TPT May 2007

T ube B ending, H ydroforming & E nd- F orming

B ending and forming stands in the same relation to tube processing as formation does to character-building. As the workpiece is shaped to its purpose, so goes its utility, serviceability – indeed its

reason for being.

A length of tubing or pipe that has been formed for a critical application in a punishing environment must exhibit superior qualities of strength, toughness, and resistance to enemies natural, chemical, and man-made. In an athlete or soldier this is known as fortitude.

The providers of the equipment and services reviewed here are well aware of the importance of their specialty. They moreover know that, even as forming adds value, it must carefully preserve the integrity of the product with which they are entrusted. The editors of Tube & Pipe Technology are pleased to present a showcase of respected names in a very exacting department of tube making.

In the area of creaseless bending, Mewag have enabled the mandrel position of fully electric machines to be programmed for each bend, thus reducing the risk of flattening and wrinkling. This counteracts the limitation of hydraulic pipe benders that only have one position for the mandrel return point, which causes constant velocity pull back and resultant surface defects. The major issue when programming complex parts for bending is the speed at which the program can be created. All machine functions need to be freely programmable in order to optimise production times. In addition to the standard programming, Mewag’s sub-program technology also allows an additional CNC code to be inserted before or after each bending set. This ensures all axis movements and auxiliary functions can be programmed. Using this sub-program technology, any bending sequence can be programmed. Mewag Maschinefabrik AG – Switzerland Fax : +41 34 437 75 76

Flexible bending solutions with Megalus and Gigalus

The flexibility and versatility of Mewag’s Megalus and Gigalus series of benders provides benefits including a modular design and the implementation of one or two heads. The bending direction can be

automatically changed from right to left within the cycle by means of an unlimited number of tools. This saves time due to a reduced retooling period and ensures efficiency and repeat accuracy not possible with manual operation.

fi The bending head of the fully-electric Megalus 50

With up to 13 axes, these bending machines are fully-electric and capable of producing both simple and complex geometries. Operable with highly competitive accuracy and speed, high-speed servo drives are used for all axes. Surface quality is of serious concern to Mewag, and due to damage to delicate materials – caused by extreme clamping forces – Mewag offers an electrically adjustable bending arm and sliding rail feed pressure on its machines. With this technology, pressure for each bend is programmable and the formation of wrinkles is controlled.

Email : mewag@mewag.com Website : www.mewag.com

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M ay /J une 2007