FOCUS ON TUBE FORMING
VLB tube bending technology .
repetitive tube bending tasks , it is available in 2 ” ( 50mm ) and 3 ” ( 80mm ) versions , Synergy machines feature a servo-driven bend arm , carriage , plane of bend and carriage side shift , with a hydraulically controlled mandrel , pressure die and clamping system . This make it suitable for high-volume , repetitive tube manipulation operations , the company told ISMR .
Unison celebrated its 50th anniversary on 3 April 2023 .
VLB Group ’ s EB150CNC-UD fully electric tube bender can bend stainless steel tubes of up to 150mm for applications such as heavyduty vehicle exhaust production .
“ The innovative design is compact yet robust , and the structure ’ s integrity reduces to the minimum any deflection , even in the most demanding jobs . VLB Up-Down series ergonomic design guarantees operating comfort . Even with the most generous tooling stack , it keeps the lowest loading height with no need for a pit ,” said the manufacturer .
“ The electric motion in all machine movements enables high production speed and low power consumption and maintenance . Using the booster and tangent booster systems means the production of highly complex parts with 1D CLR , zero distance between bends and very short ends . These machines are suitable for highvolume production batches that require high consistency ,” it added .
VLB 3D software prepares these machines for Industry 4.0 and integration into production systems with loading and unloading systems .
Voestalpine Sadef , with its 150-metre-long machine with 58 roll forming stations , is now able to produce very large rollformed tubes with bandwidths of up to 1,000mm and plate thicknesses of up to 8mm .
“ We are totally convinced that with these new options we can offer products in sectors where large profiles are required , and where we ensure cost benefits . Think shelving , agricultural machinery , fencing , façade industry etc . We offer close cooperation and co-engineering with our customers and a component which is ‘ ready for assembly ’,” it explained .
WAFIOS single-head tube bending machines , EcoBend and TopBend 35 , offer flexible customisation options .
“ With its modular machine and tool concept , the machine can be easily adjusted to customer requirements . The EcoBend series features three sizes ( 25 , 35 and 42 ). An intermediate size is now available between sizes 25 and 42 of the RBV series ,” WAFIOS told ISMR .
The fully integrated loading concept has various options ( such as a high-angle conveyor , tube loader and loading unit ). The camera system on the magazine checks markings , laser cut-outs and alignment of attachment parts ‘ almost within cycle time ’.
“ Innovations , such as the extension of the work range or the swivelling mandrel unit plus the modular , retrofittable machine body , enable project-specific investment while maintaining full flexibility for other applications . The machine can be retrofitted with options for other applications . A second bending direction can even be added , which turns it into a
The fully automatic TS65 tube cutting system from X-Lase GmbH .
TopBend machine ,” it explained . “ The electric vehicle market potential is huge ,” Wafios underlined last year at the Wire & Tube event in Germany . It develops , designs and manufactures machines for the wire and tube processing industry , as well as for cold forming , and is accelerating its transformation in modern drives by investing ten million euros in a new e-mobility campus at its former Südwerk site in Reutlingen , Germany . In the future , Wafios ’ electromobility activities will be bundled in the 1,800-square-metre campus “ to jointly offer the global automotive industry complete turnkey production lines for hairpin stators .”
Warcom is a leading Italian manufacturer of press brakes , shears , plasma cutting machines and fibre laser cutting machines . Its new W-Power Tube , for plasma cutting of tube , is equipped with a bevel torch for 3D cutting .
XLase GmbH offers laser cutting systems for tube and sheet . The fully automatic TS65 is a system for high-performance processing of tubes and profiles . New , adaptive pneumatic chucks with an efficient pressure feedback system and the intelligent combination of distance and height control enable short travel distances and process times .
It also offers a range of hybrid laser machines that cut sheet of up to 6000 x 2000mm format and tubes of up to 230mm diameter .
Zopf Biegemaschnen GmbH produces bending solutions , including conventional ring bending machines for tubes and profiles , as well as semi-automatic and CNC-controlled machines . Tube bending machines , with and without mandrel , together with horizontal bending machines for bar , complete its portfolio . n
WAFIOS tube bender .
56 | ismr . net | ISMR May 2023