TPT September 2010

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8 September 2010 ›
Industry News
BRONX/TAYLOR-WILSON has secured
an order for two new CNC computer-
controlled 10-roll tube straightening
machines. The two machines are new
Bronx 10.CR.5 and 10.CR.3 series
cross-roll tube straightening installations
complete with handling and automatic
process sequencing.
The machines will be supplied to
the customer as part of two new, fully
automated finishing lines within the
latest expansion to its tube production
facility. The straightening machines and
the finishing lines into which they are
integrated are at the forefront of modern
technology and automation, said to be
the most modern of its type in any tube
making facility.
The equipment will straighten and
process Inconel tube with an outside
diameter ranging from 12mm to 60mm,
and wall thickness up to 8mm. Designed
to accommodate a particularly broad
range of tubes, Bronx/Taylor-Wilson’s
10-roll design can straighten to the most
stringent of tolerances at high speeds. The
timescale for completion of the machine
with complete function testing, installation
and commissioning is scheduled for late
2010.
The customer is a leading producer
of speciality tubular products made of
stainless steel and nickel alloys exclusively
for nuclear power stations using the
pressurised water technology. This range
of products covers various needs, often in
small quantities, requiring the intervention
of a wide variety of techniques. The
products concerned are customised
nickel alloy and stainless steel tubulars
with particularly demanding specifications
and a nuclear quality follow up.
Their main characteristics are a light
wall thickness, operating conditions
involving high pressure and temperature,
and an expected life span of several
decades.
The 10.CR.5 machine for this
installation has a diameter range of 15
to 60mm with a maximum wall thickness
of 8mm. The 10.CR.3 machine has a
diameter range of 12 to 26mm and a
maximum wall thickness of 3mm.
The Bronx/Taylor-Wilson 10-roll
straightening machine incorporates the
multiple bending moment feature. This
gives greatly improved straightness due
to the increased number of plastic bending
cycles. From experience with the 10-roll
machine’s performance, it has been noted
that there is considerable increase in the
consistency of degree of straightness,
particularly on the more badly bent and
generally difficult materials. This is a
function of the additional number of
plastic cyclic deflections which occur.
The leading and trailing ends of the tubes
can be straightened more effectively,
due to the facility for additional pressure
straightening.
The 10-roll machines have vertical
adjustment on all top rolls and numbers
2, 3 and 4 bottom rolls. This allows the
straightening machine to apply a more
gentle deflection to the tube by deflecting
or bending the material over three or
four roll centre distances instead of two
as on the 6-roll machine. This design
results in the straightening operation
having a minimum effect on the physical
and mechanical properties of the material
which is crucial when operating in the
production of these products.
The straightening installation will
be controlled by Bronx/Taylor-Wilson’s
patented ‘COMPASS’ Computer Aided
Setting System which utilises the latest
in industrial electrical and electronic
technology to provide the customer with
consistently high quality product and
throughput capacity. With the COMPASS
system, machine set up times for a size
change are reduced to less than three
minutes, while its data collection and
storage is vital to the producer and end-
user when processing such sensitive and
critical components.
Bronx/Taylor Wilson – USA
Fax: +1 330 244 1961
Email:
Website:
Straightening installations for nuclear industry
BTW has secured
an order for two
CNC straightening
machines