TPT November 2014

Technology News

Flame-free alternative to welding SWISS firm Haelok has devised a high-pressure pipe fitting system that can take less than a minute, even for an unskilled worker. The fitting system, which has been used by one of Europe’s largest energy providers to repair its network, uses metal-to-metal compression to offer a viable flame-free alternative to welding. Pipes can be fitted quickly, while water is still running, so the district heating system was barely down for any time at all. A spokesperson from the energy provider said, “Obviously, the safety and convenience of our customers is always our priority and we want to keep downtime on our network to a minimum without taking any health and safety risks. The Haelok system helped us get the best of both worlds – safe and cost-effective maintenance, and the district network back up and Haelok uses a wedge design and axial pressing with up to 60 tons to create a seal that is as strong as a welded connection. It was devised in Switzerland ten years ago, and was first used on a cruise liner two years later. Since then, the Haelok system has been used by more than 100 customers. With no need for open flames, this eradicates the danger of repairing district heating pipes in dark, narrow spaces. running before most of our customers even noticed it was down.”

The spokesperson from the energy provider elaborated, “Haelok also gives us an edge because it can be used by workers without welding or specialist connection experience, so we are not dependent on the availability of specialist staff, which again minimises inconvenience for our customers and maximum flexibility for ourselves.” The Haelok press has a purely steel composition, with no elastomeric or rubber sealings. It was invented with difficult, constrained working conditions in mind, and has a working temperature ranging from -50°C to 400°C and a certified working pressure of up to 600 bar. The system has 16,500psi certifica- tion, and full conformity to ASME B31.1 Power Piping and ASME B31.3 Process Piping.

Haelok AG – Switzerland Email: info@haelok.com Website: www.haelok.com Miyachi America announces Sigma femtosecond laser tube cutter

the Sigma femtosecond laser tube cutting system uses a cold ablation process to cut materials, creating an excellent edge quality. Post processing is minimal, with only ultrasonic cleaning required for materials like nitinol. The nearly cold cutting process means very fine feature sizes can be cut into the thinnest material, while still maintaining mechanical and material integrity. No internal water cooling is needed for even the smallest diameter tube. Miyachi America Corporation – USA Email: info@miyachiamerica.com Website: www.miyachiamerica.com

ultra-short pulse disc laser platform. Ultra-fast lasers offer a unique ability to process a wide range of materials without thermal effects, a feature that offers revolutionary capability for the medical device industry. Jenoptik’s disc laser platform stands apart from other lasers, with cut quality achieved with superior beam quality and pulsing characteristics. Combined with Miyachi America’s precision cutting Sigma platform and proprietary Delta Motion control software, the system offers high-resolution high quality cutting for a wide range of diameter tubes and stents. Applying an ultra-short pulse width,

MIYACHI America Corporation, a manufacturer of laser welding, laser marking and micro machining equipment and systems, has announced its new Sigma femtosecond laser tube cutting system. The new cutting system provides edge quality for both metals and plastics, making it suitable for medical device applications, including a wide range of diameter tubes and stents. Developed in partnership with laser source provider Jenoptik to expand Miyachi’s cutting capabilities in the medical device industry, the tube cutter is the first of a new family of femto- powered solutions based on Jenoptik’s

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N ovember 2014