TPT July 2017

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BEND I NG , FORM I NG & SWAG I NG
74 JULY 2017
Heating a tube prior to swaging
with induction from Ambrell
A COMPANY turned to the lab at
Ambrell when it needed to heat a
tube prior to swaging in a faster, more
efficient manner.
The stainless steel tubing had an
outside diameter of 1.5mm (0.06")
and needed to be heated to 1,066°C
(1,950°F) in around five seconds.
Ambrell’s applications laboratory de-
termined that an Easyheat 2.4kW in-
duction heating system with a multiple-
turn helical coil would be optimal for this
application. With the process designed
by Ambrell’s applications engineers,
the tube heated to temperature within
the targeted time of five seconds.
Induction heating power supplies
convert AC line power to a higher
frequency alternating current,
delivering it to a work coil and creating
an electromagnetic field within the
coil. The work piece, in this case the
stainless steel tube, is placed in that
field, which induces eddy currents in
the workpiece. The friction from these
currents generates precise, clean, non-
contact heat.
Repeatability is one advantage of
induction, as users see the same result
time after time. Induction also offers
targeted heating that is more energy
efficient than an oven or open flame,
and is also generally faster. Induction
systems have work heads that can
be placed a distance from the power
supply, which means induction requires
a minimal footprint.
Along with heating prior to swaging,
induction is often used for tube and
pipe coating curing, pre- and post-
weld heating, and drill pipe heating
treatment, among many other important
applications.
Ambrell Corp – USA
Fax:+1 585 889 4030
Email:
Website:
Simulating the bending process
DEPENDING on the application,
bending can be a faster and cheaper
alternative to welding, which makes the
investment in a pipe-bending machine
attractive for many companies. Beyond
the savings in fabricating time and
material costs, additional savings on
NDT and QC can lead to increased
efficiency and productivity in fabrication.
There are additional ways to maximise
the benefits of a pipe-bending machine,
however, and this is where the right
software application is of importance.
With the right software, the operator
can easily generate or import pipe
geometries and simulate the bending
sequence, which allows for the detection
of potential collisions or other problems
(eg bends that are too close together)
before the pipe is scheduled to go into
fabrication.
In the case of a collision, the software
will attempt to find an alternative bending
sequence, which can vary depending
on the complexity of the spool and the
capability of the machine. From a simple
reversal of the bending order (last point
first) or the rotation direction to a change
of the bending direction on multi-stack
machines, RONIKolli7 from 3R solutions
will test a number of scenarios for
feasibility.
In addition to simply checking for
collision, RONIKolli7 can generate the
required CNC data, so the operator at the
machine knows exactly what to enter. In
many cases this data can
be provided in a format that
the machine can process,
so the operator only has
to confirm the data on the
screen.
Since the pipe retains
a certain amount of
elasticity, it will try to return
to its original shape after
bending. Therefore, in
order to achieve a specific
angle, the actual bending
angle at the machine has
to be slightly larger, so that
after springback the pipe
has the desired shape. In addition, rotary
draw bending results in a certain amount
of stretching, so the last segment of the
pipe spool is a little longer.
In RONIKolli7, the operator can create
and manage a record of all materials
and dimensions that are processed on
each machine.
By making test bends, measuring
them and tracking the results, it is
possible to create a material master file
that enables the software to calculate the
required adjustment to bending angles
and cutting length, so the bending result
matches the drawing.
3R solutions states that a pipe-shop
that integrates RONIKolli7 into its
processes can achieve increases in
efficiency, as the software can be used to:
reduce the danger of collisions; confirm
that a pipe is bendable without the need
to create a wire model; compensate
for material factors; provide CNC data
for the bending process; prepare freely
customisable work sheets/reports for the
operator; simulate a bending process
for flanged pipes and calculation of
flange rotation; and calculate potentially
required extensions.
3R solutions – Germany
Fax: +49 2381 9724 711
Email:
Website:
Among other features, RONIKolli7 can detect potential
collisions