TPT September 2009

T echnology U pdate

T&H Lemont delivers dual capacity high frequency quick-change welded tube mill

The overall size range for this new mill will be 0.75" to 4.5" diameter.

T&H Lemont – USA Fax : +1 708 482 1802 Email : sales@thlemont.com Website : www.thlemont.com

T&H LEMONT has installed a new dual capacity, quick-change tube mill system, which will produce standard mechanical rounds as well as hollow structural shapes. The company developed the dual capacity pipe and tube mill systems to give pipe and tube producers wide ranging flexibility to handle demand for JIT deliveries of welded pipe and tubular products. The dual capacity mill design allows for a greater range of production diameters in a minimal amount of floor space. In effect, the dual- capacity mill system gives a pipe and tube producer the ability to produce a range of pipe and tubing normally produced from two different sized mills. With a dual-capacity mill, the entire entry and exit equipment is designed to be universal, as are the mill bases and drive systems. The dual capacity of a mill is achieved by two different sized sets of quick change subplates, designed to mount on a single base system and utilise a universal drive system. In this most recent instance,

one set of subplate-mounted driven stands with 3.5" shafts was designed for producing tubing from 1.25" to 5", and a second set of subplates with 6" shafts was designed to produce tubing from 2.5" to 8" diameter. The distance between the stands was optimised for the products produced on each set of subplates. As with all quick- change systems, one set of subplates will be in production while the second set of subplates is available for change-over. The mill was also designed to use an overhead crane system to assist in the change out of the subplates. The subplates are held to the base by a special hydraulic clamping system, allowing them to be connected rigidly and precisely to the mill base and, when necessary, disconnected from the base quickly and efficiently. T&H Lemont has also signed a new contract with a second customer to supply a dual capacity, high-frequency, quick- change welded pipe mill to produce API products.

Magnetic billet lifter for increased safety INDUSTRIAL Magnetics, Inc, USA, has designed a magnetic billet lifter to lift and rotate round, thick, steel billets, increasing production cycles and safety. Each billet lifter is designed for the application, based on the shape and weight of the steel billet. The on/off magnetic billet lifter can lift and rotate steel billets from horizontal to vertical orientation, or vice-versa, and load the billet safely into machines and stations

without fear of dropping the load. Industrial Magnetics, Inc – USA Fax : +1 231 582 0622 Email : imi@magnetics.com Website : www.magnetics.com

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S eptember 2009

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