AST Manufacturing has added punch/laser combination machining to its in-house capabilities with the Amada EML 2515 AJ — a 33-ton CNC turret punch press paired with a 3kW fiber laser in a single platform. By combining high-speed punching, forming, and tapping with the unlimited shape flexibility of fiber laser cutting, the EML lets AST produce complex parts in one setup that would otherwise require several machines and multiple handoffs.

For our customers, that means tighter tolerances, faster turnaround, and lower part cost — especially on jobs that mix holes, forms, threads, and intricate cut profiles on the same component.

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Punching and Cutting on One Machine

Traditional fabrication often splits a part across separate punching, cutting, and forming operations. The EML 2515 AJ does the work on a single bridge-frame platform. The turret punches, taps, and forms; the integrated fiber laser handles the contours and geometry that tooling can’t. Because both processes share one work area and one program, parts move from raw sheet to near-finished in a single, repeatable cycle.

This combination is ideal for enclosures, chassis, brackets, panels, and any part that benefits from formed features and precise cut geometry together.

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Turret Punching, Forming & Tapping

The EML’s multi-purpose “Z-style” turret does far more than punch holes. On a single platform it produces:

• Punched holes and patterns at up to 500 hits/min on 1″ centers (1,850/min in marking mode)
• 3D forming — louvers, embossments, extrusions, flanges, lances, and roll-formed offsets
• In-line thread forming and tapping, eliminating a separate tapping operation downstream
• Lance-clip features that lock formed corners together without rivets or spot welding

Performing these features on the combination machine removes secondary operations entirely — fewer setups, fewer handoffs, and less opportunity for error between steps.

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3kW Fiber Laser Cutting

The EML’s fiber laser engine delivers 3kW of continuous output and cuts the complex contours, cutouts, and detail geometry that punching alone can’t produce. Fiber technology runs significantly more energy-efficiently than older CO2 combination machines while delivering faster cut speeds — giving customers high-quality cut edges and a quick, cost-effective path through detailed parts.

Combined with the turret, the laser lets AST build a part’s holes, forms, threads, and finished profile in one continuous program.

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Fewer Secondary Operations, Lower Cost Per Part

The real advantage of a punch/laser combination machine is what it removes. Forming, tapping, and marking happen right on the EML rather than at separate workstations — so parts aren’t moved, re-fixtured, and re-inspected between processes.

In Amada’s published process comparison — a 12-gauge electro-galvanized switchboard nest — the EML completed the job roughly 44% faster and at about 46% lower processing cost than a conventional CO2 combination machine, with a 77% gain in productivity. Results vary by part and material, but the direction is consistent: fewer steps, faster cycles, lower cost.

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Automated, Lights-Out Production

AST’s EML is paired with the Amada ASR 3015 NTK automation system — a multi-shelf material storage and retrieval tower with automated loading, unloading, and parts handling. The tower stores a range of material types and thicknesses, feeds the machine without operator intervention, and lets sorted parts be removed while the machine is still running.

The result is consistent, repeatable runtimes and the ability to run unattended around the clock — adding genuine 24/7 capacity to AST’s shop floor and shortening lead times on production volumes.

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Intelligent Control and Process Monitoring

The EML runs on Amada’s AMNC 3i control — a touchscreen, network-ready interface with job status, alarm tracking, and maintenance logging built in. A suite of in-process monitoring features protects part quality and uptime:

• i-Nozzle Checker inspects and automatically replaces laser nozzles to reduce processing defects
• i-Process Monitor detects cutting failures in real time and resumes automatically
• i-Optics Sensor monitors the protection glass for debris
• Mobile HMI lets the machine’s status be checked remotely from a tablet or phone
• V-Monitor records program execution for troubleshooting and review

Together these systems keep parts consistent and the machine productive across long, unattended runs.

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EML 2515 AJ Specifications

Traverse Range

Specification	Value
Punching force	33 tons
Punching operation (X/Y)	120″ x 60″
Laser operation (X/Y)	100″ x 60″
Combined work area (with repositioning)	120″ x 60″
Z-axis laser	14.9″
Maximum material thickness	0.250″
Table loading weight	480 lbs.
Traverse speed (X/YP)	3,937 / 3,149 ipm
Processing accuracy	+/- 0.0027″
Assist gas change	Automatic
Included rotation stations	4

Punching System

Specification	Value
Stroke (adjustable)	1.5″
Punch rate (1″ centers)	500/min
Marking mode	1,850/min
Table design	Brush table
Parts chute	15.75″ x 60″
Machine frame	Bridge frame
Press drive	Servo-electric
Turret / table drive	AC servo motors
Machine weight	33 tons

Laser Engine & Control

Specification	Value
Continuous laser output	3 kW
Laser engine	AJ 3000
Control	Amada AMNC 3i
Storage capacity	80 GB
Controlled axes	6

Punch & Die Changer (PDC)

Section	Tool Type	Punch Size Range	Stations
Upper	A	0.063″ – 0.5″ dia	120
Upper	B	0.501″ – 1.25″ dia	60
Lower	B	0.501″ – 1.25″ dia	20
Lower	C	1.251″ – 2″ dia	12
Lower	D	2.001″ – 3.5″ dia	4
Lower	E	3.501″ – 4.5″ dia	4