TPT March 2009

T echnology U pdate

World’s largest inductive heating plant for pipe bends

desired final temperature. It is here that forming takes place. Heated to final temperature, the pipe is pushed over the mandrel by the press, and thus takes the shape of the mandrel. This method requires the mandrel to be heated before production starts which is under- taken by means of the bent inductor and the associated medium-frequency infeed unit. The ‘Hamburg method’ is suited to an array of materials and stands out for the fact that after forming the wall thicknesses are nearly identical over the complete pipe. In addition, the cross-section of the pipe bend maintains the circular contour of the starting pipe. SMS Elotherm GmbH – Germany Fax : +49 2191 891 726 Email : m.oelmann@sms-elotherm.de Website : www.sms-elotherm.com Sierra Machinery Inc, USA, has launched its new-generation Sierra USA ® machines and patented tooling. The Sierra USA goes to the highest level in finishing steel tubes for the hydraulic cylinder industry and other applications where fine-finishing of the internal diameter of a tube is required. Skiving is the preference over honing by manufacturers worldwide such as Caterpillar, Komatsu, Wipro India and JC Bamford UK. The company is renowned as being the manufacturer of the world’s fastest skiving and roller burnishing machines and patented tooling. The Sierra USA offers greater speed, increased cost efficiency, and high quality machining solutions to serve the cylinder manufacturing industry. A skived and burnished surface provides longer seal life and has a 50 per cent higher TP rating than that of a honed surface. On an example of 88.9mm bore tube (762mm long), the Sierra USA can achieve finishing in 30 seconds including loading and unloading. This equates to 122 tubes per hour, achieving H8 and Ra 0.1-Ra 0.4. Skiving and burnishing is 80 to 100 times faster than honing. Sierra Machinery Inc – USA Fax : +1 775 358 6739 Email : sierram@sierramachinery.com Website : Sierramachinery.com Skiving and roller burnishing machine

SMS Elotherm, Germany, has won an order from Tectubi Raccordi SpA (Allied Group) that further strengthens the company’s business relations with this renowned Italian producer of pipe bends. Tectubi Raccordi will receive an inductive heating plant for the production of pipe bends (Ø 56") that operates to the ‘Hamburg method’ and, with an inductor power input of 2,400kW and 1,600kW respectively, represents the world’s most powerful plant of its type. Commissioning was scheduled to start in quarter one of 2009. The company’s scope comprises equipment for preheating the still straight pipe section plus two medium- frequency infeed units for heating the bent pipe section. In addition, the order covers

three sets of inductors for the production of pipe bends with diameters from 36" to 56". The heating plant will be designed for bends of standard steel and austenitic grades, and will be able to process pipes with wall thicknesses of up to 60mm. The power input of the first inductor amounts to 2,400kW, while the bent inductor will be rated for a maximum power input of 1,600kW. The transistorized converters will be equipped with an SMS Elotherm digital control and are connected with the PLC via Profibus facilities. Two temperature cameras installed at the inductor outlets provide the data for power setting as a function of the pipe feed motion.

 Fabrication of a 24" pipe bend with inductive heating

The ‘Hamburg method’ for pipe bends production operates according to pipe sections being pushed over a mandrel which has the curvature required for the finished pipe bend. The feed-forward movement is accomplished by means of a hydraulic press. The pipe is heated in two zones. Preheating is accomplished in the straight part of the inductor without any material deformation or forming, while the bent inductor serves to heat the pipe to the

Six axis CNC profile cutting machine Shandong Fin CNC Machine Co Ltd, China, develops, manufactures and sells CNC machines such as drilling, milling, punching, sawing, cutting machines and other optical, mechanical and electronic integration equipment. The company tracks new technologies and aims to make continuous innovation in technology for manufacturing high-grade equipment, with a focus on the electric power, steel structure and automobile industries. The company’s PB660 CNC profile cutting machine is designed for pipes within the diameter range 60 to 600mm, of thickness from 2.3mm to 25mm, and in lengths from 600mm to 12,000mm. Maximum pipe weight is 5,000kg, the minimum intersection angle is 20°, and the bevelling angle is from 30° to 150°. The machine is equipped with a colour touch-screen and an air-plasma cutting machine (OTC D-12000), and operates in six axes (workpiece rotating, longitudinal movement, torch swing, torch adjustment, up-down movement and front-rear movement), with a maximum workpiece rotating speed of 8r/min. The maximum distance of longitudinal movement is 12,000mm, and the maximum longitudinal speed is 10,000mm/min. Shandong Fin CNC Machine Co Ltd – China Fax : +86 531 88875516 • Email : fincm-int@fincm.com • Website : www.fincm.com

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M arch 2009

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