Murata Wiedemann Centrum 2550

The Murata Wiedemann Centrum 2550 is a CNC punch-and-laser combination machine from Muratec (Murata Machinery), sold under the Wiedemann brand in North America. The Centrum series represents Murata Wiedemann's combination machine platform — integrating a turret punch press with a fiber laser cutting head in a single machine — and the 2550 designation indicates the 2,500 x 5,000 mm working area with automatic sheet repositioning for processing full-length sheets. This punch-laser combination concept allows a single machine to complete both punching operations (forming, tapping, embossing, high-speed hole arrays) and laser cutting (contour cutting, complex profiles, slots with curves) on the same part without repositioning to a separate machine.

The Centrum 2550's punching section uses Murata Wiedemann's servo-electric turret punch architecture with a 30-ton (267 kN) ram and a thick-turret configuration holding up to 48 stations. The laser cutting section integrates a fiber laser source — typically in the 2-4 kW range for the Centrum platform — with a cutting head mounted on the same gantry or bridge as the punch unit. The CNC coordinates between punching and laser cutting operations within a single NC program, allowing a sequence like: laser-cut complex outer profile, then punch interior holes at high speed, then form flanges and embosses — all without removing the sheet from the machine.

The practical benefit of punch-laser combination is eliminating the sheet transfer between machines that occurs in a standard fabrication cell. In a two-machine cell (turret punch + laser cutter), every part that requires both operations must be loaded on the punch, processed, unloaded, loaded on the laser, processed, and unloaded again — with associated handling time, risk of scratching or marking, and scheduling coordination between two machines. The Centrum 2550 consolidates this into a single machine load cycle, reducing per-part cycle time on mixed punch-and-laser parts by 20-40% versus a two-machine approach.

Murata Wiedemann's M-series CNC control manages both punch and laser operations from a unified interface. Programming requires CAD/CAM software with Centrum 2550 post-processor support that understands both punching and laser cutting operations within the same program structure. The 2,500 x 5,000 mm working area with automatic repositioning accommodates large sheets, making the Centrum 2550 suitable for both standard 2,500 x 1,250 mm sheet processing and longer sheet formats with auto-repositioning.

New Centrum 2550 machines are priced in the $550,000 to $900,000 range, reflecting the dual-process capability, extended working area, and laser integration complexity. This is a premium investment appropriate for job shops and production facilities where both punching and laser cutting are core processes, and where the throughput and flexibility benefit of a single combination machine justifies the higher capital cost versus purchasing separate punch and laser machines. The combination machine also reduces the floor space required for two separate machines.