Cutting device and method

A device for cutting sheets of a stiff material, comprising:

• a transporting system for the controlled movement of the sheets along a transport direction from an input to an output, in which the sheets lie in a transport plane that is parallel to the transport direction, wherein the transporting system is adapted to move the sheets in a controlled way within the transport plane;
• and
• a cutting system for processing the sheets, the cutting system comprising at least one laser for producing at least one laser beam and comprises at least one optical system for controlling at least one of the laser beam so that at least a part of the at least one the laser beam cuts the transport plane along a beam direction, in which at least one of the optical systems is adapted to move the at least one laser beam that cuts the transport plane along a cutting direction, wherein the cutting direction lies in an plane perpendicular to the transport direction and is parallel to the transport plane;
• wherein the transporting system is adapted for gripping the sheets during movement at at least two grip zones by clamping the sheets at said grip zones so that there is a minimal variation on the position of the sheets with respect to the cutting system along the beam direction, wherein the beam direction is substantially perpendicular to the transport plane.

A method for cutting sheets of a stiff material, comprising the following steps:

• moving at least one sheet of the stiff material in a controlled way along a transport direction, in which the sheet lies in a transport plane that is substantially parallel to the transport direction;
• and
• moving at least one controllable laser beam in a controlled way along a cutting direction, in which the at least one laser beam intersects the transport plane along the beam direction, in which the cutting direction is parallel to the transport plane, and in which the at least one laser beam is configured for processing the sheet and for cutting the at least one sheet, and the cutting direction is substantially perpendicular to the transport direction;
• wherein the one or more laser beams execute at least one cut of the at least one sheet when moving the at least one laser beam;
• and
• wherein the controlled movement of the at least one sheet is carried out whereby the sheet undergoes a minimum variation in position along a direction along the beam direction.