FEATURE ON BENDING & FORMING

Tidyco invests £150,000 in new machinery

Derby-based Tidyco, a supplier of hydraulic and pneumatic products to the UK rail industry for over 40 years, has invested £150,000 in state-of-the-art tube-bending machinery. The CNC tube-bending machine includes a programmable robotic measuring arm coupled with machine-to-machine (M2M) technology. Tidyco says that the investment will allow it to rationalise outsourcing activity so as to provide cost-effective solutions to its client portfolio.

The expansion contributes towards Tidyco’s commitment to smart manufacturing, addressing topical industry 4.0 subject matters.
Importantly, the company fully supports the Government-fuelled Industrial Strategy and Midlands Engine initiative whereby the family-owned business believes that ongoing investment will contribute towards manufacturing growth throughout the region. The new tube bender was part-funded by the University of Derby’s Invest to Grow initiative, with equipment being procured from Addison Saws and other local suppliers. Former Mayor of Derby, John Whitby, officially opened the manufacturing plant expansion.
Phil Mason, production director at Tidyco, says: “As a business, Tidyco is committed to a long-term growth strategy whereby continuing investment in additional manufacturing equipment forms part of overall critical success factors. The addition of a tube-bending facility will enable the company to supply customers with products in a much faster, accurate and cost-effective manner, while empowering new and existing staff working with our quality-control procedures. Ultimately, the investment further bolsters opportunities regarding new market penetration.”
Additional tube-bending capabilities include: a tube shaper measuring arm; full reverse engineering functionality; proficiency in bending most tubes from 8 to 50 mm; and STEP file conversion.
For further information www.tidyco.co.uk

Press brake will make aero parts

LVD says it has been awarded an order from Japanese technology company, Kawasaki Heavy Industries (KHI), via sales agent Itochu Machine-Technos Corp, for its Synchro-Form adaptive bending technology.

The KHI order is for a custom-built, 1000-ton class of Synchro-Form press brake equipped with special tooling to produce large panels for commercial aircraft fuselage structures. Forming such large components to a desired contour is a challenging task and one that will be simplified with Synchro-Form, which maintains angular consistency and the required geometric profile, says LVD. The machine also enables in-process automatic quality control when handling, positioning and bending large parts with multiple bends.
KHI is a key production partner for the Boeing 777X, the successor to Boeing’s popular 777 aircraft. Boeing says that the 777X will be the largest and most efficient twin-engine jet in the world.
LVD’s Synchro-Form press brake meets the tight tolerance requirements demanded of the KHI application and the need for complete automation. The order was awarded to LVD after several bending trials where strict accuracy measurements were satisfied. LVD says that the Synchro-Form press brake will be manufactured at its production facility in Belgium.
For further information www.lvdgroup.com

Why choose a steelworker?

The design of Morgan Rushworth hydraulic steelworkers is said to include many time-saving features which may not be apparent at first glance. As steelworkers have developed over time, a number of features have evolved to maximise the potential of these versatile machines.

These include optional flat-bar bending unit attachments. Many steelworkers see years of use for punching, shearing and cropping with the rectangular notch station barely being used. A more productive option for a number of users is to specify a new machine with an optional flat-bar bending attachment that can be mounted in place of the standard rectangular notch unit; these can also be retrofitted to many existing models.
Further developments of note include angle flange trim. Although many customers use the angle shearing station to crop angle iron to 45° to form a frame, not everyone is aware that for smaller sizes of angle, only one flange can be trimmed in the flat bar shear station. If one flange is sheared at 45°, utilising the notch provided in the flat-bar shear hold-down, then a frame can be manufactured with a ready-made weld prep on the outside of the angle.
Another feature worthy of mention is flat bar end bevelling. Using a different slot in the shear station hold-down, the ends of small flat bars can be offered up to the shear blades at an angle, allowing a partial shearing across the end of the bar, leaving a small bevel for a weld prep.
In addition, there are many different uses for a hydraulic steelworker, which can also be fitted with a multitude of special tools and attachments to suit special applications.
For further information www.morganrushworth.com

Tools feature magnetic safety system

Mate has expanded its press-brake tooling line with the introduction of American Precision Style tools featuring the new patent-pending Maglock magnetic safety system. Compatible with press-brake laser and optical safety systems, this full line of punches and dies is designed for press brakes configured with American-style holders and available in lengths from ½” to 18”.

Maglock uses rare-earth magnets to attach and seat the punch to the holder with no separation between the surfaces. The magnets are specifically and proportionally added along the punch shoulder so that the ‘up force’ of the magnet is localised and directed at the contact surface of the punch holder.
Safe and reliable, installation of a Maglock punch always results in the shoulder seating on to the holder, says Mate. The strong yet balanced Maglock connection is also said to simplify lateral (left or right) position adjustments. Once the punches are seated in the desired position, the holder clamping system must be engaged. Maglock does not claim to be and is not intended to be a replacement for the holder clamping system.
Unlike punches with mechanical designs (buttons, springs or pins) that become unsafe to use if the mechanism is damaged or missing, Maglock’s non-mechanical concept works safely all the time. Mate punches with Maglock offer additional safety if electrical, hydraulic or pneumatic power to the brake is cut off or damaged. In lengths over 4”, the design includes a lever to facilitate punch removal.
The reversible/symmetrical punch tang design enables the punch to be installed facing forward or backward.
For further information www.mate.com

Sharpe takes 7th Unison tube bender

Continuing investment in versatile all-electric tube bending machinery from UK-based Unison is boosting operations at tube and pipe fabrication specialist, Sharpe Products of Wisconsin, US. Sharpe recently invested in its 7th Unison tube bender to give the company an edge in meeting the ever-changing demands of the tube- and pipe-jobbing business.

Most customers no longer want to invest in stock, and batch sizes have reduced dramatically. These trends mean that machine set-up times become a major factor in job pricing. Any scrap generated during set-up – which can often run into several pieces when using older hydraulically-actuated bending machines – also negatively impacts job costs.
The first Unison machine bought by Sharpe Products was the Breeze 3” tube bender, and since that moment, the company has been a loyal Unison customer. Sharpe’s latest purchase is a Breeze 3” multi-stack, CNC-controlled, three-axis pipe-bending machine with a capacity of up to 3” or 80 mm diameter tubes. This machine has the ability to hold several tools for multi-radius parts or reduce tool changeover times, and is fitted with high torque servomotors to accommodate challenging materials. Also featured is a swing-away wiper-die servo axis to enable short, final straight part designs to be manufactured without post-bend trimming operations.
“Unison’s pipe benders are extremely reliable machines with innovative control technology and robust mechanical designs that help us to continually meet the demands of our customers,” says Paul Krickeberg, president at Sharpe Products. “On top of the great machines, they have great people providing great service and support. Unison offers the complete package.”
For further information www.unisonltd.com