TPT July 2022

T E CHNOLOG Y

T E CHNOLOG Y

NS Máquinas releases its latest automated wet tube finishing machine

gives users the possibility to finish only certain sections of the tube and decide which stations will perform by selecting the respective parameters on the dedicated touchscreen. The MLW200 3Z is a three-station machine, however NS has solutions that can go anywhere from one up to six finishing stations, both dry and wet. Machines up to three stations can be either dry or wet, whereas models with four or more stations are usually wet, as the latter tend to generate more heat on the surface of the tube, which needs to be offset by a water-cooling system. A multi-station design means that you can go from a rough surface to a fine, spotless, and uniform finish in one single pass. The fact that there is no need to put the same tube through the machine twice allows users to benefit from considerable productivity gains. The MLW200 3Z can come complete with automatic loading and unloading systems that enable the entire finishing process to be executed without an operator. This increases the machine’s productive flexibility in the sense that it allows the operator to multitask.

abrasive belts rotate around the tube while the feeding rollers are transporting it through the finishing heads. This is what makes the machine ideal to finish long, large-diameter tubes. As opposed to what happens with centreless systems, on a planetary system there is no contact roller grinding against the tube meaning it will not rotate. This keeps surface temperatures to a minimum, preventing material distortion. Despite being designed to process mainly round tubes, planetary systems also make it possible to finish other products such as oval, tapered or drilled tubes, as well as D-shaped profiles. Replacing the abrasives is also less time-consuming on a planetary system. On a planetary machine, the feeding systems are integrated into the machine body, whichmakes adjusting themeasier than on a centreless system, where the finishing head and the feeding systems – which usually consist of complex roller tables – are independent pieces of equipment which must be separately adjusted. A planetary system, when combined with a programme storage feature, also

PORTUGUESE machine manufacturer NS Máquinas has released the MLW200 3Z wet tube finishing machine for automated surface finishing on long, large-diameter tubes. This machine can handle tubes from Ø20mm up to Ø205mm. Equipped with the ML Planetary System, which is incorporated in all NS Máquinas ML models, the MLW200 3Z minimises vibration by having the

Equipped with the ML Planetary System, which is incorporated in all NS Máquinas ML models, the MLW200 3Z minimises vibration by having the abrasive belts rotate around the tube

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JULY 2022