TPT January 2024

TUBE BENDING, END FORMING & SWAGING

White Cross Ring modernises with BLM tube bending machine investment

had that comfort blanket. Nothing was a problem.” The Elect 52 is at the mid-range of BLM’s comprehensive Elect range, which boasts machines capable of manipulating tubes up to 150mm in diameter. Its features include left or right-hand multi-radius bending of tubes up to 50mm diameter, simultaneous multi-tool capabilities, automatic seam and hole detection and a pneumatic split bend die for bending square and rectangular tubes. The machine is now well embedded at White Cross’ Bradford, UK-based facility. Its multi-tool functionality has proved invaluable in producing ladders for the commercial industry, as well as machining other steel, stainless steel and aluminium parts, including safety collision barriers, bicycle parking and furniture components. “The ladders get bent and then rolled, which is a long, lengthy process,” Mr Horner said. “Normally, we’d have to put them on two different machines, but with the Elect, we can bend the material and roll it in one sequence.” This industry 4.0 technology allows operators to view a computer-generated 3D rendering of the workpiece being machined prior to production,

WHITE Cross Ring has been manipulating metal for over 50 years. The company was founded in the 1960s when two partners set up a business manufacturing angle rings, washers and flanges. An entrepreneurial mindset saw White Cross Ring expand its offering into tube bending and fabrication. With demand in this sector steadily increasing, White Cross Ring is now established as a leading bespoke supplier. To support the company’s continued growth and the escalating need for its tube-bending services, White Cross Ring has recently invested in an Elect 52 multi-stack all-electric CNC tube bending machine from BLM. Managing director Tom Horner said: “We’re an old-fashioned shop floor. In fact, we have a ring roller from 1978,” he said. “We’ve had a few good years recently and I want to ensure we invest. This kind of machinery will keep us at the cutting edge of the industry.” With two BLM NC842 tube benders already on the shopfloor, BLM was a natural choice for White Cross Ring’s investment. “They’ve been really good machines,” said Mr Horner. “We’re comfortable purchasing another BLM. Knowing we’d get the right level of support through BLM UK felt like we

Tom Horner next to the BLM Elect 52

highlighting any problems, such as collisions, before work commences. VGP also allows for the client’s STEP or IGES files to be directly imported. From these, the software generates a simulation for bending the part and works out the necessary settings. “Some small tweaks may be required, but it takes a lot of the legwork out of the job,” Mr Horner said. “You can’t buy the experience we have on the shopfloor – some of these lads have been working here 30 years. But on new jobs, it’s probably up to 50 per cent quicker to set up.” “The younger workforce seems to adapt better to this technology. It makes life easier because the changeover and running of the machine is a lot simpler.” This smart programming, which stores corrections and data from each new job, means the Elect 52 is constantly learning, improving its accuracy and repertoire to make for faster, more efficient working. “Once we’ve stored a job, then all those pressure settings and intricate bits you do by hand on an older machine are all in the computer. The more you use it, the more it learns.” Tooling options on the Elect 52 are limitless thanks to BLM’s Tool Designer, an online digital platform that automatically creates and supplies bespoke electronic tooling drawings on demand. These can then be used to generate accurate customer quotes for the cost of the tooling prior to manufacture, and then launch production of the required tools once a customer has confirmed the job. “The hope for this machine is it continues to get high quantity work out the door and we get the level of skill on the shopfloor to use it across the board,” Mr Horner said. “The key is we can now do higher cycle jobs to compete with higher volume customers, because the cycle time’s a lot quicker.”

BLM Group UK www.blmgroup.com

The BLM Elect 52, which has ‘future proofed’ White Cross Ring

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JANUARY 2024