FACE TO FACE
Deburring , edge rounding and finishing
Q-Fin account manager Patrick van Scherpenseel demonstrates SmartLink for the new F1200 XL machine through an app on his tablet .
At this year ’ s Blechexpo in Stuttgart , Q-Fin introduced its new F1200 XL deburring , edge rounding and finishing machine for sheet metal parts up to 1200mm wide . This rapid finishing machine has four machining stations and options include automatic height adjustment on the brush engines and grinding belts . With four stations over 2.18 metres , this finishing machine is particularly compact .
“ After deburring and rounding of the edges , certain products require an end finish e . g . line graining or refining of the linear grinding pattern . With the F1200 XL , users can deburr , edge-round and / or finish sheet parts up to 1200mm wide in a single pass . Depending on the material to be processed , users can either choose a system with vacuum or magnetic product fixation ( resp . for non-ferrous and ferrous materials ). The conveyor belt is adjusted accordingly ,” explained Q-Fin .
For the first time at a trade fair , Q-Fin also displayed the large F 1500 machine which makes it possible to finish sheet metal parts of up to 1500mm wide . This machine is suitable for deburring , rounding , grinding , finishing , slag removal and oxide skin removal . In addition , show visitors could see the Pro- Set ( a combination of the F200 XL deburring and grinding machine for small sheet metal parts and the WES3000 wet-acting extractor ) for finishing metal products of up to 200mm wide . Space on the booth was also reserved for live demonstrations of the TopGrinder , a manually operated deburring machine for semiautomatic deburring , grinding , edge rounding , slag removal and polishing .
“ On the big screen at the stand , videos were shown of the automatic deburring line with a Q2S reversing unit , which we have already installed with some customers in The Netherlands . This line was equipped with two F1200 deburring machines , two WES6000 wet operating exhaust systems , two IOC1200 input / output conveyors and a Q2S1200 turnaround station for fully automatic turning of large plate parts and / or batches . This allows these parts to be deburred and edge rounded on both sides in one pass ,” Q-Fin told ISMR .
Stand visitors could also view demonstrations of Q-Fin ’ s Smartlink software , an in-house Q-Fin development which has accelerated in recent months , to render its machines ‘ Industry 4.0-ready ’. The deburring and finishing machines are supplied with a program selection in the operating menu . The machine operator can select from several pre-set programs on the HMI screen e . g . for a large edge rounding on 10mm thick steel , in combination with the correct material thickness . Operators can also set up their own programs for products that recur regularly . After calibrating the brushes and selecting the right program , the machine automatically sets the correct rotation and feed rates . The program also indicates which abrasives should be mounted before using it .
It also showcased the Q-Fin SmartLink to demonstrate that its machines are ‘ Industry 4.0-ready ’
All this can also be controlled through an app . The machines can also be programmed remotely from a tablet . Q-Fin employees demonstrated at Blechexpo that they can not only use their iPad to set a deburring machine to work on the stand , but also ( for example ) a machine in the showroom at Bergeijk . The app can be linked to an ERP system and is equipped with a barcode scanner to read programs .
A global footprint
“ Blechexpo in Stuttgart was very busy for us and we have a lot of follow-up to do after the exhibition . Sales are good right now and we have many machines to deliver before the end of the year . Despite the COVID-19 pandemic , this has been our best year ever in terms of turnover . We are expecting more than seven million euros in turnover this year and further growth next year . We are attending five exhibitions in the last part of this year ( three shows in Holland and two in Germany ). We will also be at the Techni Show in Utrecht in March 2022 – this is a key metalworking show in Holland that takes place every two years ,” Joost Kouwenbergh , Business Officer , Q-Fin explained .
“ We have a dealer network across Europe and sold a lot of machines in the Benelux countries in our first few years . We offer training for our dealers so they can do machine maintenance and installation , or we can send out service technicians . We are looking to expand in areas where we are already active , rather than be active in more countries ,” he added .
Machines are ready for customer tests at the Q-Fin Experience Centre in Bergeijk .
ISMR November 2021 | sheetmetalplus . com | 41