CadCam Technology, a UK manufacturer of industrial grade flatbed laser cutters and engravers, has employed precision machine couplings from Huco Dynatork. The couplings help tolerate and compensate for any slight misalignment in the laser system’s X-axis half drive shafts.
Nottingham-based CadCam Technology’s certified Class 1 machines use sealed CO2 lasers that are water or air cooled. A fine, clean, accurate depth of cut is achieved by software controlled adjustment of both the cutting speed and the power output of the laser. Closed loop servo motors and hardened ground steel rails provide precision movements with up to 2G acceleration.
‘The Huco coupling enables the accuracy of the X-axis to be maintained by its action on the drive shaft,’ commented Richard Extall, purchasing manager at CadCam Technology. ‘This is imperative to maintain the accuracy of our machines, which is to within 0.025mm.’
Huco-Flex M precision couplings feature thin pressed steel membranes – torque is resolved to simple tensile stresses in opposing segments of the membranes. These couplings have near-infinite life and a dynamically balanced construction which makes them suitable for applications requiring high rotational speed and motion integrity.
The Huco couplings are reliable, well engineered, cost effective components,’ stated Extall. ‘They are easy to fit and, to date, we have assembled approximately 9,000 pieces on our FB range of X+Y-axis flatbed laser systems. The couplings have certainly proved their reliability over the years.’
