TPT July 2011

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Top-Performance-Emo-V5indd.indd 1

16.05.2011 17:09:56

Beam grinding work could be a thing of the past HGG Profiling Contractors, a specialist in 3D profiling, claims that its machines can save 40% on welding and fitting time compared to manual cutting; and 50% on grinding time and 30% on machine time compared to traditional beam profilers. distances. HGG’s cutting routines can deal with this issue. While chamber cutting all flange parts, the torch moves to inclined positions allowing it to swipe part of the web thickness away in the intersection of web and flange. All required operations on beam copes are possible via the HGG beam profiling software in collaboration with Tekla Structures model, directly from the model, without having to re-process the export data from Tekla Structures.

The company offers true automation from design system to machine, compensation of material deformation, and close-to-flange cutting leaving less than 2mm of material standing, almost completely removing the need for grinding. Plasma cutting the complete range of beam sizes speeds up processing compared with traditional oxyfuel cutting: to cut a 48ft long beam W36x135 into three parts, with both sides of each part having beam-to-beam connection dressed with rat holes, takes the RPC only 31 minutes. To cut a 48ft long beam W18x40 into a single part takes not more than 9 minutes. Typical cuts in the offshore industry are fixed/fully welded connections and pinned/ web welded connections. Both these types of beam connections are cut leaving material standing due to torch-material

This can only be achieved by having full control over the robot path movements. HGG has programmed specific robot control software to allow direct control over every single movement of the individual robot axis (and the combinations of multiple axis movement). This allows the company to use the above-described techniques involving swiping, swinging and rotation of torches to work in the close area of intersecting web and flange parts, without colliding, and without limitations. With the flanges orientated sideways, the top of the web is typically covered with cutting residue. Special cutting routines are developed to cut the top of the flanges from the inside out, doing away with any slag on the web, and also taking the radius into account between flange and web.

At office level, NC information is created directly from the Tekla Structures model for the machine. HGG provides an interface that makes programming automatic, just by selection. The result is that beams cut at the machine level are not handled more than once (except for minimal grinding for sharp edge removal). The aim is to minimise or eliminate manual intervention, so grinding more than 2mm would be unproductive. Anything greater needs to be first cut by an expert torch hand and then ground fine (triple handling). This is why HGG’s cutting routines keep all below 2mm. HGG Profiling Contractors BV – The Netherlands Email: info@hgg.nl Website: www.hgg-group.com

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