TPT September 2020

T UBE S T RA I GHT EN I NG

Coldwater Machine announces automated tube/bar straightening system

the bar at multiple data points along its length to create a profile. This data is sent to the PLC where it is compared to the straightness specification in order to determine where it needs to be corrected. A servo press, mounted to a servo- controlled rail, is positioned to the indicated location determined by the sensors and then bends the bar/tube repeatedly over its length to bring it within tolerance. This process continues until the straightness requirements are achieved.  As a final check, the tube is then rotated again to collect the data points to confirm that the bar is within specification. Depending on the customer’s process, bars or tubes may then be automatically or manually transferred to other operations.

COLDWATER Machine, a Lincoln Electric Company, has announced the availability of its automated, all-servo- controlled tube and bar straightening system for carbon steel, stainless, aluminium, copper, brass and other materials. These solutions incorporate artificial intelligence that automatically adapts by learning different part types without requiring operator intervention. As compared to traditional approaches, these systems have helped to reduce cycle times by up to 80 per cent.  According to the company, many tubes and pipes produced for precision applications today lack sufficient straightness for finishing operations like machining or centreless grinding. This poses a problem for manufacturers who rely on manually intensive operations using traditional straightening presses to achieve straightness. Compounding this challenge is the shortage of skilled

labour for these operations as well as a lack of process repeatability, which can lead to quality problems downstream where vibrations during grinding can lead to inconsistent results as well as potentially damaging centreless grinding wheels, further adding to costs. The system works as bundles of tubes/bars are loaded onto a staging deck and then automatically fed to the straightening equipment. In the straightening process the bar stock is rotated 360° while sensors measure

Coldwater Machine www.coldwatermachine.com

WE OFFER: STAINLESS STEEL PIPE & TUBE FORMING MACHINE SLITTING MACHINE POLISHING MACHINE HYDRAULIC TEST MACHINE HEATING TREATMENT FURNACE

LUCKY-WINSUN ENTERPRISE CO., LTD MAIL ADD.: 1387, CHUNG SHAN RD. SEC. 3, WU JIH 41452 TAICHUNG, TAIWAN

TEL: 886-4-2337-4938 / 2336-2553 FAX: 886-4-2338-2380 / 2336-2218 E-mail: lucky.winsun@msa.hinet.net

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SEPTEMBER 2020