such as those offered by MicroStep," said MicroStep's CEO Alexander Varga.M
