TPT September 2008

T ube B ending & E ndforming T echnology

All-electric tube bending for complex aerospace tubular parts

Freeman & Proctor Ltd, UK, is an ISO 9001:2000-accredited specialist in the manufacture of high quality, fabricated, tubular assemblies for aerospace and automotive applications. The company’s range includes high-pressure fuel pipes (including double skin dual fuel and hydraulic pipes), electrical conduits and hydraulic pipes, and small bore fabricated pipe assemblies. In order to further improve its capabilities, the company has installed the latest BLM E-Turn ET52 all-electric CNC tube-bending machine. This new machine is the largest in the four-model E-Turn range and bends tube from 6-52mm maximum OD. The machine can accommodate a range of ferrous and non-ferrous materials, including stainless steels, nimonics and titanium alloys. Because the complete head of the E-Turn can rotate through 180°, it is capable of left- and right-hand bending in automatic cycles with an X axis accuracy of ±0.05mm, and Y and Z axis accuracies of ±0.05°. However, in its primary market of aerospace components Freeman & Proctor has a limited demand for this mirror image capability – components are, typically, complex configurations in difficult materials and called off in small batch quantities. Typical aerospace components range from engine pipe assemblies to complex fuel by-pass manifolds used on jet engine after- burners. Automotive components include fabricated suspension struts used on a high-performance sports car to air injection

pipes used on a V8 twin-turbo, high- performance petrol engine. On conventional hydraulically-powered tube bending machines, setups can take up to two hours to complete and depend heavily on individual operator skill and know- how. In contrast, the BLM E-Turn uses ‘stacked’ pre-set tooling on each of its two heads, thereby accommodating Freeman & Proctor’s six sizes of tube and specific bending requirements without incurring significant setup time penalties. A further advantage is that a repeat order merely requires the operator to call up the relevant program with the confidence of knowing that there will be no material wastage during setup and every finished part will be correct to specification. Complex components requiring radii of less than 1 x diameter can be produced on the E-Turn using the ‘bend boost’ device, which can have its power modulated during the bending process to avoid unsightly stress marks on high-value components. X, Y, Q, Z and R axis speeds are, respectively, 2,000/1,000mm/sec (depending on ‘boost power’); 250º/sec; 1300mm/sec; 900mm/ sec; and 200º/sec. These performance figures, combined with precise control of the E-Turn’s 12 axes of movement courtesy of Visual Graphic Programming (VGP) software, significantly reduces setup times. All parameters can be stored and recalled without further mechanical adjustment being necessary.

The electric axes automatically adjust position, which enhances accuracy and repeatability, while components are not only produced ‘right first time’, but are repeatable batch-to-batch without undue reliance on operator expertise. And, since all axis movements are set automatically, a job changeover can typically be completed within two to three minutes. This multi-tool stack tube bender brings with it fewer bend tool changes and less downtime. The VGP 3D software allows checking on-screen, providing a reliable guide to component cycle times and identifying any possible collision risk. Because the PC-based control selects the correct parameters, the guesswork is taken out of tube bending and the most complex of tubular components can be completed in one cycle. This new machine is also extremely environmentally friendly since power is only required during axis movements. This means power consumption can be as little as 10 per cent of previous generation machines. BLM Group UK Ltd – UK Fax : +44 1525 402 312  Fabricated tubular assemblies produced by Freeman & Proctor Ltd for aerospace and automotive applications

 The BLM E-Turn tube bender installed in the UK factory of Freeman & Proctor Ltd will bend tube up to 52mm maximum OD

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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S eptember 2008

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