Robotic Laser Cutting Solutions

Industrial laser cutting is a non-contact material processing technology that uses a high-powered focused laser beam to cut or engrave materials such as metals, plastics, wood, textiles, and ceramics. The laser delivers high energy to a small area of the material, melting, burning, or vaporizing it to create precise cuts without the need for physical blades.

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Benefits of Industrial Laser Cutting:

High Precision: Capable of cutting complex shapes with tight tolerances.
Speed and Efficiency: Faster than many traditional mechanical cutting methods, especially for repetitive tasks.
Flexibility: Can handle a wide variety of materials and thicknesses.
Minimal Material Waste: The beam can make fine cuts, reducing scrap and optimizing material usage.
No Physical Contact: Reduces wear on tools and avoids mechanical stress on the material.

Advantages of using 6-axis robot arms in Laser Cutting

Building on the benefits of laser cutting, integrating 6-axis robots unlocks new levels of performance and flexibility:

Enhanced Flexibility and Range of Motion

This configuration enables the robot to reach intricate angles and manipulate the laser cutter with high dexterity. Such flexibility is crucial for cutting complex geometries, 3D curved surfaces like tubes, or irregular shapes that simpler three- or four-axis robots cannot handle.

Boosted Efficiency and Productivity

With their advanced kinematics, high speed, and ability to perform continuous operations, six-axis robots can complete laser cutting tasks more quickly than manual or fixed-axis systems. Their adaptability allows for quick reprogramming and fast changeovers, minimizing downtime and increasing throughput for diverse production requirements

Long-Term ROI

Six-axis robots can seamlessly integrate with PLC systems, vision systems, and AI-based controllers, allowing for automated quality inspections or adaptive cutting paths based on sensor feedback. Although initial investments can be high, six-axis robots offer a long-term ROI through reduced labor costs, less material waste, and decreased errors The modular design, ease of maintenance, and compatibility with various end-effectors also allow businesses to adapt the robot to different cutting tasks or future production upgrades

Robotic Laser cutting application examples

Fiber Laser for Automotive car doors

Robot uses a Fiber Laser to cut holes in car doors. Different shapes (circles, oblongs, edges) are needed because of the different assembly needs fo the following car door assembly step.

CO2 laser for Automotive plastic parts

CO2 lasers mounted on robots are used extensively for automotive plastic components, especially airbag precutting, bumper trimming, and complex 3D plastic parts.

Fiber laser
CO2 laser

Stäubli laser cutting robots key features and benefits

To achieve best performance in robotic laser cutting, selecting the right robot with the appropriate technical features is essential. Below are the key characteristics that define a high-performing laser cutting robot:

Trajectory Generation & Motion Optimization

Stäubli provides advanced trajectory generation functionalities that enable the creation of complex paths such as circles and free‑form geometries with optimized entry and exit strategies, ensuring smooth motion and consistent path quality throughout the operation.
The motion control system allows smooth and controlled orientation changes along the trajectory, maintaining precise alignment of the tool with the surface, even on complex 3D paths, without compromising accuracy.
Motion parameters can be dynamically adapted to ensure optimal precision during the cutting phase while enabling extremely fast transitions and reconfiguration between successive cutting paths, drastically reducing non‑productive motion and overall cycle time.

Enclosed and Rigid Robot arm structure

The robot arm features a fully enclosed structure that enables uninterrupted high‑speed operation in harsh environments commonly found in metal part manufacturing plants. This design provides effective protection against dust, fumes, smoke, and electromagnetic disturbances, ensuring long‑term reliability and consistent performance.
The rigid mechanical architecture of the arm minimizes structural deformation under dynamic loads, enabling excellent path accuracy and repeatability, even at high speeds and during demanding cutting operations.
The stiff and well‑damped structure enhances the robot’s resistance to external vibrations originating from surrounding equipment or the process itself, maintaining stable motion behavior and preserving trajectory quality in challenging production environments.

Speed and Path accuracy

Stäubli masters the entire motion control chain, from trajectory generation and motion planning to servo tuning, drive technology, motors, and gearboxes. This full vertical integration ensures best‑in‑class path accuracy, even at high speeds and on complex trajectories.
Laser cutting robots are individually tuned during production to achieve optimal path accuracy. This dedicated tuning process ensures consistent cutting quality and repeatable performance, tailored to the dynamic behavior of each robot.

"The stability and precision of Stäubli's robots allow them to master even the most demanding tasks required by laser cutting. With increased efficiency and productivity, these robots have proven their worth in our end user industry."

LIU Hongsheng, Jiangsu Yawei CKY Laser Equipment Co., Ltd., project manager for Yutong.

Stäubli robotic arm for laser cutting

TX2-160L HDP

High Dynamic Precision robot

Stäubli’s HDP robot has been designed to deliver the best performance in fiber laser cutting applications. Since more than 20 years, Stäubli has built experience in high accuracy processes and specifically in laser cutting alongside with the most renowned experts in the industry.

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Our partners for laser cutting

Technology package for integrators

CNC Solutions

A solution combining all the components required to implement CNC applications with a Stäubli robot such as milling, grinding, deburring, laser cutting...

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