Patent ID: 8471175
Filing Date: 2013-06-25
Classification: B23K

Abstract:
1. A laser blanking system for cutting a blank from a stock material, comprising: a laser cutting station comprising a laser moveable along both a longitudinal axis of the system and a transverse axis of the system; a plurality of first support conveyors extending along the longitudinal axis of the system and being arranged adjacent to one another along the transverse axis of the system in a substantially parallel, spaced-apart relationship, the first support conveyors each being linearly extensible and retractable along the longitudinal axis of the system independently from one another, the first support conveyors being located on an upstream side of the laser cutting station; a plurality of second support conveyors extending along the longitudinal axis of the system and being arranged adjacent to one another along the transverse axis of the system in a substantially parallel, spaced-apart relationship, the second support conveyors each being linearly extensible and retractable along the longitudinal axis of the system independently from one another, the second support conveyors being located on a downstream side of the laser cutting station; and a controller for operatively controlling the extension and retraction of each of the first and second support conveyors and the movement of the laser.