TPT March 2021

T E CHNOLOG Y

Automatic packaging machine – the latest trend for tube and pipe manufacturing By GuowuGao, chief engineer, FD Machinery

FD MACHINERY sold its first fully automatic packaging machine in 2012. Now FD has sold more than 20 units, and customers are distributed in Europe, America, China, Russia and all over the world. The pickup mechanism can be classified into two types: mechanical and electromagnetic. Bundle discharge method also can be classified into two types, vertical and horizontal. A stacking machine is the core equipment of automatic packaging machine and the pickup arms are the core of the stacking machine. The number of pickup arms is determined by the size and length range of the tube. Usually there are 2-10 pickup arms. Electromagnetic pickup arms look similar all over the world. But the mechanical pickup arm is quite

The small size packaging machine with a vertical bundle discharge

different. FD’s mechanical manipulator is a unique one, with surface touch sensor for protection, restriction devices to prevent off position of the tube, and clamping devices and positioning pins to prevent uneven tubes. Therefore, FD´s mechanical pickup arms are mostly used on small and medium-size tube mills. For the small and micro-size tube, this kind of pickup arm is irreplaceable. The electromagnetic palletising manipulator has a simpler structure, with lower cost and fewer failures. But it is easy to leave magnetism on the steel tube. Also, it cannot be used for stainless tube and other non-ferrous tube. In addition, the round tube tends to roll on the magnetism pickup arms. Therefore, it is mostly used in medium and large diameter steel pipe mills. Figure 1 is a small size packaging machine with a vertical bundle discharge method. The biggest advantage of vertical discharge is its small footprint. But the height of the equipment is relatively high. In contrast, the horizontal discharge occupies relatively larger space and flatter. There are some package machines, where the bundles are discharged and stacking in the same station. This is a simple semi-automatic package. It is not suitable for a high-speed mill, nor can it be equipped with automatic strapping machines.

In addition, in the process of quickly moving out the bundle, the tube may be uneven in the bundle due to the lack of banding. Although this kind of packaging machine is cheaper, it cannot be equipped with an automatic strapping machine. That means it will not achieve the purpose of reducing labour, labour intensity and improve safety. It also limits the speed of the mill. Under the influence of the external pressure of enterprise upgrade, labour shortage and costs increase, this kind of packaging machine should be eliminated as soon as possible to avoid causing more losses to the company. The automatic packing machine is not a necessity now. We believe soon, due to the needs of enterprise upgrades, packaging automatically will be the first problem to be solved. It is just that before, the automatic package machine is not only expensive, but also not very user friendly. These discourage the tube manu- facturer from the purchase. If the packaging machine is easy to use and the price is reasonable, the tube manufacturers would of course be happy to have a more automatic factory and easier ways for the workers to do their job. FD Machinery www.fdmachinery.com

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MARCH 2021