Product category:
Tubeworking: bending, cutting-off, profiling and end working
News Release from: AddisonMckee | Subject: All-electric CNC tube bender
Edited by the Manufacturingtalk Editorial
Team on 23 June 2006
Electric tube bender offers repeatable
precision
Australian automotive exhaust system maker chose an all-electric CNC tube bending machine for its high level of product precision and total manufacturing repeatability.
In supplying a seventh all-electric Databend CNC tube bending machine to automotive exhaust manufacturers, Walker Australia of Adelaide, British firm, AddisonMckee, has truly confirmed its credentials as the leading global specialist in the design and manufacture of tube bending and end-forming machinery for the international exhaust industry For Lancashire-based AddisonMckee, this latest Australian order confirms that it not only provides some of the very finest tube-bending technology available, but can also deliver the very highest standards of after sales service to any country around the world
This article was originally published on Manufacturingtalk on 17 Nov 2006 at 8.00am (UK)
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Addison-McKee - a world leader in the manufacture and design of tube forming machinery - has developed technology for overcoming all the difficulties of automotive exhaust design.
"Acknowledged as leading global suppliers, originally through our range of highly robust hydraulic machines, the widespread adoption of our infinitely controllable, environmentally friendly all-electric models has provided indisputable evidence that we are true specialists in the provision of tube bending and end forming technology.
Indeed, we currently supply AddisonMckee equipment to all major international markets including Japan, the Middle East, South Africa and Australia," commented sales and marketing director, Peter Chapman.
* Significant advantages - although AddisonMckee now supply tube bending technology to a number of organisations across Australasia, it is Walker Exhausts that have become the greatest advocate of the company's innovative machinery.
Further reading
Tube forming machine making spans 50 years
Claiming to be the world's leading producer of tube forming machines for the car and truck exhaust pipe manufacturing, a UK company has an engineering pedigree that spans almost 50 years.
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Modular control system is simple to program for any tube development application and - using a novel 'teach mode' facility - can 'learn' individual tube manufacturer configurations.
Electric tube benders have shear blade cut-off
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"Perhaps most significant to Walker Exhausts was the high level of product precision and total manufacturing repeatability that could be enjoyed by switching from traditional hydraulic tube bending machines to our all electric models," commented Chapman.
* Clean technology - "Quite apart from removing all the inherent issues of temperature and gradient inaccuracies associated with hydraulic tube bending machines - all of which can lead to variances in end-product quality - our all-electric tube bending machinery provides environmentally friendly 'clean' technology, high levels of controllability, reduced wastage and enhanced product superiority," said Chapman.
Seventh all-electric CNC tube bender For Walker, their confidence in AddisonMckee Databend technology was clearly exemplified by the company's purchase of its sixth AddisonMckee machine - a DB 89 ESRB (E- electric, S - multi-stack, R - multi-radius, B - boost).
This heavy duty model, of extremely robust design, will bend tube of a maximum diameter of 89mm, maximum wall thickness of 2.6mm.
Fully programmable and electrically powered - and with AddisonMckee's renowned boost technology to reduce wall thinning at the point of bend - the DB 89 ESRB also offers significant advantages over its conventional hydraulic counterparts.
With a fully programmable 9-axis and CNC management of all movements, traditional tube manipulation problems are removed.
The elimination of manual machine setting, following tooling changes, provides guaranteed repeatability, flexible programming and fast changeover times, whilst greater controllability ensures better bends and vastly reduced wastage.
At the same time, the absence of hydraulics also ensures that there are no leaks and, more importantly, greatly reduced temperature variations.
Whilst both reduced running costs and low-level maintenance procedures are also achieved.
Installed in 2005, the DB 89 ESRB joins a range of various AddisonMckee all electric Databend DB 75 machines, as well as another DB 89 model, already in-situ at Walker in Adelaide.
Machine maintenance and consumables supply is to be provided by AddisonMckee's representative in Adelaide.
* AddisonMckee in New Zealand - at the same time as installing the Walker Adelaide machine, AddisonMckee also successfully commissioned a Databend DB 75 ESRB model at Southward Engineering, New Zealand's foremost supplier of exhaust systems.
As a further point of interest, the owners of Southward Engineering are the founders of the famous Southward Car Museum where over 200 valuable vehicles are on display.
* Enhanced 'DB' control and versatility - integral to every AddisonMckee CNC tube bender, 'Databend' is an intelligent, flexible computer controlled system that has the capacity to provide complete control, immediate reaction to commands and display total machine operating status.
An enhanced touch screen interface also enables all machine and axis moves and boost sequences to be selected simply by the operator.
Whilst a unique 'teach mode' also eliminates the need for bespoke machine software sequences, allowing the machine to be 'taught' specific configurations for the creation of specific shapes and improved repeatability.
* World-class design - AddisonMckee's skilled workforce is capable of manufacturing CNC tube bending and tooling to suit virtually any application large or small.
The company's UK site is equipped with a large variety of modern CNC machine tools, supported by Computer Aided Manufacturing and up to 30 design engineers working within integrated management TQM procedures.
AddisonMckee systems are also used for tube bending and end forming applications in the shipbuilding, aerospace, furniture, sports and hospital equipment industries.
At its UK plant, AddisonMckee produces a range of over 50 basic hydraulic and electric CNC machines that can bend from 4mm pipes used in the automotive and aerospace industries to 273mm tubes used in shipbuilding.
The company manufactures about 150 end-forming machines a year from its plant in the USA.
AddisonMckee machines are supported by a fast response 'round-the-clock' spare parts and on-site assistance service manned by a team of skilled service engineers.
With over 3,000 of its machines installed worldwide, AddisonMckee enjoys a global reputation for meeting and servicing its customers' needs.
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