TPT January 2013

Technology News

Tube and pipe mills and roll forming RAFTER Equipment Corporation manufactures tube mills and pipe mills, roll forming machines, cutoff machines, and other related mill machinery. It is able to provide equipment for tube sizes from 0.188" (4.76mm) to 16" (400mm) OD. Rafter has supplied mills using high frequency induction (HFI), high-frequency contact (HFC), TIG/plasma, and laser welding. The equipment has been used for the production of the following tubular products: mechanical, structural, HSS, energy, API, refrigeration, automotive, appliance and many other tubular products. Rafter has remained busy during the recent economic downturn. A duplicate of the RT-4000 mill sold last year is currently under construction. The mill is capable of producing energy tubing up to 76.2mm OD x 6.4mm wall (3" x 0.25") with material yield strengths up to 1,000 MPa (150,000 PSI). Deliveries of an RT-3000 mechanical mill and an RT-3000 automotive tube mill with full strip entry section will follow later this year. Last year also brought Rafter many mill upgrade projects. These were mainly weld squeeze box and turkshead straightener retrofits. Most of the upgrades were driven by the customer’s need to produce tubes with heavier wall thicknesses and/or using higher yield strength materials. In 2009 Rafter expanded its offering through an overseas partnership to include uncoilers, levelers, coil end joiners, strip accumulators, flying saw cutoffs and tube bundling and packaging equipment. Although the mechanical portions are manufactured overseas, the electrical and hydraulic portions will be supplied by Rafter from US sources. In addition, the after-sales service and support will be handled by Rafter. Last year, Rafter reached an agreement with HKS- Prozesstechnik GmbH (www.hksprozesstechnik.de) to become the exclusive US system integrator for the ThermoProfilScanner (TPS) non-destructive weld seam inspection system. The TPS uses a unique “lens-less” thermal imaging sensor to capture the heat profile of the weld seam just after welding. The heat profile is displayed at the operator’s interface and saved for later inspection. Originally started in 1917 as a roll forming machine builder, the company was purchased, relocated, and transformed into one of North America’s premier tube mill manufacturers in 1988. Since this time, Rafter Equipment has provided nearly 100 tube mills and more than 400 mill accessory upgrades. Its focus is to provide robust equipment that is simple to operate and maintain. Rafter supports its equipment through personalised and dedicated after-sales service and spare parts. By doing all of this it gives customers the equipment necessary to be both successful and profitable.

Rafter Equipment Corporation – USA Email: sales@rafterequipment.com Website: www.rafterequipment.com

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