BLM is part of the EU-funded project LASTTS (LASer cutting Technology for Tubular Structures), the aim of which is to validate, through experimental tests, the use of passing through structural joints made by laser cutting of tubes and beams. The aim is to make the construction industry more efficient and sustainable.
Construction industrial sector and environmental sustainability
Globally, the construction sector exerts a significant environmental impact, contributing to 40% of overall carbon dioxide emissions. It is estimated that as the population increases, about 2.5 billion more people by 2050, we will have to build a lot of new infrastructure in the future: bridges, renewable energy facilities, buildings, stadiums, etc.
Therefore, improving efficiency in the construction sector is a key objective to ensure a sustainable future. To achieve this, it is necessary to adopt comprehensive solutions that take into account the choice of materials construction methods and design. This innovative method of connecting tubes and structural profiles, which can only be efficiently achieved with laser cutting technology , aims to reduce the use of material, lighten the structure and speed up installation.
The keystone: the idea of interpenetrating joints
The subject of study of two European projects: first LASTEICON (Laser Technology for Innovative Connections in Steel Constructions) and then LASTTS (LASer cutting Technology for Tubular Structures), the idea of passing through joinery aims to solve the problem of fragility that arises when a structural element is welded on the surface of a tube.
To overcome this problem, manufacturers are forced to increase the complexity of assembly through additional reinforcement elements such as: welds, bolts, plates, etc., which not only weigh down the structure but also increase construction times and costs.
The European projects LASTEICON and LASTTS demonstrated how passing the element inside the beam increases the strength of the joint without weighing down the structure with additional reinforcement elements. The result is lighter structures and shorter installation times.
Why Laser Cutting?
It would be impossible to switch from a standard joint to a passing through joint without the use of laser technology, given the limitations of traditional technologies in terms of cutting inclination, precision and efficiency.
In order to create passing through joints, it is necessary to perform cut and chamfers on the workpiece with very high precision and a well-defined inclination of the cutting edges. To create the passing through joints needed for their experimental tests, the LASTTS project used the LT24 laser cutting system for large tubes and profiles from BLM GROUP. Capable of automatic 3D laser cutting of tubes and profiles up to 610 mm in diameter, LT24 can produce structural components ready for assembly and welding on site, which do not require further fine-tuning, with a very short cutting time that in any case is predictable.
Contact: Jon Curtis