TPT May 2008

T echnology U pdate

A guide to success: laser tube-cutting technology

Investment in laser tube cutting technology can often prove to be a highly successful decision, as proven by the experience of UK-based sub-contractor Duright Engineering. Although a well-established business with a 30-year track record, the installation of its first BLM Adige tube laser had an immediate impact at Duright, contributing 30 per cent of turnover in the machine’s first year of operation. A second, more powerful BLM tube laser machine was installed at the end of 2005, leading turnover to double over a three-year period. To build on this clear success and to meet growing product demand, Duright have just added a third, latest-generation BLM Adige tube laser to its production capability. The latest LT 712D CNC laser tube cutting system installed at Duright’s factory is a seventh-generation product fromBLMGroup company Adige SpA, Italy. Compared with the previous generation system, it provides  The BLM Adige LT 712D laser tube cutting system supplied to Duright Engineering can machine virtually any shape, however complex, on the end of a tube or along its length

an 11 per cent productivity increase when processing round tubes and 16 per cent for other sections. Bar changeover cycle time has been cut by 25 per cent, while measuring, torsion and centring correction is 50 per cent faster. The LT 712D processes round, square, rectangular and flat-sided oval section tube up to 152mm diameter and 8.5m maximum length. Offline programming software – Tubework, Assembler and CIM – is specifically designed for the machining of tubes. The software creates new programs quickly and easily, typically in under 10 minutes from drawing to finished part. The Siemens Sinumerik 810D CNC allows the operator to manage all the main functions, including program downloads. Fast set-up and changeover times – around three minutes – means short batches can be managed as cost-effectively as longer production runs. If required, the system can be supplied with a ‘clean tube’ device to protect the internal tube surface. This option is particularly relevant to the machining of stainless steel tubes used in food processing equipment and in the manufacture of furniture and car and motorcycle exhausts. The fact that the laser cutting side of the Duright’s business has grown so rapidly is evidence that customers are obtaining significant benefits. Consolidating separate manual operations into a single, continuous,

non-contact cutting process equates to reductions in cycle times and direct labour costs, while eliminating the cumulative error that inevitably results from the traditional multi-machine approach. There are also savings made in the area of handling, rework and reject components, together with the elimination of tooling costs, tool wear and tool changing times associated with traditional processes. However, the major attraction is that virtually any shape, however complex, can be laser machined on both ends of a tube or along its length, with components completed in a single hit and on a fully-automated basis. Not only does this free up valuable floor space by reducing work-in-progress and material inventory, the accuracy and consistency of laser-cut parts has a very positive impact on subsequent welding, assembly and inspection times. Prior to installing its three BLM Adige tube lasers, Duright Engineering was processing 3.5 million tubes a year for suppliers and distributors, mainly free issue material that was simply cut-to-length. The company now supplies UK and European customers with laser cut and profiled tube of any section in various materials from mild and stainless steels, titanium and exotics, to aluminium, brass and copper. Quantities vary from one-offs to 200,000 or more, with Statistical Process Control (SPC) routinely applied to every order. BLM Group UK Ltd – UK Fax : +44 1525 402 312  Laser tube cutting eliminates the cumulative error that inevitably results from the traditional multi- machine approach

A leading Ukrainian range of welded tubes ATM (Alpha Tube Manufacturing), Ukraine, is a manufacturer of welded tubes made of stainless steel (austenitic and ferritic), copper and titanium alloys and bimetallic tubes. The introduction of new advanced technology has enabled the company to make high- quality tube products that comply with international standards (ASTM A249, ASTM A270, ASTM A312, ASTM A269, ASTM A554, ASTM B956-07, DIN 17457 and DIN 17455 and DIN 11850). The quality of the weld seam is equal 1 (one), which means that the seam is effectively identical to the material. This benefit guarantees safe use of tubes in high-pressure environments. The tubes are available as round, square and rectangular tubes, with an outside diameter from 6-60.3mm and wall thickness from 0.4mm to 3mm. ATM’s products can be utilized in a number of different fields, mainly in chemical industry, mechanical engineering (chemical, power, agricultural), power engineering, food and medical industries, shipbuilding, motor industry, and instrument making. ATM Ltd – Ukraine Fax : +380 562 320632 • Email : info@alphafin.com.ua

Email : sales@blmgroup.uk.com Website : www.blmgroup.uk.com BLM SpA – Italy Fax : +39 031 715911 Email : export@blm.it Website : www.blmgroup.com

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M ay 2008

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