Intelligent, automated production methods for composites cutting, logistics

Zünd (Altstätten, Switzerland), a provider of complete solutions for digital cutting in the composites industry, will be on hand at JEC World 2024 to highlight its focus on intelligent production methods and the future requirements of industry. Trade professionals will have the opportunity for  a close-up view of how data management, cutting and assembly can be digitalized, automated and streamlined.

Digital production cells offer particularly large cost reductions in materials and personnel. Zünd uses two practical examples via its available digital and modular cutting solutions to demonstrate how such digital production workflows for cutting composites can be structured.

One production line illustrates the ease of integrating a robot and all of its functions, thereby fully automating the removal and sorting of parts. The robot arm is controlled by the ZCC Zünd Cut Center operating software via the pick-and-place interface. Thanks to central control via the ZCC, cuts of any shape can be removed and individually sorted in a flexible manner by the Zünd G3 Cutter. If the cut parts are removed by hand, the operator can mark each part with labels with printed barcodes and job information, with visual support provided via a projector. The required parameters are derived from the job metadata.

The company’s heat sealing module (HSM) is used when cutting dry fiber thermoplastic materials. As the name suggests, the cutting tool heat-seals the material edge during cutting. This further optimizes automated parts handling and downstream logistics.

On a second production line, the focus is on maximum material use while cutting fiber-reinforced composite materials. This is made possible by a fully digital workflow. The Zünd PreCut Center (ZPC) software plays a key role in the process. In particular, Zünd notes that the ability to integrate selected metadata in the output file and transfer it to the finished cut parts via inkjet printers and label printers enables efficient and flawless kitting as well as end-to-end traceability.

Through the automated nesting of cut contours, the ZPC also ensures maximum material use and reduces waste. When nesting, the software even takes into account material defects and irregular material shapes, such as with remainder rolls.

The ZCC Zünd Cut Center operating software has also been revamped and now offers new features. In Version 4, ZCC offers more capabilities for flexible, automated file preparation and efficient digital cutting. Controlling the cutter via touchscreen makes for intuitive and simple operation

Visit Zünd at booth S57 in Hall 5.