TPT January 2018

BEND I NG , END FORM I NG & SWAG I NG

Heating a tube prior to swaging ACOMPANY turned to the lab at Ambrell when it needed to heat a tube prior to swaging in a faster, more efficient manner. The stainless steel tubing had an outside diameter of 1.5mm (0.06") and needed to be heated to 1,066°C (1,950°F) in around five seconds. Induction heating power supplies convert AC line power to a higher frequency alternating current, delivering it to a work coil and creating an electromagnetic field within the coil. The work piece, in this case the stainless steel tube, is placed in that field, which induces eddy currents in the workpiece. The friction from these currents generates precise, clean, non-contact heat.

and is also generally faster. Induction systems have work heads that can be placed a distance from the power supply, which means induction requires a minimal footprint. Along with heating prior to swaging, induction is often used for tube and pipe coating curing, pre- and post-weld heating, and drill pipe heating treatment, among other applications.

Ambrell’s applications laboratory determined that an Easyheat 2.4kW induction heating system with a multiple- turn helical coil would be optimal for this application. With the process designed by Ambrell’s applications engineers, the tube heated to temperature within the targeted time of five seconds.

Repeatability is one advantage of induction, as users see the same result time after time. Induction also offers targeted heating that is more energy efficient than an oven or open flame,

Ambrell Corp – USA Fax: +1 585 889 4030 Email: sales@ambrell.com Website: www.ambrell.com

Ver tical or horizontal angle roll machine ERCOLINA ® has introduced the CE60H3 angle roll. Capable of bending a wide range of tubes, pipes and profiles, the CE60H3 angle roll model is designed to operate in either the vertical or horizontal position, with a maximum bending capacity of 3" schedule 10.

structure and rigid components for high section modulus ratings and reinforced engineered mainframe design. The CE60H3 features individual tie bar supports for each shaft to increase roll shaft rigidity and radii accuracy. The design increases distance between lower shafts and interaxes to accommodate a wider range of profiles. A larger hydraulic cylinder increases machine capacity.

The included control tower with low voltage controls has a foot pedal for hands-free operation, and programmable touchpad controls with digital centre roll positioning on a remote pendant for increased repeatability. Memory storage offers eight individual programs and unlimited passes. A universal tool set is included for multiple profiles, and this model uses the same tooling as Ercolina’s CE50. The machine has a heavy-duty

CML USA, Inc Ercolina – USA Email: info@ercolina-usa.com Website: www.ercolina-usa.com

CE60H3 angle roll machine

Simulating the bending process DEPENDING on the application, bending can be a faster and cheaper alternative to welding, which makes the investment in a pipe-bending machine attractive for many companies. Beyond the savings in fabricating time and material costs, additional savings on NDT and QC can lead to increased efficiency and productivity in fabrication. There are additional ways to maximise the benefits of a pipe-bending machine, however, and this is where the right software application is of importance. With the right software, the operator can easily generate or import pipe geometries and simulate the bending sequence, which allows for the detection of potential collisions or other problems (eg bends that are too close together) before the pipe is scheduled to go into fabrication. In the case of a collision, the software will attempt to find an alternative bending sequence, which can vary depending on the complexity of the spool and the capability of the machine. From a simple reversal of the bending order (last point first) or the rotation direction to a change of the bending direction on multi-stack machines, RONIKolli7 from 3R solutions will test a number of scenarios for feasibility. In addition to simply checking for collision, RONIKolli7 can generate the required CNC data, so the operator at the machine knows exactly what to enter. In many cases this data can be provided in a format that the machine

can process, so the operator only has to confirm the data on the screen. Since the pipe retains a certain amount of elasticity, it will try to return to its original shape after bending. Therefore, in order to achieve a specific angle, the actual bending angle at the machine has to be slightly larger, so that after springback the pipe has the desired shape. In addition, rotary draw bending results in a certain amount of stretching, so the last segment of the pipe spool is a little longer. In RONIKolli7, the operator can create and manage a record of all materials and dimensions that are processed on each machine.

3R solutions – Germany Website: www.3-r.de

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JANUARY 2018