Aeronaut Automated Cutting Systems Overview
Aeronaut manufactures not only blade cutters but also powered blade, laser and ultrasonic cutters. This means we're more likely to give you the right advice about your work than if we only made one type of automated cutter. If you are unsure of which cutter is best for your work, read this page, have a look at the industries section on this site and/or contact Aeronaut for advice.
Most roll textiles are cut with a blade, usually a rotary or "pizza" blade. For many industries, a single rotary blade is enough to cut almost everything. The problem with rotary blades is that because of the geometry of the blade, they can't cut very detailed shapes. For those, you either need the smallest rotary blade (19mm) or a drag knife. For small circles, a punch is best.
Most sheet materials like foam, flexible plastic and cardboard are cut with a tangentially steered knife, either static drag blade or a reciprocating or oscillating blade.
Aeronaut makes cutters which carry all these tool types as well as more specialised machines like laser and ultrasonic cutters.
Blade Cutters
Rotary or pizza wheel blades are probably the most widely used tool for cutting technical textiles, leather and composites. Aeronaut can offer almost any style of cutter from entry level self-installed machines to the longest and widest cutters in the world, all fitted with versatile and future-proof quick change tooling.
Ultrasonic cutters
Aeronaut pioneered the automated cutting of textiles with ultrasonic tools and they're widely used where cutting and edge sealing is required in industries from roller blinds and shades to medical applications like sleep apnoea masks or aerospace applications such as satellite MLI blankets.
Laser cutters
Aeronaut's flatbed laser cutters are excellent where synthetic fabrics need cutting and all-round edge sealing such as parachutes, paragliders, yacht sails, furniture and outdoor fabrics. Since there's no contact between the laser and the material being cut, speed and accuracy is excellent.
Self-install cutters
There are a few self-install cutters on the market and by any standard, Aeronaut still make the best. Stiffer, more rigid, more powerful, more accurate but still around the same price. The mighty Ikon cutter sets the standard for low-cost cutting machines intended to fit onto a DIY vacuum table.
Special cutters
If you don't need a vacuum, then mounting a cutter on the floor may be a good option. Aeronaut's widest machines, at 12 metres wide, are almost always floor mounted. Cutters for carpet are usually floor mounted so the carpet can be rolled out, cut and rolled up again ready to delivery on site.
Single steered tools
Cutters like the Elektron Mono, Elektron B1 and Ikon have only one steered tool axis.
The main benefit is lower cost. If you most of your work can be done with one cutting tool, then a single tool axis is fine.
With Cam-lock quick change tooling, you are not limited to just one tool on a single steered axis cutter. A manual tool change takes less than 15 seconds, so if tool changes are occasional, then a single tool cutter can be cost effective.
Tool axes intended for drill punching and creasing can optionally be configured to apply double pressure.
All Aeronaut cutters are fitted with a marker holder which can take anything from a ball point or fine marker to a paint pen. The pen plate can also carry an inkjet print head, another marker or a Cyclops machine vision camera which makes the single tool machines almost as versatile as a multi-tool cutter but at a lesser cost.
Multiple steered tools
With a multi-tool head like the Elektron Quattro or Elektron B2 you have the most versatile type of cutter. Each steered axis can be fitted with a different type of tool so all parts of a job can be cut with the optimum tool or when cutting abrasive materials, more than one cutting tool can be carried, increasing the time between blade changes.
Uniquely, with the Cam-lock tool system, each axis can function as a drill punch so a 4 tool head can carry three different punch sizes and a cutting tool.
Tool axes intended mainly for drill punches and creasing can optionally be configured to apply double pressure.
Tool changes are done automatically in software and take less than a second. This, over hundreds of tool changes a day, increases productivity over a single steered tool machine.
Because a multi-tool cutting head is slightly wider, the pen plate can carry more equipment including an inkjet print head, another marker or a Cyclops machine vision camera.
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Get the facts from the factory direct. If you want advice on automated cutting, an offer on a complete cutting system or to arrange a demonstration, just ask!