TPT March 2016

T E CHNOLOG Y

Engineering custom solutions FOR metal forming equipment manu- facturer Formtek, Inc, giving customers the best tools to perform their work means combining durable, innovative and proven technologies into the ideal machine line. at its core, that would allow it to make square and rectangle shapes of ¾" to 3" OD, with wall thickness of up to 0.134". Formtek developed a plan for the full production line, including what equipment would be necessary for the process.

a custom bead chopping system integrated into the scarfing process, which kept operators from having to interact with the bead – an activity that is typically high-risk. The mill also has a seam rotation stand included for projects that require specific weld seam positioning. All of these capabilities were described at length during the initial quoting process with the customer, who decided to include the features. “Every enquiry involves exploration and discussion. It’s the only way to deliver the most satisfying solution,” said Mr Kopack. “Even when customers come forward with their own designs in mind, we see how we can expand on those and present them with all the options. For example, we took this customer on a tour to see a couple of our different mill solutions in action. If there’s a way we can make their business safer or more profitable, they deserve to hear that.” To ensure customers are prepared to get the most out of their machinery, Formtek takeson full projectmanagement responsibility, includes advising on equipment components, ensuring they all fit together, matching pass lines, coordinating installation, and reviewing operating directions after delivery.

However, it is rare to find a single provider for every equipment solution. Formtek states that it has adapted to meet customers’ highest standards by allowing them to source the components of their equipment line from preferred companies. Formtek’s tube mill is one of these custom manufacturing solutions. After dealing with repeated delays on shipments for tubing, a producer of industrial cable spools decided to bring the tube manufacturing in-house. The customer contacted the Formtek Group to find a machine solution that would meet their specifications, keep costs low, and improve overall profitability. The customer was seeking a full production line system, with a tube mill

Although Formtek could provide the tube mill, some of the line equipment fell outside its manufacturing scope. For the additional equipment, the customer was directed to appropriate resources to purchase it directly and save money. Brian Kopack, the Formtek engineer who worked with the client, said, “The way we see it, they’re coming to us for a solution. If we can point them in the right direction and keep their costs low, we’re going to do that. What’s more, once they had the equipment they needed, our objective was to stay on and advise them as to the best line set-up possible.” In addition to an optimised production line, the customer’s new tube mill

had a number of features that would make production simpler. To improve changeover times, the mill’s rafting system incorporated the weld box and turkshead rolls, so a full swap could be performed in one manoeuvre. Another feature involved developing

Formtek, Inc – USA Fax: +1 216 292 4898

Email: sales@formtekgroup.com Website: www.formtekgroup.com

Custom solutions from Formtek

Cladding system from Polysoude FOR its latest system Polysoude has built on the main principle of hot wire technology, which is the preheating of filler material in order to reduce the quantity of energy taken from the electrical arc, required to melt the filler, thereby assuring increased productivity of cladding speed and deposition rate. In addition to the pre-heated filler wire TIGer incorporates a unique system of two tungsten electrodes in tandem configuration. has a lower arc pressure than in classic tandem configurations, yet it is capable of reaching much higher cladding speeds and deposition rates than the standard TIG/GMAW HW process. The requirements of this field are not easily met. However, the TIGer aims to rise to the challenge of achieving improved productivity by increasing deposition rate and cladding speed, while keeping the lowest possible dilution in order to reduce the number of layers and thereby optimise production times and costs of consumables. This allows the ignition of two electrical arcs, which, by way of mutual attraction, combine to convey a single heat source. This single heat source The characteristics of the TIGer system mean that it is capable of

enhanced process applications in cladding, being suited to horizontal and vertical cladding, both inside and outside components. The TIGer has cladding speeds and deposit rates capable of reaching 950mm/min with a deposit rate from 2.7 to 5.8kg/h. It also offers conclusive results from adherence checks on cladded layers and offers excellent outcomes from inter-granular corrosion tests and positive outcomes from chemical analysis.

Polysoude – France Website: www.polysoude.com

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M ARCH 2016