INTERNATIONAL NEWS

Two new tube benders for Meyer Werft

Around 400 km of tube, 52,000 individual pieces, are installed in a single cruise ship: this is the sheer quantity that the Meyer Werft tube centre manufactures for every ship that Meyer Werft in Papenburg launches. Here, the German shipbuilder is once again relying on two new machines from Schwarze-Robitec. The machines ensure fast, safe and high-quality processing of tubes of various dimensions due to the use of multi-stack tooling, which eliminates a major part of the time-consuming tool-change process.

For more than 17 years, the Papenburg shipbuilder has relied on the tube bending machines from Schwarze-Robitec. Now, the tube bending expert has put two new machines into operation at Meyer Werft: a CNC 100 HD MW bends steel and stainless steel tubes with diameters ranging from 42.2 to 88.9 mm, while a CNC 220 HD MW handles the 114 to 219 mm range.

Both machines are equipped with a so-called five-stack tool tower in the respective diameter range, which allows the majority of the tools to remain set up simultaneously thanks to the multi-level tool design. It is thus possible to bend tubes of different diameters and wall thicknesses without changing tools.

Components such as the pressure die and clamping jaws, as well as the massive bending former, are very large and heavy for the tubes required by the shipbuilding industry. Changing by crane costs time and energy and involves quality risks for the bending outcome, as the tool needs re-adjustment each time. Only the bending mandrel and the collet inserts in the index head require changing by Meyer Werft for a different tube size. The company therefore benefits from enormous setup time savings and a steady, consistently high-quality bending result.
For further information www.schwarze-robitec.com

Mid-range press brake has auto tool-change

Following the success of Amada’s ATC press brakes, with more than 1000 units installed globally, Amada has expanded its proprietary ATC technology to its mid-range line-up for the first time. Previously only available on high-end press brakes such as the Amada HG-ATC and its predecessor the HD-ATC, the new Amada HRB-ATC mid-range model features a full size ATC, offering exactly the same number of tool storage racks as the company’s HG-ATC.

The new machine comes with a package of Amada tools based on an assessment of the customer’s manufacturing requirements. Importantly, the HRB-ATC is completely compatible with Amada AFH/Promecam standard tool sets. As a result, any existing customer using these tools can load them manually to the new machine if desired.

A CNC press brake with ATC capability brings many advantages to companies that want to increase the amount of time their machine is engaged in actual bending activities. The ATC can reduce set-up times by up to 80% in comparison with an operator loading a tool manually, which is a clear benefit for subcontractors or companies that undertake several tool layout changes a day. Additionally, while the ATC is functioning, the operator can simultaneously complete other tasks, increasing overall efficiency.

The presence of the ATC and its rapid set-up potential makes the new press brake particularly ideal for those processing small batch sizes. Subcontract fabricators serving markets such as refrigeration, kitchen equipment, retail display, furniture and construction, for instance, will certainly benefit, reports Amada.

Customer advantages also arrive from the reverse punch system. Amada says that its ATC is the only solution on the market that can reverse tools automatically.
For further information www.amada.eu

Lübke relies on three RAS folding machines

Lübke Baumetal GmbH supplies a wide range of metal solutions for roofs and facades; everything from standard profiles to bespoke productions, nothing is too much for this company from Arnsberg in North Rhine-Westphalia. For Lübke, success rests on first-class products that come from a comprehensive consulting service combined with a fast distribution system.

The most complex step in the production of these precision pieces is the efficient bending of the profiles. That is why Lübke relies on not one, but three RAS folding machines: two GIGAbends and one XLTbend with up-down bending technology and a 45° upper beam. All of these machines are available in the UK from Press & Shear.

Lübke’s love affair with RAS began in 2007 when the company purchased the first GIGAbend bending machine with a working length of 3 m. Another machine of the same model arrived in 2012. At the beginning of 2021, a RAS XLTbend with a bending length of 4 m and a sheet steel capacity of 2.5 mm was added to the already robust folding line-up.

Production manager Jan Rengshausen says: “We can absolutely rely on these machines, both in terms of reliability and bending quality.”

The employee responsible for the up-down folding machine is Christian Hellweg. Using the Bendex software, he creates the bending processes for the drawn or imported profiles. The software automatically calculates different bending sequences and suggests the best variant to the machine operator. Whenever possible, Hellweg tries to apply the profiles from the stop-side.

Says Rengshausen: “We made a comparison with kick protection profiles and needed about 10 minutes for the classic bending of 10 parts. The same parts on the XLTbend were finished after 6.5 minutes: a decisive speed advantage of 35%.”
For further information www.pressandshear.com

LVD to showcase smart factory cell

LVD will focus on smart manufacturing by showcasing interconnected sheet metal fabrication processes at EuroBLECH 2022 (25-28 October, Hanover, Germany). On Stand F104 in Hall 12, visitors will see the LVD theme of ‘Shaping Flows’. On display will be a smart factory cell, as well as the latest laser cutting, bending, combination equipment, software and automation, demonstrating flexible solutions to enable a smarter production environment.

The cost-effective smart cell brings to life a smart factory driven by cost-efficient machinery comprised of the LVD YSD LaserONE laser cutting machine, a basic, no-frills fibre laser, LVD Dyna-Cell robotic bending cell for small- to medium-sized parts, and CADMAN software.

According to LVD, Dyna-Cell offers bending automation at a fraction of the cost of traditional robotic bending systems. Designed to keep cost per part low, LVD says that Dyna-Cell costs less than two stand-alone press brakes. It is easy to program the cell, fully offline, in 20 minutes or less, with 10 minutes of program preparation, 10 minutes of tool set-up and first part production.

Also on the stand will be LVD’s Ulti-Form robotic bending system, which handles small batch and long production runs with equal efficiency, delivering high productivity and consistent bending accuracy. Ulti-Form offers a fast ‘art to part’ process, reports the company. CADMAN-B software automatically calculates the optimal bend program and imports bending data to the robot software CADMAN-SIM – no robot teaching is required. SIM automatically calculates gripper positions, generating the fastest collision-free path for the robot, and relays the information back to B, enabling the operator to work with a single program.
For further information www.lvdgroup.com

AM industry to surpass US$41bn by 2033

IDTechEx forecasts that 3D printing’s continued innovation and meaningful adoption will lead the hardware and consumables market to surpass US$41bn by 2033. The new report from IDTechEx, ‘3D Printing and Additive Manufacturing 2023-2033: Technology and Market Outlook’, carefully segments the market by 80 different forecast lines across 17 different technology categories, four major material categories, and eight material sub-categories. These hardware and material forecasts analyse future installations, hardware unit sales, hardware revenue, materials mass demand and material revenue.
For further information www.IDTechEx.com/3DP