TPT May 2016

10 / 80

8 MAY 2016
I NDUS T RY
Mair Research supplies new finishing line
for automotive tubes in Mexico
MAIR Research recently supplied an
integrated finishing line for processing
precision tubes for an important Mexican
supplier of automotive tubing. The tubes
produced are 88.9mm in diameter and
12m in length.
The line is placed at the direct exit of
the new tube mill and designed to allow
the maximum mill productivity, ensuring
continuous processing and collecting of
the finished tubes in strapped bundles
ready for delivery to the end user.
The layout has been custom designed
in partnership with the customer to
optimise the available floospace.
Since all operations are performed
automatically, only two operators with
supervisory tasks are required to
conduct the line.
The line consists of the following
equipment:
• Driven rollway interfaced with the tube
mill and equipped with cradle for the
automatic collection of reject tubes.
• Tube sampling station. Tubes that re-
quire sample cut off are automatically
extracted from the production flow and
positioned to an upper cold saw for
cutting of a sample piece (generally
max 300mm length). The remaining
(nominal length) tube is automatically
reinserted in the production flow.
• Chamfering machine. Both ends of
round tubes are chamfered (facing,
ID and OD bevel). The machine
is equipped with a quick spindle
replacement, allowing the user to
reduce the downtimes upon size
changeover.
Upon changing tube length the mobile
part of the equipment (conveyors and
mobile head) will relocate automatically
to the new position.
• Swarf removal station. Suitable to
flushout the loose inner bead of
two tubes at a time in two stages.
Pressurised emulsion jets act in the
first stage and compressed air in the
second stage. The bead is ejected
to a swarf chopper which, by rotating
knives, will chop the long swarf into
short pieces conveniently collected
inside a bin.
• Packaging machine. The tubes are
automatically packed into hexagonal
or square/rectangular bundles and
then strapped. The weighing station
will tilt the bundles to remove any
residual emulsion and weigh the
bundles, which will be ready on the
storage chains to be picked up by an
overhead crane.
A printer produces a customised anti-
tear label including the company logo,
bar code, weight and other data as
required.
The line is highly-productive and
designed to cope with the mill speed,
and may also handle square and
rectangular tubes, which will be sent
directly to the packaging machine and
packed into final products.
Particular attention is given to tube
handling as all parts that may come in
contact with the tube are plastic coated
in order to avoid denting and scratching.
Mair Research specialises in the
design, manufacture and supply of
finishing lines in general (automotive,
OCTG, drawn, other) having delivered
to important world producers in the field
of ERW and seamless tubes.
All Mair Research equipment is
fully designed, manufactured and
assembled at its facilities in Italy. It
undergoes strict pre-shipment tests
usually conducted in the presence of
the customer.
Pre-shipment tests have proved to be
beneficial, allowing the equipment to be
optimised in-house, and reducing on-
site start-up and commissioning works.
Mair Research SpA – Italy
Fax: +39 0445 634 409
Email:
Website:
Integrated finishing machine