TPT September 2008

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3M is a diversified technology company
that manufactures brands including Scotch,
Post-it, Scotchgard, Thinsulate and Scotch-
Brite. Products include coated abrasives,
respirators, adhesive tapes, industrial
microbiology products, drug delivery
systems, high-performance coatings and
secure documents.
The company’s diverse technologies
touch nearly every aspect of modern life,
serving markets such as consumer and
office, display and graphics, electronics
and communications, safety, security and
protection services, healthcare, industry
and transportation. 3M employs 75,000
people worldwide to deliver more than
55,000 products to customers in some 200
countries.
The company has recently made progress
in high-performance abrasives by launching
a new development to its successful
Cubitron belt line. Tests show that the latest
Cubitron construction on the 987FI belt
offers both a faster cutting rate and a belt
life improvement of 50-100 per cent (when
used on nickel alloys), compared to the
already impressive existing products.
“Cubitron mineral was ground-breaking
when it was first launched and has
continued to be a market leader,” says 3M
technical manager Cheri Hayne. “This is a
new generation of product that incorporates
a number of patented innovations
designed to help our customers work more
efficiently.”
Like the existing Cubitron belts, the structure
of the new grain on the 3M 987FI belt is
designed so that it continuously exposes
fresh cutting faces as it wears, ensuring a
consistently sharp cut throughout the belt’s
life. 3M 987FI abrasive adds an improved
grinding aid to the construction, helping it
stay cooler as it cuts and making it easier
to use in heat-sensitive applications.
987FI abrasive is available in six grades,
from 24 to 80 grit, and can be used
in everything from automated rapid
grinding systems to hand-held grinding
tools, allowing its use in a wide range of
applications.
Website:
With over 100 years of experience, Abbey
International Ltd is a source for equipment
used in the welded tube and pipe industry.
The company designs and builds new pipe
mills, tube mills, slitting lines, draw benches,
entry coil handling, exit tube handling, cutoff
equipment, and other related systems.
Abbey International, the leader in pipe
mill technology, is also within the Bronx
International group. The group is a single
source supplier of mills and finishing
equipment with over 3,800 installations in
over 60 countries. Combined, Abbey and
Bronx have one of the largest ranges of
ERW mills, and pipe finishing equipment
available.
Abbey’s patented Quick Change System®
can deliver automated changeovers in as
little as 15 minutes and the TBS® forming
system can be retrofitted to mills, reducing
roll tooling costs and changeover times.
Through partnership with Bronx Taylor-
Wilson, a leading builder of finishing
equipment, Abbey offers first class
equipment for tube and pipe manufacture,
including turnkey processes and individual
machines.
Website:
Accurex provides TubeInspect – a fully
automated 3D measuring system that can
measure a bent tube in a few seconds
without any fixtures or tools. The tube is
placed in a large light box where sixteen
permanently mounted high resolution
cameras accurately measure the tube’s
geometry.
Tubes with diameters ranging from
4-200mm with bends between 1º and 180º
can be measured. Tube measurements are
compared to CAD data or to a master tube.
TubeInspect has the capability of
measuring tubes with connected bends
even when they are not separated by a
straight section.
Optional software modules allow the
measurement of flexible parts including
soft hoses, moulded hoses and hoses
with fixtures or mounting attachments.
TubeInspect provides online corrections for
bending machines.
When adjustments to the process need
to be undertaken, corrections are directly
transmitted to the bending machine.
TubeInspect is suitable for all types of
industrial tube manufacturing, from highly
flexible thin brake lines and aerospace
tubing, to large exhaust pipes for heavy
trucks as well as tubes designed to carry
hydraulic and cooling liquids or fuel.
Website:
EXHIBITOR PROFILES
3M Abrasive Systems
USA 10223
 The 987FI belt is the latest addition to 3M’s
Cubitron line
Abbey International Ltd
USA 8188
Accurex Measurement
USA 4246
 TubeInspect uses sixteen high resolution cameras
for 3D measuring