Precision Carbon Gantry developed for Kongsberg Ultimate

Kongsberg Precision Cutting Systems has released its latest digital cutting platform, the Kongsberg Ultimate, with a purpose built carbon traverse (y-axis gantry beam). The new precision cutting machine has been developed for accurate cutting of corrugated board packaging and flat display sheet materials. Building from their joint experience from the Kongsberg C6 the companies worked together to further developed the carbon gantry beam and integration with the machine to help meet its targets for productivity and precision!

With its new drive and beam design, the Kongsberg Ultimate defines the next generation of design and performance. This leads to significant productivity gains and return on investment for users. With its meticulously designed custom carbon fibre beam, the Kongsberg Ultimate ensures unparalleled stiffness and consistently applies a 50kg downforce. The tool head camera further elevates its precision, making every cut align perfectly with the highest industry standards.

The design of this composite gantry beam is a step forward from the previous model which has been in production for nearly 10 years. For the Ultimate, CompoTech has worked with the designers from Kongsberg to optimise the design and connections from the start of the project allowing a much more efficient use of composite structure. The precision of CompoTech’s winding hardware and proprietary Schneg 2.0 control software has meant the composite production process has been developed to allow both the internal and external structure to be wound in one process.

The innovative CF beam provides precision cutting accuracy at up 2.5g acceleration due to its high strength and stiffness.  Additionally low deflection, even under high acceleration and the 50 kg down-force needed for optimal cutting of corrugated board. Significant productivity gains have been achieved due to the CF beam being so much lighter than steel, and with a smaller profile than an equivalent aluminium gantry. This has been delivered with CompoTech’s knowledge and experience with carbon fibre in stiffness applications for machine tool.  Developing its automated fibre laying (AFL) to achieve maximum bending stiffness specifically with Ultra High Modulus (UHM) “Pitch fibres” in a true zero-degree axial placement.