TPT January 2011

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60 January 2011 ›
Technology Update
NO matter which method is used for joining
tubular components, whether welding,
threaded joints or pressure-energised
couplings, accurate end preparation is
essential.
Methods of end preparation vary from
the simplest, such as a hacksaw and file,
to high-tech, high-volume CNC production
machinery that can turn out hundreds of
finished tubes or pipes per hour.
Protem can specify machines that are the
most suitable for customers’ applications.
Factors to be considered include: the parts
to be welded, and their dimensions and
features; which cadencies and tolerances
are to be held, and under which conditions
– in workshops, on-site, in a controlled area,
under very high or very low temperatures;
whether the inside part of the tube can be
touched with foreign elements such as a
clamping mandrel or a clamping collet, or
only the outside part must be touched; and
the final purpose and the tube.
Accurate end preparation of tube ensures
that, where lengths of tube are to be joined
to each other or to other components, the
squareness of the tube end will guarantee
proper fit-up and correct alignment on long
runs. The enhanced accuracy and repeatability
of the Protemmachines can lead to a reduction
in the number of weld defects.
Accurate end profiles mean that
more advanced welding processes can
be employed. Many automated welding
systems need very accurate fit-up, and are
unforgiving if there are inaccuracies in the
weld preparation. If an estimator can judge
more accurately the time taken to perform
end profiles, the total time allowed for the
operation can be more easily quantified.
Protem SAS – France
Fax: +33 4 7557 4149
Email:
Website:
Protem GmbH – Germany
Fax: +49 7247 9393 33
Email:
Tube piling
equipment
EZTM JSC specialists have designed a piler
intended for the automatic forming of six-
sided and quadrilateral tube batch.
The simultaneous movement of trucks
with the shapers is carried through
mechanical linkage of the integral double-
rack gearbox, transmission shaft and
electric drivers.
Piler construction calls for standardisation
and a modular approach to the building of
tube collecting mechanisms. This simplifies
equipment maintenance and reduces
machining on-stream time.
The company’s designers have
anticipated the necessary means and
power-system automation, including
microprocessor technology and software
techniques. The controlling system of the
piling section can also be integrated into
existing systems.
Electrostal Heavy Engineering Works
EZTM JSC – Russia
Fax: +7 496 577 73 04
Email:
Website:
Tube piling equipment
THE super Turbo-X 510 MKIII RTC series
are high speed and high accuracy CO2
cutting laser machines. The machines are
equipped with high technology rigid table
and constant optical length which assure
an excellent cutting quality and high level
accuracy in every point of the cutting table.
The new generation resonator ensures
cutting stability on the whole table’s surface.
The resonator is integrated in the machine
structure to guarantee maximum cutting
reliability and stability. The laser beam
produced by the resonator is sent to the
focus torch through a special beam delivery
system, which always maintains constant
beam path. Thanks to the laser beam’s
unique features, Super Turbo-X 510 Mk III
RTC performs automatic cutting of different
materials and thickness, without additional
machine set up. There are three different
powers available for Super Turbo-X 510 Mk
III RTC: 1.8KW, 2.5KW and 4KW.
The machine is characterised by a Z axis
stroke of 430mm for the processing of bent
parts; a ‘C’ axis chuck for the processing
of pipes from diameter 20mm to 375mm;
tapping and chamfering unit with automatic
tool change is composed by six tools (M3
– M10); Opti – Pod device for nozzle
change, nozzle spatter removal and focal
point calibration. The new PFP torch + IMS
system, monitor processing cycle during
different steps of cutting.
Every machine can be easily integrated
with CELL and FMS systems, allowing any
type of production variations and guarantee
the maximum productivity, 24-hours a day
and even unmanned operation.
Yamazaki Mazak Optonics – Belgium
Fax: +32 02 7253320
Email:
Website:
High speed cutting laser
Importance of pipe end
preparation prior to welding