Author: a.manzo

R&B Machining, Inc. has introduced a new line of all-electric tube end forming machines. The eRB80 IO+IO is the first in the line of ECOForm™ all-electric, digitally controlled, servo tube end forming machines which eliminates the use of hydraulic oil and reduces operating costs. The eRB80 IO+IO handles tube diameters up to 80mm (3.1”) with standard tooling and up to 100mm (3.9”) with heavy duty tooling with maximum wall thickness of 2mm (0.079”).  These machines offer velocity and force control for precision forming, while maintaining the same speed and force capabilities of traditional hydraulic machines.

R&B’s tube end forming machines are used for a variety of applications, including precision sizing, diameter expansions or reductions, ram forming, flaring, notching and shearing.  Base machine models are available in 80mm, 150mm and 250mm tube diameter capacities with several options available, allowing customers to customize machines to meet specific requirements.  Machines are available in single or multi-head configurations.   

In business since 1985, R&B is rapidly regarded as North America’s fastest growing supplier of tooling for tube forming and bending applications as well as the industry leader in tube end forming machines and servo presses with niche automation capabilities. With over 200 years of combined tube industry sales, engineering, and management experience, R&B offers robust technical and commercially competitive engineered solutions to its customers.  R&B provides products and services at competitive prices and delivered on-time in order to achieve complete customer satisfaction.

Processing of tubes starting from coil offers important advantages: lower cost of raw material, less space to store it, simplified logistic management of semi-finished products and remarkable reduction of material scraps due to machining mode. For these reasons, processing from coil has become the standard in many sectors and BLM GROUP offers various solutions able to meet specific needs.

It is always about automatic systems able to carry out complete production processes that include straightening, facing, end-forming of the free end, bending and final cutting. Systems that neatly unload the finished part and that can therefore be easily integrated with other systems downstream for subsequent machining, typically end-forming of the unmachined end from previous processes, performed with an E-SHAPE or E-FORM system.

The distinguishing feature of these processes is the type of bend to be carried out, with or without mandrel. Bending without mandrel is carried out by the compact systems of the 4-RUNNER family that gather all the operations in a single machine tool, from straightening to bending. Bending with mandrel starting from coil, is not an easy subject to face. BLM GROUP proposes an integrated solution that joins the two systems in an automatic production cell able to carry out all machining operations, high quality bending with mandrel included. 3-RUNNER feeds the tube from coil, carries out straightening and end-forming at one end and cuts the tube, then the semi-finished part is neatly deposited on the automatic loader of the SMART that carries out bending with mandrel.

4-RUNNER

Straightening, end-forming, bending and cutting, four operations in a single machine tool. 4-RUNNER is a system for bending and end-forming from coil, all electric, with end-forming module up to six passes, right-hand and left-hand bending in-process, including the possibility to have a variable radius and an orbital outer cut module, managed by controlled axes or by disc.

To fully meet all needs there are two different versions available: 4-RUNNER H1 and 4-RUNNER H3.

4-RUNNER H1 works with tubes of diameter up to 12.7 mm. In-process right-hand/left-hand bending, flexion, multi-radius or variable radius. Bending head dimensions are extremely reduced and make this system particularly suitable for producing complex components such as flat and 3D serpentines used in the automotive, cooling, air conditioning and heating sectors.

4-RUNNER H3 can machine tubes up to 22 mm diameter and it is particularly fit to produce components for fluid transport systems. Thanks to the possibility to carry out flexion or stretch bending, bending speed can be combined with the possibility to create very short sections and this makes the system very flexible and highly productive.

3-RUNNER + SMART

The bending process from coil with mandrel requires the integration of two different systems: 3-RUNNER that feeds the tube from coil, then carries out straightening, end-forming and cutting; SMART that carries out quality bending with mandrel. The automatic loader of the SMART allows to fully automatize the process that generates a part bent and formed at one end.

At Tube & Wire 2018 it will be possible to see another end-forming pass of the unmachined end by means of an E-SHAPE system.

3-RUNNER is the multi-function machining center that uses a tube from coil up to 28.7 mm diameter, carries out straightening, end-forming and cutting at length. 3-Runner implements the concepts already tried out on the 4-Runner system: coil straightening and managing system, end-forming unit with up to six passes, all-electric orbital cutting unit. At the end of machining, 3-RUNNER deposits the semi-finished part on the automatic loader of the SMART tube bending machine that carries out quality bending with mandrel and neatly unloads the finished part.

SMART is a bending system for tubes up to 28.6 mm, specifically suitable for integration into an automatized cell, thanks to the patented head swinging system that facilitates automatic loading and unloading operations. For the rest, it is a complete bending system, all-electric, able to carry out right-hand and left-hand bending in-process, multi-radius, with fixed or variable radius.

BendingStudio with Absolute Arm Brings the Speed of 3D Laser Scanning to the World of Tubes and
Wires.

A new approach to tube and wire measurement was today announced by leading metrology and manufacturing solution specialist Hexagon Manufacturing Intelligence. 

An updated version of the popular AICON BendingStudio software platform now allows for the integration of a ROMER Absolute Arm with Integrated Scanner that can quickly determine complex tube and wire geometries using 3D laser scanning technology at almost any point in the production process.

From tube and wire inspection to manufacturing and reverse engineering applications, BendingStudio with Absolute Arm is a full-featured solution built on well-established technologies. The system will benefit from the ability to connect directly to a CNC bending machine, allowing for the simple and immediate correction of production errors.

“Speed and portability are both important to our customers in the tube and wire manufacturing industries,” says Stephan Amann, Business Director for Portable Measuring Arms at Hexagon Manufacturing Intelligence. “While our previous tube and wire solutions focused on delivering one or the other, BendingStudio with Absolute Arm combines two established products into a new solution that is greater than the sum of its parts. We have in this new system the portability to measure geometries right on the shop floor in a quickly and easily repositionable and reproducible way, alongside the speed of being able to determine a tube’s exact geometry with just a few fast sweeps of a 3D laser scanner.”

With this new version, BendingStudio will retain all its previous capabilities, allowing users to combine use of the ROMER Absolute Arm with Integrated Scanner with a complementary AICON TubeInspect. With these two measurement hardware endpoints operating on the same software platform, users will benefit from increased efficiency within a toolkit covering every need in tube and wire design and manufacturing.

As a pioneer of on-line measurement committed to extensive research and development activities, ZUMBACH Electronics has continuously grown as one of the world-wide leading manufacturers of in-line measuring and control systems. Top priority at ZUMBACH Electronics remains to be customer relationships through local presence combined with proven high-quality products, services, personal consulting and support. ZUMBACH’s PROFILEMASTER® systems are developed from a core set of proprietary mega pixel camera/laser modules and software technologies. The application of these technologies has been adapted to serve specific measurement, monitoring and surface flaw detection needs for; extruded plastic and rubber tubes, hoses, profiles, wire and cable, wood, plastic composites, steel rod, bar, profiles and much more.

Depending on the customer application and product dimension, ZUMBACH offers a full range of PROFILEMASTER® gauges, including models for small precision profiles starting from a dimension of 0.5 mm (.02 in.), cold formed tubes and profiles as well as medium size products, hot or cold, up to dimensions of 600 mm (23.6 in.)