„The Bihler LM 2000-NC“
New standard in Bihler machine portfolio
The linear machine LM 2000-NC sets new standards in the Bihler portfolio for flexible production with frequent tool changes. But it is also ideal for developing tools and processes and opens up new manufacturing benefits for users of traditional linear tool technology.
The LM 2000-NC is the servo-controlled counterpart to the cam-controlled LM 2000-KT. This machine also fits perfectly into Bihler’s standardized machine park strategy and is compatible with all uniformly produced linear tools. This means, for example, that a newly developed tool, initially designed to run on the GRM-NC to produce samples and smaller batch sizes, can be moved to the LM 2000-NC without any difficulty. This is ideal for batch sizes that require frequent tool changes, as the LM 2000-NC allows extremely fast retooling. Its versatile bending modules with spindle technology and the controller offer a particularly wide range of options for fine-tuning of the travel profiles to generate the perfect sequence of movements. In contrast to the cam-driven machine, this can be done within a few minutes at the push of a button on the LM 2000-NC. Consequently, the LM 2000-NC is also ideal for developing tools and processes and/or for producing small to medium batch sizes. The tool can subsequently be mounted on the LM 2000-KT if larger batch sizes are to be manufactured or on the BIMERIC Modular if additional value-added processes are required. The system combines this high degree of flexibility with a production output of up to 250 strokes per minute. But the future may see even higher performance figures thanks to the ongoing development of the controller and software technology.
Robust and compact
Like the KT variant, the LM 2000-NC has a particularly robust and simple design, reduced to the essential functions. The machine body is designed to be compact and space-saving. The side-operated standalone system does not require an additional control cabinet, because the electrical hardware, the drive elements and the VC 1 control system are already integrated in the machine. Unlike the GRM-NC, the LM 2000-NC only supports linear operation, and not radial operation. However, although the two systems are the same size, the LM 2000-NC possesses more module positions.
New manufacturing benefits
The standardized tools, the linear production principle and the fact that the carrier strip does not have to be lifted out also make the LM 2000 platform interesting for customers who are already using traditional linear tool technology - and produce a relatively large amount of waste material, for example in the form of stamping strips. The LM 2000-KT or -NC, on the other hand, only require one stamping strip and can thus achieve material savings of up to 30 percent. Bihler’s standardized portfolio of solutions, which are fully compatible with each other and are available from a single source, thus opens up new, unique manufacturing benefits even for users who previously relied on classic linear tool technology.
