Automotive industry: TRUMPF laser technology reduces manufacturing costs in hot forming

High-tech company TRUMPF is reducing component costs by up to 20 per cent when cutting hot-formed components for safety-critical body structures, thanks to a new laser technology solution. “Energy costs, expensive cutting gas and unplanned downtime are driving up component prices in hot forming. TRUMPF now offers a solution that addresses this very issue. By combining a new cutting nozzle, a new generation of fibre lasers and proven beam shaping technology, we enable efficient laser cutting of hot-formed parts, making our customers even more competitive,” says Ralf Kohllöffel, responsible for product management of 3D systems at TRUMPF. The high-tech company is showcasing the new solution at its in-house exhibition, INTECH, in Ditzingen.

For manufacturers across Asia, the development addresses a practical pressure point. Automotive suppliers are being asked to control operating costs while maintaining the repeatability required for structural components. Hot-formed parts, including pillars, roof rails and reinforcement elements, combine high strength with complex geometries, making laser trimming an important production step. Reducing gas consumption and unplanned stoppages can therefore influence both cost per part and delivery reliability, particularly at plants running several shifts or supplying tightly scheduled assembly operations.

Fewer machine downtimes and higher productivity

Users benefit from fewer machine downtimes and fewer service interventions with the new solution. At the heart of the new solution is a new cutting nozzle. The new design allows the nozzle-to-sheet distance to be increased to several millimetres. This significantly reduces the risk of collisions between the nozzle and the sheet during the cutting process. “Nozzle collisions have previously been a frequent source of disruption, particularly when laser cutting with compressed air as the cutting gas. They led to damaged nozzles, fluctuating cut quality and unplanned machine downtime. In tests, the new nozzles were in use for more than three months without needing to be replaced. The typical service life of the already improved X-Blast standard nozzles was previously just a few days,” says Kohllöffel. Even with less-than-ideal programming or fluctuating production conditions, the cutting process now remains stable, even when using compressed air as the cutting gas.

Cutting gas costs reduced by 75 per cent

By using compressed air instead of nitrogen, users can reduce their cutting costs by 75 per cent. “Although compressed air is significantly cheaper than nitrogen as a cutting gas, it was previously considered less robust, particularly in continuous operation of high-productivity systems. This is precisely where TRUMPF’s new process combination comes in,” says Kohllöffel. Whilst many users previously stuck with the more expensive nitrogen for reasons of process reliability, the new X-Blast 2.0 nozzle, in combination with the BrightLine Speed beam shaping technology, now enables the industrial use of compressed air even in 24/7 operation of high-productivity 3D laser cutting machines when cutting hot-formed components in the automotive industry.

BrightLine Speed is a beam shaping technology that enables higher cutting speeds to be achieved with lower laser power. This means that users can cut faster with, for example, 3 kilowatts of laser power than competitors using 4 kilowatts. Furthermore, thanks to the laser’s high brilliance, users benefit from significantly lower cutting gas consumption compared to a standard process without BrightLine Speed.

The new generation of TRUMPF fibre lasers complements this effect. It operates much more energy-efficiently and reduces the power consumption of the beam source. At the same time, the lower laser power required reduces the total energy consumption per component.

The approach also supports manufacturers seeking measurable energy and resource savings without changing the cutting process. Compressed air is available in factories, although its quality, pressure and preparation must meet process requirements. Producers evaluating the technology will need to consider compressor capacity, part mix and quality standards. Where conditions are suitable, the combination could help Asian automotive component makers improve machine utilisation and manage production costs while retaining the precision expected of safety-critical parts.

TRUMPF is a high-tech company offering manufacturing solutions in the fields of machine tools and laser technology. It drives digital connectivity in manufacturing through consulting, platform products and software. TRUMPF is one of the technology and market leaders in highly versatile machine tools for sheet metal processing and in the field of industrial lasers.

In 2024/25, TRUMPF employed 18,303 people and generated sales of 4.3 billion euros. With about 90 companies, the TRUMPF Group is represented in nearly every European country as well as in North America, South America and Asia. The company has production facilities in Germany, France, the United Kingdom, Italy, Austria, Switzerland, Poland, the Czech Republic, the United States, Mexico and China. Find out more about TRUMPF at www.trumpf.com