Space-saving laser giant for innovative projects

Headquartered in Gleisdorf, Austria, near Graz, Binder+Co AG provides custom-built solutions for bulk material processing. With nearly 400 employees globally, the company prioritizes innovation and continuous development. Binder+Co utilizes two state-of-the-art cutting systems from MicroStep: a unique laser solution and a plasma and oxyfuel combination for large-format sheet metal processing.

The new MSF Max C has a movable gantry housing that allows for a high degree of flexibility in terms of the working area. Compared to a shuttle table version, the machine's footprint is significantly more compact.

From compost screening in Australia to mineral sorting in India and glass recycling in England, Binder+Co from the Austrian state of Styria supplies clients all over the world. Established in 1894, the company specializes in designing and manufacturing innovative machinery for environmental and processing technologies. Binder+Co is the one stop shop for comprehensive process solutions: crushing, screening, wet processing, thermal treatment, sorting, packaging, palletizing. The company’s product range includes both standalone systems and complete processing plants used in the recycling and mining sectors worldwide. To date, Binder+Co has installed over 15,500 machines in more than 90 countries.

A 24" touchscreen offers a modern user interface for production control while an additional monitor displays live footage form the cameras inside the safety cabin. The advanced iMSNC® machine control system developed by MicroStep converts cutting plans into finished products easily, reliably, and efficiently. The unified control system is used in all MicroStep cutting machines and is compatible with a variety of technologies, which enables operators to make the transition from e.g. plasma and oxyfuel cutting to laser cutting with ease.

At its main plant in Gleisdorf, Binder+Co operates several production halls, including the iconic "Round Hall" with its flexible crane solution, designed by the company’s founder in 1960, and still considered a landmark of industrial architecture. The production process begins in the "Long Hall," where raw materials are received, processed, and coated. Two advanced cutting systems from MicroStep are utilized here: a fiber laser and a plasma and oxyfuel combination. For medium to thick plates, Binder+Co uses a MasterCut cutting machine 12 meters long, equipped with two fully automated oxyfuel torches and a plasma rotator for weld edge preparation.

Right next to the MSF Max C laser cutting machine works the 12-meter-long MasterCut with combined plasma and oxyfuel cutting capabilities.

At the end of 2022, Binder+Co began searching for a new laser cutting solution to complement the newly installed MasterCut machine. After 12 years of multi-shift operation, the existing laser system was deemed obsolete due to outdated technology, soaring maintenance costs and frequent breakdowns. "MicroStep offered a large-format laser in their product portfolio that precisely met our requirements. Its custom design and fiber laser technology seamlessly integrated into our existing machinery," explains Armin Fuchs from Binder+Co’s operational technology department.

A high-performance 6 kW fiber laser source from IPG combined with a Thermacut EX-TRABEAM® laser cutting head enables highly precise and reliable 2D cutting.

The new MSF Max C equipped with a 6 kW laser source from IPG features a movable gantry housing, offering greater flexibility in terms of the work area while maintaining a much more compact footprint compared to traditional shuttle table designs. The machines’s fully enclosed cabin and extensive safety features allow for simultaneous cutting on one end of the table and loading/unloading at the other. The laser operates in multi-shift mode, its 2D Thermacut EX-TRABEAM® cutting head processing a wide range of materials – mild steel, stainless steel, as well as aluminum – and a wide range of plate sizes, up to 14 x 3 meters. "We were very satisfied with MicroStep from the planning phase all the way through to the installation. The technicians and support team are always committed and highly competent," adds Fuchs.

"We were very satisfied with MicroStep from the planning phase all the way through to the installation. The technicians and support team are always committed and highly competent," says Armin Fuchs.

 Machine overview

The high-precision MSF Max C fiber laser machine with a unique design allows processing of large-format sheet metal with minimal space requirements. The laser cutting system operates within a safety cabin that moves along the table with the gantry, enabling simultaneous loading and unloading during the cutting process. Binder+Co.’s machine with a working area of 14,000 x 3,000 mm is powered by a high-performance 6 kW fiber laser source from IPG housed, together with the control system, in a secure cabinet outside the cutting cabin itself. The Thermacut EX-TRABEAM® laser cutting head enables highly precise and reliable 2D cutting. Additionally, a Donaldson DFPRE 12-R-SP Containment filter system with a nominal power of 15 kW provides efficient extraction capabilities.

The LU3K cleaning and calibration station enables provides automatic nozzle cleaning functionality as well as automatic cutting height calibration via a sensor plate. The operator can use its camera to see whether a nozzle needs cleaning or exchange. Switching among various nozzle types, e.g. when moving from thin plate to thicker material cutting, is also fully automated by the LUNEX unit.

In addition to the fiber laser solution, Binder+Co utilizes a flexible and robust MasterCut cutting machine with a net working area of 12,000 x 3,000 mm. It equipped with a plasma rotator powered by Kjellberg’s powerful Q 3000 PLUS plasma source for weld edge preparation as well as with two fully automated oxy-fuel torches for processing thick steel.

The MasterCut cutting machine has two fully automatic 2D oxyfuel cutting heads and a 3D plasma rotator for weld edge preparation.