TPT July 2014

85 / 100

Finishing and end f inishing
July 2014 83
Precision edge
preparation
skiving machines
HEAVY-duty high metal removal
edge finishing machines developed
by Barnes Advanced Technology use
vibratory energy to aid cutting, reducing
mill pull through force, and allowing
high metal removal at all cutting speeds
from zero up, reducing scrap. Finish
is claimed to be superior to milling,
with easy bevelling or special shapes,
instantly adjustable while running.
Various pipe and tube edge
preparation machines are available,
covering thicknesses from 1 to 16mm
and widths from 25 to 2,500mm, with
cutting from zero to 300m/min or
higher. The process improves welding
and seam strength with any type of
tube and pipe material.
Vibrating the tools axially at up to 300
hertz peels off deep precise cuts of metal
using the new cutting physics. The metal
immediately ahead of the tool hardens
and separates from the main material,
leaving a smooth cleavage separation
that is microscopically polished by the
tool passing over it. Accuracy of cut
and finish quality are improved,
and swarf ejects as severed
segments because of the
imprinted shockwave cleavage
planes, instead of the usual
naturally cut, hard-to-handle
continuous spirals.
P r o d u c t i o n - e n h a n c i n g
features include smooth cuts,
accurate at any line speed;
precisely adjustable depth of
cut, settable while running;
variable bevel angle for
accurate abutting, as required;
variable cutting rake
angle for total cutting
stability; and indexable
tools, resharpenable
many times. Adjustment
of one station does
not affect downstream
cutting, and cutters are
automatically aligned with the material
edge.
The machines are usually provided
with auto centring, with heavy rolls
arranged to guide the material prior to
mill entry. A swarf wiper removes any
swarf clinging to the material. Tool units
swing out for easy replacement of the
tool inserts, which are of cobalt-bonded
micrograin tungsten carbide. Inserts are
heavy duty, 50mm square, 12mm thick,
with a 45° bevel on the cutting edge.
Heavy air driven swing arms engage
the material edge with tool steel rolls,
and precision wedge type screw jacks
set tools to the exact cutting depth, with
results indicated on the width sensors.
Material width sensors at input and
output accurately measure material
removal, and mill entry sizing. Bevel
angle is also directly indicated within
0.1° accuracy.
The vibratory energy is provided
by air powered impacting vibrators,
inducing ultrasonic shockwaves
directly into the tools and the material
about to be shaved off. Variations of
the basic technology are useful for
other special metal cutting operations
such as grooving of strip. However, for
these, magnetostrictive vibrators using
sinusoidal shaped waveforms are
preferred.
Special versions are under
development for producing tapered
tubes such as poles, with the angle
of bevel changing automatically
with length to ensure correct seam
abutting. The cutters follow the edges
automatically as the tapered strip is
traversed through the cutting heads.
These machines can be adapted to any
size or shape of product.
Barnes Advanced Technology, Inc –
Canada
Fax: +1 905 478 1421
Email:
Website:
Welding and finishing lines
THE Asmag Group is a supplier of
machinery and equipment for the
steel and non-ferrous metal industry.
It combines two enterprises: Asmag,
whose core business is the design and
manufacture of drawing, straightening,
testing, cutting, chamfering, stacking
and bundling machines; and Seuthe,
with its core business of design and
manufacture of tube welding and
section mills.
The ASMAG Group manufactures its
machines and installations in its own
workshops in Austria and Germany.
At each location the engineering,
automation, manufacturing and assembly
are under a single roof, resulting in high
manufacturing quality, flexibility and
improved service and support.
Asmag GmbH – Austria
Fax: +43 7616 880188
Email:
Website:
Edge preparation
machine for 12mm thick,
70mm wide strip and
(below) changing the cutting head