PRODUCT REVIEWS
Tube bending innovations
Unison Ltd , a manufacturer of all-electric CNC tube bending machines , will be presenting several new technologies at the forthcoming MACH 2022 exhibition in the UK ( 4-8 April 2022 ).
“ These systems will help manufacturers and subcontractors to accelerate their efficiency and productivity as demand returns to prepandemic levels ,” it told ISMR .
On its stand 630 , Hall 6 , at the show will be an all-electric Unison Breeze 16mm ( maximum tube diameter ) multi-stack tubebending machine . It will be equipped with the company ’ s newly upgraded Unibend control , an operating system providing speed enhancements in the region of 25 % when bending at full power .
It will also showcase a Unison EvBend 1000 , developed to reduce the entry cost to precision rotary draw tube bending by combining manually operated feed , tube rotation and bending force . It features CNC-controlled
braking on the carriage feed , rotation and bend arm axes . Suitable for prototypes and one offs , the EvBend 1000 is widely used in the Formula One and aerospace industries .
Visitors to the show can also be updated on Unison ’ s newly launched range of Synergy HBM ( hybrid , multi-stack ) range of machines . Unison Ltd offers more than 30 all-electric tube and pipe bending machines for diameters ranging from 4mm ( 5 / 32 ”) to 275mm ( 10 ” schedule pipe ).
“ Each model delivers rapid set-up ; fast tool changes ; exceptional power ; rigid mechanical design and all-electric control for right-firsttime repeat subcontract work , or immediately after producing a single trial part . These are all attributes that we believe make our Breeze models the ultimate tube manipulation machines for businesses specialising in small batch production runs ,” explained the tube bending specialist .
Above : Electric Unison Breeze 16mm ( maximum tube diameter ) multi-stack tube bending machine .
Available in 50mm and 80mm versions from launch , Unison ’ s new Synergy hybrid range combines electric and hydraulic operation . As with Breeze models , the bend arm , carriage , plane of bend and carriage side shift are servo-driven , while mandrel , pressure die and clamping system are hydraulically controlled . This , said the manufacturer , makes Synergy machines suitable for high-volume , repetitive tube manipulation operations that do not require rapid set-up times and all-electric control provided by Breeze machines . n
Robotic handling solutions
Optimised UK delivery
With the withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the EU , customers and suppliers faced a new and challenging situation . Standard parts manufacturer , Meusburger , familiarised itself with the new requirements and customs formalities at an early stage and is continuously optimising the delivery processes in close coordination with its forwarding agents .
“ On 31 January 2022 , we switched to a new delivery system in the UK , offering our customers further benefits . We will supply our customers in the UK ‘ DDP - delivered , duty paid ’ and take care of the entire customs clearance process as well as tax processing . We will invoice in GBP and include British VAT . In addition , customers will still have the option to make payments in euros ,” it explained .
“ Advantages for our UK customers include faster delivery ; no costs or expenses for customs clearance and tax processing ; no costs or risks associated with the transport of goods and invoicing and payment in GBP , with option for payment in euros ,” it added . n
ABB will showcase its latest advanced automated handling and robotics solutions at MACH 2022 ( Birmingham , UK , 4-8 April 2022 ), including a high-payload collaborative robot , machine tending systems and a magnetic levitation-based conveyance system .
Stand 18-310 will feature an example of one of ABB ’ s latest robotic machine-tending solutions . The ABB FlexLoader M for AGV is a fully automated feeder for automated guided vehicles ( AGVs ). Handling all types of workpieces , it can pick straight from the pallet brought to it by the AGV .
“ Our complete range of FlexLoader M automated machine tending solutions will be shown on the stand in a series of videos and displays . Our FlexLoader M range enhances machine utilisation and flexibility while responding to batch size one , high-mix and low-volume production . Fast to program and user-friendly , no robotic expertise is required ,” ABB told ISMR .
FlexLoader M conveyor .
There will also be a presentation on ABB FlexArc ® robotic welding cells , complete robot systems that are available in several flexible , modular packages for custom-built welding .
“ Our latest high-capacity collaborative robot , GoFa will be on the stand . It has a 5kg payload and 950mm reach . With a top speed of 2.2m / s , GoFa is faster than other cobots in its class while also offering easy programming and a high degree of built-in safety ,” said ABB .
Visitors to the stand will also see GoFa in action alongside ACOPOS 6D , a new handling system that uses magnetically levitating shuttles to carry products and materials to processing stations , eliminating mechanical wear and speeding up transit times . It uses a variety of magnetic shuttles to carry payloads of 0.6 to 14kg , reaching speeds of up to 2m / s . They can move freely in two-dimensional space , rotate and tilt along three axes and offer precise control over the height of levitation . Offering six degrees of motion control freedom , the shuttles can be precisely positioned to within ± 5 µ m , making ACOPOS 6D suitable for applications with strict positioning requirements . n
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58 | sheetmetalplus . com | ISMR March 2022