TPT January 2009

T echnology U pdate

Tube bender with automatic tool changeover

unit’s advanced ergonomic design gives greater control during operation. Operator comfort is further enhanced with directional exhausts and Greptile grips. A wide range of 3M consumables, including Scotch-Brite brushes and wheels, bristle discs and flap wheels, means that the die grinders are suitable for applications using a wide variety of metals, from basic carbon steel to titanium. The company’s new 1HP cut-off wheel tools share the same ergonomic features as the other models, but also incorporate additional built-in safety features, including a safety lever throttle and a 360° rotatable safety guard. The range consists of four models: 3" and 4" wheel in-line units and 4.5" and 5" wheel right-angle units. Designed to offer performance and dependability, users have a choice of 3M’s Cubitron Abrasive grain wheels (available in 3" and 4"), or Inox aluminium oxide wheels (available in 4.5" and 5"). 3M Abrasive Systems – UK Fax : +44 1612 371106 Email : abrasives.uk@mmm.com Website : www.3m.com/uk/abrasives The SE 9127 incorporates interfaces for RS232, RS422, and ethernet, making it suitable for connecting to external systems. Integrating cells into bus networks is also easy. The system can be tailored to specific requirements, with options including wiper dies, an automatic mandrel device and machine bed extensions. Silfax is already planning the introduction of its next machine, for pipes up to 157mm in diameter. Silfax – France Fax : +33 4 7231 0619 Email : info@silfax.com Website : www.silfax.com There is strong demand, particularly in the aerospace industry and in the automotive sector, to bend large diameter, thin-walled tubes safely and accurately. Other areas where every millimetre counts and pipe tolerances must be kept to an absolute minimum include truck exhaust systems and intermediate components used in hydroforming processes. The new Silfax machine works along seven linear axes down to 0.05mm. During bending and forming it is accurate to 0.05°. To keep cycle times to a minimum, the SE 9127 offers feed rates of up to 30m/min. Bending and twisting can be carried out at up to 62rpm.

3M has launched three new air-powered metal finishing tools – a disc sander, a die grinder and a cut-off wheel tool, comprising eleven variants. All are equipped with powerful high-output air motors, and are designed to optimise tool and abrasive performance and incorporate measures to increase and enhance operator usability and comfort. These include 360° directional exhausts and 3M’s patented Greptile material (on most of the tools), a surface covering manufactured using a micro-replication process pioneered by 3M that provides a more effective grip while requiring less effort from the operator. The disc sander features a 97° head angle, greatly increasing the ergonomics of the tool, and promoting a more comfortable wrist position for the operator. The tool’s easier- handling, lightweight, compact design also generates less vibration, allowing improved overall operator control. The disc sander is available in three variants: two 2" models with different airflow and power ratings (0.33HP and 0.5HP), and a 3" version offering 1HP. The unit’s powerful air motor Machine manufacturer Silfax, France, has launched a fully electric CNC tube bender. The SE 9127 is designed for large diameter tubes and piping, and offers a variety of bending height options. The system is controlled by Siemens control technology, making it suitable for fully automated bending of larger pipes under safe working conditions. The SE 9127 is also the first machine of its type to offer automated tool changeovers, and simplifies fully automated production with a mix of interfaces and cell integration. The SE 9127 is equipped with nine electric CNC-controlled axes and is capable of bending pipes up to 127mm in diameter. Tool changing is fully automated and the system can be fitted with four top-of-the- range tools for tensioning and gripping pipes with inflections or reduced holding areas. “ Although it’s more effort at first than a hydraulic system, we tension the pipes electrically, ” explained Thomas Rohde, head of systems technology at Silfax, “ but the results speak for themselves: bends are extremely accurate and can be reproduced time after time. ”

allows jobs to be completed faster, and a smaller head means users can work closer to the surface being abraded, allowing better access, control and visibility. The disc sander’s Quick-Attach system swiftly connects it to 3M’s range of Roloc metal finishing consumables. This allows the sanders to be fine-tuned for a wide array of applications, including deburring, grinding, blending, finishing and cleaning. From Roloc coated abrasives and Scotch- Brite discs to everyday general-purpose aluminium oxide discs, users can match the tool and consumable to the application’s requirements. A range of back-up pads is available in different diameters and degrees of hardness. 3M’s new pneumatic die grinders have been designed to efficiently handle refining, finishing, cleaning and deburring needs on the complex production parts. Four models are available with different rpm ratings (8, 12, 18 and 20,000). All feature a powerful 1HP motor, allowing users to complete jobs quickly, and the The high tension and mandrel retraction force of more than 100kN make it possible to form thick-walled tubes safely, reliably wiping wrinkles. The Z axis is displaced to allow for automatic calibration of the bending height. The system auto- matically stores programmed bending options and tool data, which can be retrieved at the touch of a button. All processes are controlled by Siemens 840D software.  The new, fully automated Silfax tube bending machine for wide diameter pipes up to 127mm, with automated tool changeover

User, tool and abrasive in perfect harmony

30

J anuary 2009

www.read-tpt.com

›