TPT January 2007

P rogress in W elding T echnology, E quipment & C onsumables

modifications are made, they can be recorded for future reference. The pressure at each roll is constantly monitored and an average pressure is displayed. At the same time the operator can compare against previous production runs of the same product. When the user has to change wall thickness within the same tube diameter, the operation can be undertaken on the fly, thus eliminating any downtime on the mill at the welding area. A large number of products can be listed and uploaded in seconds. Software also assists the operator during the maintenance procedures so that if a roller has been reground, the operator only has to enter the new roll diameter and the program will automatically adjust accordingly. During this critical operation a cross check between set diameter and set rolls will also be performed. If any of the data is incongruent, then new roll diameter will not be accepted and an alarm window will be displayed, avoiding major damage to the rolls.

Computerised welding box for tube mills

An expert in tube mills, Toffanin & C Srl offers a solution to the problem of bottlenecks in tube production caused by the weld area. Delays are usually caused by the mill operator settings when changing from one size to another and the time required to achieve a proper operating setting. Some older equipment also has a tendency to tap energy from the welder. Toffanin manufactures a computerised welding box which is operated by a fi Front and side view of the computerised welding box from Toffanin

hydraulic power unit through an industrial computer with custom software. According to the company, it guarantees complete and true automatic repeatability of the forging rolls setup which then remains constant throughout the production. Simple to integrate into most mills and user friendly, the weld box leads to better weld quality and seam control, automatic repeatability of complete head settings, greater safety for mill operators, and easier accomplishment of any production standard. A custom design of roll slide supports is also possible, in order to use existing forging rolls, wherever compatible. The innovative quick- change system allows the user to change between sizes in less than five minutes including rollers and program. The software recalls product data to automatically position the rolls and the whole unit moves to match centreline. It will hold these positions unless modified by the operator. If any

Toffanin & C – Italy Fax : +39 041912387 Email : toffanin@infinito.it

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J ANUARY /F EBRUARY 2007