Exhibition Showcases Solutions to Boost Sustainability in Connected Manufacturing
At TRUMPF’s in-house INTECH 2023, held in Ditzingen, Germany, officials discussed technologies to lower the consumption of materials, energy and reducing or eliminating harmful chemicals in auto manufacturing with a laser disc coating application.
Posted: March 22, 2023
German high-tech company TRUMPF is using its annual INTECH in-house exhibition to showcase solutions designed to boost sustainability and productivity in connected manufacturing. Alongside technologies to lower the consumption of materials, energy and cutting gas, the exhibition will also feature processes to reduce or eliminate the use of environmentally harmful chemicals in automotive manufacture.
Lower emissions, higher productivity
TRUMPF is showcasing Highspeed Eco, a process that reduces gas consumption in laser cutting by as much as 60 percent. Other exhibits will present technology designed to reduce the use of materials in manufacturing. Among these is the nano-joint process, which substantially reduces the size of the retaining tabs that connect parts to the sheet from which they have been cut by laser. This means that parts can now be nested right next to one another, thereby reducing the amount of waste material in the skeleton.
Making automotive manufacture more environmentally compatible
At this year’s INTECH, TRUMPF is demonstrating how laser technology can help automakers make their operations eco-friendlier. The company will be showcasing short-pulse lasers that eliminate the use of chemical cleaning agents in the industry. Unlike the conventional process, short-pulse lasers only clean components where it is actually needed. This not only saves water but also reduces the use of environmentally harmful chemicals. TRUMPF is also demonstrating how the use of high-speed laser metal deposition (HS-LMD) – a technology that is now ready for industrial application – can help reduce brake-disc wear in road traffic and thereby particulate emissions. Even very low concentrations of particulate matter are harmful. About half of the particulate emissions produced by road traffic are due to the abrasion of vehicle brakes, tires, clutches and road surfaces. And around half of this matter is brake dust. Brake discs coated by means of HS-LMD produce far less particulate matter compared to conventional brake discs.
About TRUMPF
TRUMPF is a high-tech company offering manufacturing solutions in the fields of machine tools and laser technology. The company drives digital connectivity in the manufacturing through consulting, platform products and software. TRUMPF is a technology and market leader in highly versatile machine tools for sheet metal processing and in the field of industrial lasers. In 2021/22, the company employed some 16,500 people and generated sales of about 4.2 billion euros. With more than 80 subsidiaries, the TRUMPF Group is represented in nearly every European country as well as in North America, South America and Asia. The company has production facilities in Germany, France, the United Kingdom, Italy, Austria, Switzerland, Poland, the Czech Republic, the United States, Mexico and China.
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