We recently had the opportunity to develop a machine for a boiler manufacturer. The purpose of this machine is to press a gradient on tubes of about 5 cm on one side. Until now this process was done manually which was labor intensive and uncomfortable (because of chemicals). Also, process control was very limited.
The design of the machine has become nicely compact. This is partly due to the orientation of the press mill: it is vertical. As a result, the cylinders do not have to be rotated during the run-through process. Furthermore, in the overall design we took into account the possibility of connecting follow-up machines to the machine in the future.
Points of attention in this project were adding lubricant to the pressing tool and checking this tool for wear. The wear is detected early by special software, which minimizes the number of tubes pressed incorrectly and extends the tool life. The proper use of a lubricant supply system ensures that the consumption of lubricant is significantly reduced. The entire machine is operated by a Beckhoff control system.
Our customer and ourselves are very satisfied with the end result. Workers now no longer have to come into contact with the lubricants. There is more process control, less rejects, less lubricant and ample capacity. Two to four employees have been freed up for other activities. There is room for growth again.
