Han's Laser builds automated tube cutting production line for bus frames, increasing storage capacity by 1.5 times

en.Wedoany.com Reported - Han's Laser Intelligent Equipment Group Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as the Intelligent Equipment Group), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Han's Laser, has developed an intelligent tube cutting production project for bus frame manufacturing. The project integrates automated three-dimensional warehousing, laser tube cutting, and intelligent logistics into a fully closed-loop system, enabling continuous production from profile warehousing to finished product output. In new energy bus manufacturing, frame processing serves as a critical pre-assembly process, and its precision and efficiency directly determine the structural strength and assembly quality of the entire vehicle. Traditional decentralized manual operations can no longer meet the industry's growing demands for precision, efficiency, and quality stability.

The project adopts an integrated "warehousing–processing–logistics" layout, combining automated equipment with optimized material flow planning to establish a continuous production process covering intelligent tube storage, loading, precision processing, and finished product output. The production line is equipped with AGV transfer vehicles capable of autonomous navigation and intelligent handling, reducing manual unloading, handling, and transfer operations while improving the production rhythm and space utilization efficiency of the laser cutting process.

The machining center is equipped with an automated three-dimensional warehouse for profiles. Upon arrival, profiles are scanned and logged into the WMS system in bundles or as individual pieces to generate warehousing tasks. The system automatically assigns optimal storage locations based on material information, with data synchronized in real time. Stacker cranes and RGV systems work in coordination to automatically transport profiles to optimal storage positions. When the upper-level MES issues production orders, the WMS automatically allocates storage locations and schedules retrieval, with the conveying system delivering profiles directly to the cutting station, ensuring efficient material handoff from storage to processing. The automated warehouse achieves a feeding speed of 80 m/min and a stacking/lifting speed of 5 m/min, supporting mixed storage of profiles in multiple specifications and batches. Compared with traditional flat stacking methods, floor space occupation is reduced by over 60%, storage capacity is increased by 1.5 times, and warehousing/retrieval efficiency is improved by over 60%. The production line supports order switching without stopping, accommodating the flexible production requirements of the bus industry characterized by multiple varieties and small batch sizes.

The core cutting unit is equipped with Han's Laser tube cutting equipment, compatible with mainstream bus profiles such as high-strength steel and ordinary steel, supporting automatic loading and automatic operation. The nesting software automatically calculates optimal cutting paths and layout schemes. The processing range covers various tube and profile types with lengths from 10 mm to 6000 mm, cross-sections from 20×30 mm to 180×80 mm, and wall thicknesses from 0.5 mm to 10 mm. Finished cuts are smooth and burr-free, overflow holes can be formed in a single pass, and minimal residue remains on the inner walls of tubes, reducing downstream cleaning operations. Cutting length tolerance is ≤±0.2 mm, cross-section precision is ≤±0.15 mm, and machining accuracy meets downstream welding process standards. During continuous production, cutting quality remains stable for thick-walled tubes and various wire-passing hole machining operations.

The machining center is equipped with an integrated digital control platform that connects the data links of MES, FMS, ERP, WMS, and WCS, uniformly receiving upper-level production tasks and intelligently scheduling material warehousing/retrieval and tube processing operations. The system records material flow information throughout the entire process, providing transparent and traceable inventory status, achieving fully closed-loop control from raw material warehousing, storage, station feeding, to tube processing.

This project validates the practical value of automated tube cutting in bus frame manufacturing and provides a replicable upgrade path for the industry. The Intelligent Equipment Group stated that it will continue to explore metal processing application scenarios in diverse fields such as commercial vehicles, special-purpose vehicles, and construction machinery, leveraging laser processing equipment, automated production lines, and digital control capabilities to provide integrated support for production line upgrades at manufacturing enterprises.