TPT January 2011

T echnology U pdate

Integrated all-electric tube bender and cutter

UNISON has launched an all-electric tube bender with an integrated cutter, providing automated single-step manufacturing of volume parts such as exhausts and tubing or piping shapes. The new machine is believed to be an industry first, bringing the programmability and precision advantages of all-servo-control to the tubular parts manufacturing market. The machine’s all-electric, servomotor- controlled architecture gives comprehensive programmability throughout the entire part fabrication cycle. The position and forces of the tube bending dies can be precisely controlled, as can the movement profile and torque applied during the ‘nick and shear’ cutting cycle, delivering accuracy and quality of shape fabrication and end finish. Servomotor control also ensures that cutting positions are accurate and repeatable from batch to batch, to within ±0.1mm (0.004"), as tubing remains under control of a high-resolution digital motion

architecture throughout the operation. These benefits are in addition to the low energy consumption and quiet operation of all-electric motion control architectures, compared with traditional hydraulically actuated machinery. After a bending operation, moving the tube to the shear tool position and making the cut takes typically 12-15 seconds. This compares with perhaps 60 seconds – plus the need for skilled labour – that would be required for handling, loading, set-up and cut-off when the same task is performed at a separate station. In addition to these throughput gains, Unison’s new integrated machine means that many manufacturers are also able to produce multiple parts from each length of tubing. The new machine, called the Breeze- Blade, is capable of bending and cutting tubing with outside diameters of up to 76mm (3"). It comes with a multistack (multiple on-machine tooling) facility for software- controlled changeover between parts

batches, with the nick and shear tooling loaded into one of the tool positions. Cut-off is performed in two steps. The bent tube shape is positioned automatically by the machine’s servomotor-driven carriage, and a circular clamp grips the tube directly adjacent to the cutting position. The first tool strikes the tube to create a nick that penetrates around two thirds of the way through the tubing wall. The shear blade then drives through the tubing, with control over aspects such as acceleration, speed, deceleration and torque. Unison – UK Email: enquiries@unisonltd.com Website: www.unisonltd.com Unison has engineered a combined tube bender and cutter with a programmable all-electric architecture

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Scan Systems Corp Houston, Texas USA +011.281.219.9480 www.PitcoInc.com

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J anuary 2011

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