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The laser in operation |
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The CSIR National Laser Centre has been serving industry, especially the automotive industry with the development of prototype parts and limited production of components for local and internationally-produced motor vehicles, for some time.
The latest project involved trim pressed body panels for Volkswagen (VW) South Africa. A pressed body part is a piece of sheet metal that is formed by using a metal press and pressing tool to shape the sheet in the form of the body part. This body part has excess material that needs to be trimmed to achieve the correct outline or shape so that the part fits into position onto the motor vehicle. Using a 5-axis laser system, the centre is able to process 3D components.
Established in 1946, Volkswagen SA is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Volkswagen Aktiengessellschaft (VWAG) in Germany. It is the largest German investment in South Africa and is a major contributor to foreign direct investment, technology transfer and skills development.
VWSA supplied the CSIR National Laser Centre with the pressed body panels and a 3D CAD model (a computer-generated 3D drawing of the component, which included the trim line - this indicates the outer shape of the panel). The centre's specialist group was responsible for the programming of the profile, as well as the design and manufacturing of a holding fixture to be used for positioning of the body panels on the laser bed. The centre produced five laser trimmed prototypes for verification and after a few adjustments, 650 parts were laser cut for VWSA. These parts are destined for VW in Germany.
The 5-axis laser processing abilities of the centre enable clients to develop the trimmed part without investing money in expensive trim tools and tool modifications. Clients are able to develop the trim using the laser and only manufacture the trim tools once the trim line development is complete. The delivery time of the prototype parts are also significantly shorter compared to developing trim lines using trim tools.
The CSIR National Laser Centre also provides a 3D laser cutting limited production service to industry and has proven that the laser process is more cost efficient than standard production processes for certain applications.
Enquiries: CSIR Communication
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