Prima Power Laserdyne is due to supply a six-axis laser machining center to a French aerospace OEM, Turbomeca, for installation at its manufacturing center at Tarnos. Minnesota-based Laserdyne supplies multi-axis laser machining systems for drilling, cutting and welding, including installations at many aerospace and defense manufacturers.
Turbomeca designs and manufactures helicopter engines and has produced over 68,000 turbines. It handles maintenance, repair, and overhaul service at service centers worldwide, too.
Terry L. VanderWert, president of Prima Power Laserdyne, explained the new machine will be the third laser cutting installation ordered by Turbomeca from his group. “It will not only expand their capacity for laser processing, but demonstrates a commitment to employing and benefiting from the latest laser system technology,” he said.
VanderWert called the new order “significant” because it affirms a recovery in turbine engine manufacturing worldwide. “We are pleased to have the opportunity to provide this system to Turbomeca,” he stated.
The Laserdyne 795XS is a six-axis system with a 1x1x1-meter (40x40x40-inch) work envelope, including a 320-mm diameter, high-accuracy rotary table and Laserdyne’s new S94P controller. The S94P is a PC-based CNC designed for multi-axis laser processing systems, and is the basis for several hardware and software features that improve productivity, process control, and quality of laser-processed parts.
The design features the third generation of Laserdyne’s BeamDirector laser-process control system, the BeamDirector 3. It is a compact package that gives excellent access to parts for cutting, drilling, and welding. These functions will enhance Turbomeca’s capability to cut with precision at competitive rates of productivity.
This Laserdyne system configuration is able to perform welding as well as precision cutting, and Turbomeca will evaluate this capability along with Laserdyne development engineers.
VanderWert said “Turbomeca is the world leader in the design, production, sale and support of the largest power range of gas turbine engines for helicopters,” and “(their) personnel understand the requirements for laser processing aerospace parts. They are very effective at judging the value of system features.
“We believe that their positive evaluation of our latest system technology, with the third generation BeamDirector®, is further evidence of the value of our recent developments,” stated VanderWert.
