TPT September 2012

Technology News

Dos and don’ts when buying a second-hand machine Forming rolls manufacturer THE Atlas brand (DB Engineering) was formed 60 years ago, and has evolved to become one of India’s largest tool equipment manufacturers, currently with over 600 employees and an annual turnover of over $20mn. The forming rolls division was established 25 years ago, and produces over 24,000 rolls per year. With specialist knowledge of various steel grades gained over six decades, and with an in-house design team, the company provides a complete one-stop shop for customers in the cold rolling industry. optimisation of production processes. This approach, combined with ISO- certified quality standards, has helped Atlas to become a leading Indian manufacturer of rolls for the production of tubes and other roll formed open and closed sections. The company can design and produce tube forming and open section- forming rolls ranging from 50 to 800mm in diameter. Before production all roll designs undergo a simulation and finite element analysis to achieve ameticulous final product. All manufacturing is done in the company’s state-of-the-art manufacturing workshop with over 15 CNC turning centres. By incorporating world-leading roll forming software the company is able to provide technical advice on rolls and The ISO-certified in-house heat treatment facility has a capacity of over 300tn/month, allowing the company to maintain world-class standards for all of its products. Over the last few years the company has made significant inroads in the worldwide tube and section manufacturing industry by supplying to Australia, North and South Africa, the Far East, Canada, Russia, the Middle East, Europe, and various mill OEMs in India. Atlas Knives (DB Engineering) – India Fax: +91 11 26386453 Email: sales@atlasknives.com Website: www.atlasknives.com

LOWER investment volume, adequate production capacity – the arguments for buying a second-hand machine are obvious. However, in the case of complex tube bending machines, there is a whole range of factors determining the efficiency of using a second-hand system. Who buys a car without a test drive and without knowing its features? Investment in a second-hand system resembles this scenario, particularly if complex tube bending machines from a niche area are bought without consulting the original manufacturer. Pipe bending processing on an industrial scale is a good example of this: customer-specific system solutions are used in many sectors, ensuring high-precision bending results by means of CNC control, high performance drives and bending tools with a complex structure. The sophisticated plant technology cannot be simply dismantled and reconstructed to produce new components in a different company. “Detailed questions of component geometry, material and output quantity have a decisive impact on the possible applications of the machine,” said Hartmut Stöhr, managing director of bending machine specialist Schwarze- Robitec. “In our case, the procedure itself complicates the sale of second- hand machines by third parties. If one

A machine in dubious condition

of the axles still work properly. However, these criteria are really the absolute minimum and they are adequate in only the rarest of cases.” “There are various options if you contact us,” explained Jürgen Korte, authorised representative at Schwarze- Robitec. “We can look at our records to see exactly which machine is being offered. In addition to the delivery condition and the exact age of the machine, we can then also provide statements about whether the machine has undergone regular maintenance by the manufacturer.” Schwarze-Robitec GmbH – Germany Email: sales@schwarze-robitec.com Website: www.schwarze-robitec.com

of our tube bending machines has been designed for example to process thin- walled exhaust pipes in mass production, it might not be suitable for bending thick- walled high-pressure tubes for plant construction. Ultimately, whether the drive concept and machine design can produce perfect component quality under the new conditions can be judged only by one of our specialists.” “Before buying, it should at least be ensured that the machine actually works properly. The control must show no errors, the mechanics must not be worn and the machine must be complete in terms of its components,” said Schwarze-Robitec’s Bert Zorn. “It must then be presented in test mode, in order to be able to clarify for example that all

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S eptember 2012