TPT September 2023

TECHNOLOGY

Detecting strip buckling on tube mills THE process of forming a strip of steel into a cylinder to eventually be welded closed can be a quality challenge: with so much tensile force pulling on the tube as it moves through the mill, stresses can appear in the material in various forms. One type of defect that can occur if either side of the seam has different tensile stresses is buckling. Buckling occurs once the strip has been formed into a cylinder and one side has a type of slow waviness to it, while the other side could appear flat and smooth. one side of the steel strip would come together after rolling with a slight mismatch compared to the other side. The mismatch defect would increase and decrease over time as the buckling of the parent material would also increase and decrease. Over the course of a complete cycle of sinusoidal buckling, the mismatch observed from one side to the other would also vary in a sinusoidal manner.

missed changing out the first breakdown rollers to the correct rollers. This caused an incorrect breakdown pass form which resulted in the buckling of the strip edge. Buckling defects can be a significant challenge in the process of forming steel into a cylinder leading to periodic pattern defects on welds and compromising the quality of the final product. It is crucial to address the root cause of the buckling defects, which could be a cracked fin pass tool or an issue with the first breakdown rollers. While manual measurement may have limited effectiveness, a laser triangulation system such as the Xiris WI-3000 can effectively detect any mismatch defects resulting from buckling. Investing in advanced technology and equipment can lead to improved quality control and ultimately save time and money in the long run. So, if you are a tube mill operator experiencing similar issues, it can be worth considering implementing laser triangulation systems like the WI-3000 to ensure high-quality products and avoid production losses. To learn more about how you can implement Xiris inspection systems, reach out to our product experts. safety gloves. Any rope length allows any hose protection. The Pop-Lock Ready-to-Go Kit is suitable for mobile and spontaneous use. It is easily recognisable by a colour code and easy to install; there is no need to dismantle an already installed hose line. The stainless and UV-resistant material resists dirt and oil. The blind rivet holds the safety device in position, thereby ensuring proper functioning. The safety device can also be installed intuitively and is safe from theft. Moreover, this product is environmentally friendly thanks to loss free recycling.

But how could the customer detect it? Manual, periodic measurements of the mismatch would have only limited effectiveness because effective measurement depends on where and when in the buckling cycle that the operator is making their measurements. So, the mismatch condition may or may not be detected, possibly causing a complete miss of the buckling condition. A laser triangulation system such as the Xiris WI-3000, with sampling rates over 100Hz, is more than enough to catch any mismatch defects resulting from buckling. When the WI-3000 system was installed on the line, a sinusoidal mismatch measurement could be observed. It was determined that the pass from the first breakdown rollers was incorrect, causing the edges to be incorrectly formed. This was a result of a mill set-up error made after a product changeover: the operating personnel

Once welded, the resulting weld bead can contain a periodic pattern of defects on the weld. This appears as a sinusoidal mismatch measurement that is often interpreted incorrectly as a mismatch defect. The cause of buckling defects could be: a cracked fin pass tool (the last set of rollers used to guide the tube into the weld box; these rollers have a small fin on them that fits between the edges of the parent material as it comes together). A crack on the fin could lead to some deformation of the strip edge as the tube faces come together prior to welding; or a problem with the first breakdown rollers (the first rollers used to start the forming process from a flat strip of material) that alters the shape or thickness of the material at its edges. Xiris was recently working with a customer that had a tube mill where WHETHER in an excavator, tractor or production machine, if a hose detaches from its connection during operation, this can be dangerous for personnel, customers and passers-by, because the loose hose acts like a whip. Pop-Lock, from Uniflex, effectively and reliably prevents a defective hydraulic hose line from becoming an injury risk. The spread of the hot oil is also prevented. Hydraulic hose assemblies, whether on machinery or equipment, must be designed so that in the event of failure there is no danger from loose hoses acting like whips. With Pop-Lock, Uniflex offers a safety device that meets the requirements of various standards and regulations. The Pop-Lock workshop ‘Hose retention system’ is a safety system that offers

Xiris Automation Inc www.xiris.com Preventing danger from defective hoses

Uniflex offers a safety device that meets the requirements of various standards and regulations

a complete selection up to DN 50 (2") in three sizes for all common nominal sizes: Pop-Lock DN 05-12, DN 16-25 and DN 32-50. The workshop includes everything from wire rope cutters to

Uniflex-Hydraulik GmbH www.uniflex.de

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SEPTEMBER 2023