TPI May 2013

products & developments

Optimisation of strip thickness Welser Profile, a specialist in cold roll-formed steel, uses a wide range of techniques to produce bespoke solutions, in order to meet customers’ individual requirements. The by thinning, grooving or thickening of the strip, in order to achieve the desired cross sectional shape.

The optimisation of the strip thickness integrated into the process allows for a different design to opposite faces: grooving or beading on the top face no longer excludes a flat bottom face. The exclusive design possibilities of the patented Welser forming technique provide maximum protection against imitation, making it difficult for products to be copied, and distinguishing them from the competition. In order to refine the Welser Profile patented process and develop it to production standard, trials and sample rollings were carried out. Since then, the company has successfully designed and produced profiles used in fixing systems, mountings, concrete formwork, façades, commercial vehicles, containers and the automotive industry. Welser Profile manufactures bespoke profiles and tubes made from steel, stainless steel and non-ferrous metals. More than 18,500 different profiles have been produced to date. The company has a total manufacturing area of 420,000m 2 , including three production sites with 60 roll forming lines.

The company says that benefits include weight saving due to the variation in wall thickness, optimised to meet the specification of the component; reduced carbon footprint over the complete supply chain; and improvement of existing and integration of new functions, due to thinning and thickening of the material in the cross section, such as optimisation of the weld seam rating, and design of the running surface. Optimisation of mechanical properties include increased surface hardness, which in turn improves the longevity of

optimisation of the strip thickness sets a new benchmark in the creation of complex designs of open and welded special sections. The optimisation of the strip thickness integrated into the cold roll-forming process is the solution to enquiries for optimising load bearing capacity and improving the functionality of profiles made from steel and non-ferrous metals. The strip is optimised according to the required function of the profile, inline, in a single production process

running surfaces and telescopic profiles and tubes. An increase in strength makes the profiles more stable and increases load bearing capacity.

Welser Profile Deutschland GmbH – Germany

A combination of forming possibilities in a single production process

de@welser.com www.welser.com

29

www.read-tpi.com

May 2013 Tube Products International