TPT January 2014

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Cutting
92 January 2014
High-speed steel and plastic
pipe cutting machines
EXACT Tools has developed a new
method to cut pipes, and has launched
a new range of steel and plastic pipe
cutting systems and cutting accessories.
The award-winning PipeCut range
of pipe cutting systems provide a fast,
easy, safe and precise way to cut and
bevel pipes and tubes on site, producing
a straight, ready-to-install finished
surface in a multitude of diameters and
materials, and eliminating many of the
problems associated with pipe cutting.
Available models range from the
PipeCut 170 and 170E systems for cutting
15 to 170mm diameter steel and plastic
pipe, to the PipeCut P400 for cutting and
bevelling, in one process, plastic pipe
from 100 to 400mm in diameter with a
wall thickness up to 25mm.
Each model can be supplied with a
choice of three different blades: TCT
(tungsten carbide tip) blades for general
use in cutting steels, copper, aluminium,
plastic and multi-layer materials;
cermet with ceramic tips for heavy-duty
applications such as cutting stainless
steel and acid proof steel; and diamond
discs for cutting cast iron pipes.
Exact pipe cutting systems are
suitable for cutting a wide range of tubes
and pipes, including spiral duct tube
ranging from 75 to 1,000mm in diameter,
with wall thicknesses ranging from
1.5 to 6mm.
The systems are aimed at
professional industrial pipe installers
employed in power generation, refinery
and chemical plant, hospital and other
construction sites, house building and
renovation, shipbuilding, wood pulp,
fresh and waste water systems, heating
and cooling systems, gas installations,
maintenance and repair work. They are
easy to use on steel, cast iron, stainless
steel, aluminium, copper and most types
of plastic.
The cutter firmly grips the pipe to be
cut, with the blade being automatically
positioned to cut correctly; the entire
weight of the cutter rests on the pipe.
When started, the blade chips the pipe
surface rather than grinding it, producing
a burr-free cut surface that is ready for
installation. The operation is dust-free,
and does not produce any sparks.
Each system is supplied with its own
pipe holders (except the V1000 model,
for which they are an optional extra),
pipe saw, Allen keys, CD user manual
and carry case.
Other features include the ability
to cut pipe at floor level, increased
productivity through fast cutting speeds,
and improved working environment and
user safety, including fire safety. Pipes
can be cut wherever electric power
is available: workbenches and large
manipulators are not required.
Exact Tools Oy – Finland
Fax: +358 9 43667550
Email:
Website:
Dimple-free tube cut-off systems
IN the past, “dimple-free” tube cut-off
systems were made for typical higher
speed tube lines, and because they had
to produce at these high speeds, they
came with a high price tag.
The tubing industry needed a cost-
effective alternative for a dimple-free cut-
off system on slower, lower production
tube mills. This is the niche that the
Hill Engineering “Duo-Cut” system was
engineered for.
By combining Hill Engineering’s Flying
Duo-Cut integrated die/press units with
its high-speed hydraulics expertise, it is
able to produce clean, dimple-free cuts
on tubing up to 3" diameter. In order to
obtain optimum speeds at reasonable
prices for different sized tubing mills, the
company offers three sizes of systems
– ¾" maximum diameter, 1½" maximum
diameter and 3" maximum diameter for
up to 0.125" thick steel. Because of the
compact nature of the units, they are
more economically priced with faster
ROI on slower lines for lower production
requirements.
The basic mechanical unit is also
designed to be quick-change when
going from one tube diameter or
thickness to another. This again lends
itself to lower production requirements
where quick change is more important,
due to shorter runs from one order to the
next.
Because of the nature of this system
design, the company also offers a small
diameter pneumatic Duo-Cut system
which is the essentially the same as the
¾" diameter system, except operates
with air cylinders instead of hydraulic
cylinders.
These systems are used for such
applications as brake line tube mills with
approximately 0.156" dia – 0.312" dia
tubing being produced. This allows an
increase in the speed of these systems
to match small diameter tube lines and
at the same time reduce the costs even
further.
For both hydraulic and pneumatic
systems, the measuring is done by a
“closed loop” servo accelerated system,
for the most consistent and best
accuracy results.
Hill Engineering/Formtek Inc – USA
Website:
Exact PipeCut 280E
system in operation