人们传统上主要依靠锯，铣刀和角磨机来分离厚度为2.5毫米的纤维复合材料部件。不幸的是，使用这些工具极难实现平滑的切割边缘和高精度的结果。此外，锯，铣刀和角磨机会散发大量烟雾和有害粉尘。使用Trumpf nibbler分离纤维复合材料的操作员在大多数情况下使用没有个人防护设备，因为只有少量灰尘。
它可以分离热固性塑料和热塑性聚合物以及碳纤维增强塑料（CFRP），玻璃纤维增强塑料（GFRP）和芳纶纤维增强塑料（AFRP）。
Trumpf是如何完成这项工程壮举的？
Power Tools的国际销售经理Stefan Anshelm解释说，该公司修改了nibbler的切割几何形状和切割工具，以适应纤维复合材料。
“我们设法采用传统上用于金属加工的步冲技术，以便客户可以将TruTool FCN 250用于纤维复合材料。”
这种冲击器适用于任何使用纤维复合材料制造先进轻质部件的领域。例子包括航空航天，汽车和原型制造以及运动或休闲活动设备的生产。
Nibbling是一种冷加工，因为热量不起作用。冲击器包括冲头，冲头快速连续地执行冲压冲程，以及模具，其吸收冲压力。凭借TruTool FCN 250的高质量涂层切割工具，用户可以创造出卓越品质的边缘。它们还可以避免分层（层间分离）和磨损的切边。“
易于操作的TruTool FCN 250可实现每分钟1.9米的高工作速度。由于该工具为用户提供了清晰的工作表面视图，因此他们可以沿着划线进行精确的分离切割，就像使用模板一样。此外，用户可以直线或半径缩小。刀架可以360°旋转，简化了难以触及区域的任务。
Trumpf TruTool FCN 250的另一个优点在于其耐磨部件的长使用寿命 - 得益于特殊涂层。例如，只需要一个模具就可以蚕食约300米的GFRP或2毫米厚的CFRP，然后才能更换; 制造商建议在约150米后更换冲头。对于更薄的材料，使用寿命要长得多。与其他分切工艺相比，这种冲击器的每米成本降低了50％。而且，更换冲头很简单，不需要额外的设备。Stefan Anshelm补充道：“与我们的薄板冲击器一样，用户可以在几秒钟内更换我们用于纤维复合材料组件的冲头。”
丰富的经验表明，人们可以长时间用蚕豆切片，同时经历很少或没有疲劳。这在很大程度上归功于小型打印机的紧凑尺寸和符合人体工程学的操作，其不需要用户主动地将它们向前推过工件。Trumpf工程师进一步优化了操作头和电机的重量分布，实现了真正符合人体工程学的手柄。
Trumpf has developed a new nibbler that is the first of its kind worldwide, capable of separating various fiber composite materials: the TruTool FCN 250. This innovation will allow companies to leverage the benefits of nibbling in new fields of application.
People have traditionally relied primarily on saws, milling cutters and angle grinders to separate fiber composite components as thick as 2.5 millimeters. Unfortunately, smooth cut edges and high-precision results are extremely difficult to achieve using these tools. In addition, saws, milling cutters and angle grinders emit a lot of smoke and hazardous dust. Operators who use the Trumpf nibbler to separate fiber composite materials use in the most of the cases no personal protective equipment as there is only a small amount of dust.
It can separate thermosetting plastics and thermoplastic polymers as well as carbon-fiber reinforced plastics (CFRP), glass-fiber reinforced plastics (GFRP) and aramid-fiber reinforced plastics (AFRP).
How did Trumpf accomplish this feat of engineering?
Stefan Anshelm, international sales manager for Power Tools, explains that the company modified the nibbler’s cutting geometry and cutting tools to accommodate fiber composite materials.
“We managed to adapt nibbling technology, traditionally used for metalworking, so that customers can use the TruTool FCN 250 for fiber composite materials.”
This nibbler is suitable for any sector that uses fiber composite materials to manufacture pioneering lightweight components. Examples include aerospace, automotive and prototype manufacturing as well as the production of equipment for sports or leisure activities.
Nibbling is a type of cold working, as heat does not play a role. A nibbler comprises a punch, which executes punching strokes in rapid succession, and a die, which absorbs the force of punching. Thanks to the high-quality, coated cutting tools of the TruTool FCN 250, users can create edges of superior quality. They also avoid delamination (interlaminar separation) and frayed cut edges."
The easy-to-operate TruTool FCN 250 achieves a high working speed of 1.9 meters per minute. Because the tool provides users with a clear view of the work surface, they can make precise separating cuts along a scribed line as if they were using a template. In addition, the user can nibble in a straight line or a tight radius. And the tool carrier can be rotated 360°, simplifying tasks in hard-to-reach areas.
Yet another benefit of Trumpf’s TruTool FCN 250 lies in the long service life of its wear parts – thanks to a special coating. Just one die, for instance, will nibble some 300 meters of GFRP or CFRP two millimeters thick before it must be replaced; the manufacturer recommends replacing the punch after about 150 meters. Service life is considerably longer for thinner materials. Compared to other slitting processes, this nibbler’s per-meter costs are lower by as much as 50 percent. Moreover, replacing the punch is simple and requires no additional equipment. Stefan Anshelm adds: “As with our thin-sheet nibblers, the user can replac the punch in our nibbler for fiber composite components in a matter of seconds.”
And a wealth of experience indicates that people can cut sheets with nibblers for a long time while experiencing little or no fatigue. This is due in large part to the compact size and ergonomic operation of nibblers, which do not require users to actively push them forward through the workpiece. Trumpf engineers have furthermore optimized the distribution in weight of the operating head and the motor, making for a truly ergonomic grip.