TPT May 2014

Bending

Large-screen monitoring in tube machining

variety of machines this data can then be exported in a format the machine can read, so no manual input is required. This can reduce idle times at the machine, since the operator only has to load the pipe and start the bending process, rather than calculating and entering data. It is also possible to test the same geometry on multiple machines, to determine which machine is best suited for the task. For input of pipe data RoniKolli7 offers the option to enter XYZ coordinates, to enter traction/rotation/bending values, or to import the data from a variety of third party construction platforms or measuring systems. The machine and tool models are created with separate applications, so that potential interference points in the environment (fences, columns, cranes, cabinets, other machines, etc) can be included in the model. RoniKolli7 can be used to simulate rotary draw bending machines with one or more bending heads and levels, as well as push benders (roll-forming) and induction bending machines. 3R software solutions – Germany Email: info@3-r.de Website: www.3-r.de then holds the processed tube in a de- burring mechanism. “Both ends can be visually controlled with the help of the camera,” explained Stefanie Flaeper, managing director at transfluid. “Alternately, the robot holds the tube in a labelling unit in which the tube can then be marked in all positions – and without the need for any type of clamping device.” A forming machine with a rotary indexing table can be used to connect two tubes together with a flange. This ensures high output with 100 per cent documented quality. transfluid Maschinenbau GmbH – Germany Email: info@transfluid.de Website: www.tube-processing-machines.com

the system displays energy consumption, the CPK value, the number of tubes that have been processed so far, and the component being produced. Air conditioning lines that require extremely small tolerances are manufactured with the newly developed system. In addition to the camera control system, the manufacturing system also features a magazine, a four-axle handling system, two combination machines for tube forming, a bending machine, a chamfering unit, a dot matrix printer and two robots. One side of the tube is processed prior to the bending procedure with a combination tube forming machine, while the second end is subsequently cut chip-free after the bending procedure and is then also formed. If necessary, the robot

TRANSFLUID Maschinenbau GmbH has made the television the heart of an intelligent tube machining system, with its camera-controlled, fully electric manufacturing cell. In continuous rotation, the large screen installed above Keeping an eye on the processes of the complex transfluid manufacturing cell with a large-screen monitor

Pipe bending simulation THERE are few modern industries that do not involve the use of tube and pipe systems in some capacity. The geometries of these systems can be complex, as they not only have to transport various fluids or gases efficiently to their destination, but often also have to be designed in a way that allows them to both be fitted into confined spaces without interfering with other lines and be accessible for maintenance and service if necessary. data required to bend it. If the same shape needs to be fabricated in large quantities, it is often possible to test the data on several prototypes, until the correct values have been determined. For small batches or individual pipes, however, this approach is not feasible, as the result needs to be correct right away, and not after several attempts.

It is here that the RoniKolli7 bending simulation software by 3R solutions becomes an efficient way to not only calculate the required bending data, but also to examine the bending process itself for feasibility. RoniKolli7 can detect collisions of the pipe with the machine, the tooling or the environment, so the operator can see whether the pipe is bendable or not. In case of interference the system automatically attempts to find an alternative bending sequence, including reversing a rotation direction, reversing the entire bending sequence, performing a correction feed or extending specific segments of the pipe. If a suitable bending sequence is found, RoniKolli7 will generate all required CNC data, including corrections required to compensate for material factors such as springback and stretching. For a large

Because of the potential complexity of these systems, fabricating the necessary components can be as challenging as designing them in the first place. While it is possible to cut and weld every required elbow, this method can be time consuming and expensive. The purchase of a pipe bending machine is therefore a reasonable consideration, as the savings in cutting and welding time and costs can relatively quickly recoup the purchasing and operation costs of the machine, depending on the expected output and the type of machine. However, not every spool can be fabricated on a bending machine, and the more complex the pipe geometry is, the harder it is to determine the correct

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M ay 2014