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All-electric tube bender has fast set-up
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BLM said that with conventional hydraulically-powered tube bending machines, set-ups can take up to 2h but an all-electric machine uses pre-set tooling to shorten down-times. With conventional hydraulically-powered tube bending machines set-ups can take up to 2h to complete, said BLM Hydraulic machines depend heavily on individual operator skill and know-how In contrast, the BLM E-Turn, installed at Freeman and Proctor's 30,000ft2 factory in Nuneaton, UK, uses 'stacked' pre-set tooling on each of its two heads. The E-Turn accommodates Freeman and Proctor's six sizes of tube and specific bending requirements without incurring significant set-up time penalties, said BLM. BLM told manufacturingtalk that a further E-Turn advantage is that a repeat order merely requires the operator to call up the relevant program. The operator has the confidence of knowing that there will be no material wastage during set-up and every finished part will be correct to specification. "Because of overseas low labour cost competition we have tended to go for the more challenging parts," said managing director of Freeman and Proctor, Roy Collett. "This involves larger sizes of tube and greater complexity, which is why we have installed the BLM E-Turn". He continued: "Scheduled business allows us to plan long-term investment but I also want this new machine to attract new business, by inviting people to see it in action and alerting prospective customers to our new capability". Commissioned in November 2007, Freeman and Proctor's E-Turn is the largest in the four-model range. It bends tube from 6mm to 52mm maximum OD. Tube bending jobs cover a wide range of ferrous and non-ferrous materials - including stainless steels, nimonics and titanium alloys. The complete head of the E-Turn can rotate through 180 deg, so can perform left- and right-hand bending in automatic cycle with an X axis accuracy of +/-0.05mm and Y- and Z-axis accuracies of +/-0.05 deg. However, in its primary market of aerospace components Freeman and Proctor has a limited demand for this mirror image capability - components are, typically, complex configurations in difficult materials and called off in small batch quantities. * Complex tube forms - The E-Turn can produce complex components requiring radii of less than 1 x diameter using the 'bend boost' device, which can have its power modulated during the bending process to avoid unsightly stress marks on high-value components. X-, Y-, Q-, Z- and R-axis speeds are, respectively, 2000/1000mm/s (depending on 'boost power'); 150 deg/s; 1000mm/s; 900 deg/s; and 100 deg/s. These performance figures, combined with precise control of the E-Turn's 12 axes of movement set by Visual Graphic Programming (VGP) software, significantly reduce set-up times because all parameters are stored and can be recalled without further mechanical adjustment being necessary. The electric axes automatically adjust position, which enhances accuracy and repeatability. Components are not only produced 'right first time', they are repeatable batch to batch without undue reliance on operator expertise. A job change-over can typically be completed within 2-3 min, since all axis movements are set automatically, said BLM. * fewer tool changes - the multi-tool stack tube bender allows fewer bend tool changes and less downtime. The VGP 3D software allows checking on-screen, providing a reliable guide to component cycle times and identifying any possible collision risk. BLM told manufacturingtalk that the 'guesswork' is taken out of tube bending and the most complex of tubular components can be completed in one cycle, because the PC-based control selects the correct parameters. The E-Turn is also extremely environmentally friendly, since power is only required during axis movements and means power consumption can be as little as 10% of previous generation machines. "We asked other people about their experiences with BLM before we placed our order and we are also really pleased with the way BLM has supported this installation," said Collett. "Ten sets of tooling came as part of the package, which also included the control, VGP software and operator training. If everything goes to plan, we will be looking at a second BLM machine next year". * About Freeman and Proctor - the company specialises in the manufacture of high quality, fabricated, tubular assemblies for aerospace and automotive applications. CNC lathes and machining centres produce components for welding or brazing to precision cut and bent tube under strict quality control. The company has many industry and customer quality approvals including the ISO 9001:2000. Established in 1949, Freeman and Proctor manufactures various components for its aerospace and automotive customers, including the following. * High-pressure fuel pipes (including double skin dual fuel and hydraulic pipes). * Electrical conduits and hydraulic pipes. * Small bore fabricated pipe assemblies such as fuel manifolds and air breather pipes. * Fabricated suspension struts used on a high-performance sports car. * Air injection pipes used on a V8 twin-turbo, high-performance petrol engine. In-house computer-aided design contributes to the development of Freeman and Proctor's customers' products, with value analysis playing an important role in keeping prices competitive. Similarly, non-destructive testing plays a vital role, with facilities at Nuneaton including X-ray, fluorescent and penetrant flaw detection, as well as air and hydraulic pressure testing. "We don't have intellectual property in the form of design rights but we have developed a niche manufacturing capability with the emphasis on scheduled business," said Collett. "Our mission is to give customers confidence that Freeman and Proctor will be around to support long-term contracts and that we have equipment and systems in place capable of ensuring that components are right-first-time, 100% inspected and delivered on time". http://www.manufacturingtalk.com/news/blm/blm125.html |
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