UPDATE ON HETRAN BT-Z LARGE BAR PEELERS: MAXIMIZING PRODUCTIVITY IRRESPECTIVE OF ALLOY, BAR OR TUBE DIAMETER! Copyright September 2013 All Rights Reserved REVOLUTIONARY WORLD-CLASS DESIGN EXTENSIVE RANGE OF APPLICATIONS PRODUCING DIAMETER TOLERANCES AND SURFACE FINISHES OF HIGHEST QUALITY HIGH THROUGHPUT MINIMUM SET-UP TIME BT-Z LARGE BAR PEELERS IDEAL FOR PEELING EXTRUSION MANDRELS, DRILL COLLARS, SHAFTING, EXTRUSION BILLETS, TITANIUM, SUPER-ALLOY BAR AND BILLET, STAINLESS STEELS, CARBON, ALLOY AND TOOL STEELS, ALUMINUM
Page 3 TEN UNIQUE DESIGN FEATURES THAT OPTIMIZE BT-Z PEELER PERFORMANCE AND VALUE 1. An extraordinarily large diameter size range can be peeled with a single set of tool holders. Hetran s new spindle/compensation system provides the largest range of sizes to be peeled with a single set of tool holders. This means remarkably fast size changes, fewer wear parts to change and maintain, and the ability to run small lots of different diameter bars with high efficiency. Large lot sizes are not required to achieve high efficiencies. 2. Cassettes that hold the carbide cutting tools are compact, light weight, and can be changed easily within minutes. This feature reduces tool change time and requires minimal physical effort. Carbide cutting tool cassettes are locked in place with a single twist of a bolt, easy to handle, and quick to change. Casettes are designed to accommodate up to four carbide cutting tools, in tandem, on BT-20Z and larger models to achieve up to 30mm (1.25 ) removal from the bar diameter. At right is a casette for a BT-18Z having three carbide cutting tools, in tandem, including two 1-1/8 trigons and a 2 round roughing tool. Hetran s cassette design provides complete customer flexibility in choosing their preferred combination of roughing and finishing carbide cutting tools. 3. The entry guide retracts 36 (800mm) from the face of the cutting tools to provide full accessibility to the operator for tool changes which can be made even when the bar is present in the spindle. Unrestricted access to the spindle cavity makes tool changing, machine clean-up and routine maintenance easier for the operator. 4. The BT-Z compact and rigid spindle design provides six or eight tool holders to optimize line speed when peeling. Hetran s revolutionary automatic compensation/spindle design is rigid and compact to allow more tool holders to be engaged, thereby significantly improving bar peeling line speeds for all types of metals. Shown at left is a BT-18Z peeler having eight tools holders. The infeed unit and entry guide are in the fully retracted position. This important feature allows full operator access to the tool holders when changing cutting tools and cassettes. Here the operator is checking the calibration of the tool holder compensation system, a recommended preventative maintenance procedure. Adjustment, if required, is simple and can be completed in minutes.
Page 4 BT-Z UNIQUE DESIGN FEATURES... This photo illustrates that the entire infeed and entry guide unit are retracted (blue arrow) away from the spindle assembly to create a 36 wide opening (yellow arrow) for accessing the tool holders for cutting tool changing. When the assembly is closed to the operating position, heavy duty hardened steel dowel pins (red arrow) and bushings plus powerful clamps assure alignment and rigidity when the spindle is powered. 5. Tool holders are designed to accept burnishing roll cassettes in addition to casettes of cutting tools. Customers can replace several of the cutting tool cassettes with burnishing roll cassettes in situations where they wish to burnish (polish by cold rolling the bar surface) during the peeling process. This can produce a very smooth, reflective, somewhat harder bar surface (see photos of roller burnished bar surfaces on following pages). Special hardened rollers can be inserted into 50% of the tool holders to burnish the bar surface while peeling.
Page 5 MORE BT-Z UNIQUE DESIGN FEATURES... 6. A special high-torque AC inverter controlled gear motor drives each of the infeed rolls. These high torque gear motors are fitted to each of the infeed roll shafts and coordinated electronically to provide highly uniform feed rates and optimum use of the spindle power. Tool life, peeled surface finish uniformity, diameter tolerances, and line speed are significantly improved by the smooth and constant feed rate. 7. The coolant system is designed to deliver super-high flow and pressure to the cutting tools irrespective of bar diameter. High pressure coolant is delivered from multiple positions around the spray tube wall and through each of the four exit guide arms which automatically adjust to the bar diameter. Coolant is delivered both through the spray tube and through each of the four exit guide arms which automatically adjust to the bar diameter; therefore, coolant flow remains concentrated on the carbide cutting tools irrespective of bar diameter. The 9.5 bar (100PSI) high coolant pressure and concentrated flow assures effective turnings evacuation from the spindle cavity plus delivers maximum cooling and lubrication of the cutting tools for improved tool life. The multiple coolant delivery passages around the spray tube are supplemented by those in the exit guide arms. One of the eight tool holders and cassettes Coolant also is delivered through two passages in each of the four exit guide arms as they automatically adjust to the bar diameter. This is a view of the spindle assembly showing the bar as it would progress through the tool holders, cutting tools, and the exit guide. The multiple coolant passages in the spray tube and exit guide arms deliver high pressure and concentrated coolant to the cutting tools and are highly effective in evacuating turnings from the spindle cavity.
Page 6 UNIQUE DESIGN FEATURES: 8. Our process control know-how provides hands-free, lights-out processing. Automation and machine controls enable customers to keep the peeler running after hours in a lights-out mode. Bar or lot processing can continue unattended beyond the normal quit times. 9. No coolant pits or special foundations are required. The machine base is a key part of the coolant reservoir and no in-ground coolant pit is required for the BT-Z peeling machine installation. Turnings are captured and removed from the machine base by conveyor. Combined with the handling tables, which are designed to spread the load and can be mounted on a flat concrete floor, foundation and machine installation costs are minimized compared to most competitor s designs. According to customer preference, all Hetran peeling machines can readily be fabricated to accommodate a pit. 10. Hetran accepts virtually all internationally recognized electric and hydraulic specifications as may be required by customers. ADDITIONAL BT-Z PICTURES At left is a BT-18Z spindle assembly as viewed from the four arm, self-centering exit guide in the spindle assembly. In the foreground and to the right is the the clamping carriage, shown further, below. Bars and heavy wall tubes can be processed with high efficiency on BT-Z peelers. Shown here are samples that were peeled and planetary polished in-line. Above is a view of the clamping carriage from the entry side. Note the heavy duty profile rails mounted to the precision machined surface of the base that carries the clamping carraige.
Page 7 NEWEST BT-Z DESIGN ENHANCEMENTS Our engineering staff is committed to continuous improvement and innovation. Currently we are exploring 1. An automatic tool changing system to change the carbide cutting tool holders at the touch of a button 2. A non-contact, optical system to continuously measure and electronically record the peeled or polished bar surface smoothness THESE DESIGN ENHANCEMENTS ARE AIMED AT FURTHER IMPROVING PRODUCTIVITY AND QUALITY Metal Producers Around The Globe Have Purchased Hetran s World Class BT-Z Large Bar Peelers BT18 Germany 80-460mm (3.25-18.25 ) shafting, long length mandrel bars for plating, conversion procesing; H9 - H10 tool and alloy steels, carbon and stainless steels, including duplex and PH stainless BT-8 Russia 60-210mm (1.5-8.25 ) Bars and mandrels; H10 - H11 tool and high-speed tool steels (2) BT-18 WIDEST RANGE OF APPLICATIONS MODEL COUNTRY SIZE RANGE APPLICATIONS METALS USA 80-460mm (3.25-18.25 ) bars and billets, shafting, drill collars; H9 - H11 primarily nickel and cobalt based super-alloys, duplex and PH stainless, other specialty metals including titanium alloys BT-18 USA 80-460mm (3.25-18.25 ) bar and billet; H10 - H11 titanium and titanium alloys BT-18 USA 80-460mm (3.25-18.25 ) bar and billet; H10 - H11 carbon and alloy steels (4) BT-16 China 80-410mm (3.25-16 ) bar and billet; H10 - H11 Stainless, tool, carbon and alloy steels BT-12 Holland 50-300mm (2-12 ) precision bar and shafting; H7-H8 Carbon, alloy, and stainless steels BT-26 India 200-650mm (8-26 ) Bar, billet, heavy-wall tube; H10-H11 Carbon, alloy, tool and stainless steels In the past two years, international BT-Z large bar peeler sales have been very robust with orders placed with Hetran by metals producers and processors from around the globe, for a wide range of sizes, metals, and applications, as shown above. We continue to respond to inquiries and are most appreciative of these new opportunities.
Page 8 Achieving Size Uniformity And Surface Finishes Of Highest Quality... An unbeatable combination of capabilities when added to the BT-Z s high through-put rates, fast set-up, and quick tool change times! SIZE UNIFORMITY Spindle rigidity and the unique automatic compensation capability of our BT-Z peelers enable customers to readily attain H-9 to H-11 tolerances, at normal line speeds and across the full size range of the peeler. H-8 and H-7 tolerances are achieved at reduced line speeds. A non-contact laser gauge to continuously measure the peeled bar diameter and send electronic signals to the compensation device is recommended. SURFACE FINISHES Diameter tolerance control is enhanced by the compensation system which has a tool indexing capability of 0.01mm (0.00039 ) To further improve the smooth as-turned finish, burnishing rolls can be inserted into opposing tool holders on the headplate of the BT-Z peeler. Burnishing roller cassette in tool holder Up to 50% of the cutting tool cassettes can be replaced with roller burnishing cassettes. The rollers do not remove metal from the peeled bar surface and are designed to cold roll the bar surface while the bar is peeled, thereby creating an even smoother, glass-like surface. The burnished surface may have shadows from the cutting tools. When burnishing rollers are substituted for some of the cutting tool cassettes, the number of cutting tools employed for peeling is reduced and can affect the maximum peeling line speed capability. Peeled bars are displayed below where roller burnishing cassettes were used. Note the profilometer measured surface roughness value is 0.262 RA (10 RMS). A smooth-turned bar is shown exiting the BT-Z peeler. No roller burnishing cassettes were used.
Page 9 NEWEST LARGE BAR AND TUBE PLANETARY POLISHERS These planetary polishers were developed for compact, in-line polishing of peeled bar and tube in diameters up to 450 mm (18 ). The polished surfaces that are produced are ideal for critical immersion sonic testing and for plating. Extrusion mandrel and shafting manufacturers often add these large planetary polishers in-line after the peeler to produce surface finishes required for plating. RUGGED DESIGN OF POLISHER COMPONENTS A heavy-duty steel housing with a hydraulically activated hood opens for easy access to change the abrasive belt. The precision balanced drum is powered by a variable speed AC motor between 7.5 and 55 kw, depending upon model. When multiple polishers are used, they are precision aligned and mounted on a common base and are designed for both wet and dry operation. Belt widths range between 200 to 300 mm (8 to 12 ). Quick-change plastic or bronze guides stabilize the product as it progresses through the polisher. A peeled and planetary polished duplex stainless bar is shown below having an 0.8 RA (30RMS) surface roughness WIDE RANGE OF SURFACE FINISHES Hetran planetary polishing systems achieve excellent surface finishes on bars and tubes ranging from superfinished 8 RMS (0.2 RA) to uniformly rougher surfaces up to 125 RMS (3.2 RA). This range of surface finshes can be achieved on virtually all metals, including super-alloys, titanium, stainless steels, carbon and alloy steels, tool steels, brass and aluminum.
Page 10 SPACE-SAVING DESIGN Because the abrasive belt revolves around the product, the bar or tube does not rotate to polish the entire product surface. Typically the bar enters into the planetary polishers while the trailing end continues to progress through the peeling head. Two Planetary polishers in-line with a BT-18Z peeler (See another view below) As shown above, Hetran planetary polishers can be placed in-line immediately after the clamping carriage of the BT-Z peeler as the bar is being pulled out of the peeling head. This minimizes the floor space required to install a peeling and abrasive polishing process. At right, is another view of the two polishers shown above, mounted and precision aligned on a common base. QUICK POLISHER SET-UP Powered feed rolls control the bar or tube as it progresses through each polisher. Automated to provide continuous operation and to enable the operator to attend to other duties, setup for each size is simple and requires only placement of support guides and the abrasive belt. Belt changing is done in less than a minute, even while the bar or tube is present in the polisher and while other polishers remain under power.
Page 11 LIGHT S-OUT MATERIAL HANDLING SYSTEMS Our rugged handling tables are designed to automatically feed and remove bars from our peeling and/ or polishing equipment. Often the processing cell is enhanced to perform additional manufacturing steps thereby requiring even more automation within the processing cell. For example, in many large bar finishing cells, weighing, bar-end deburring, chamfering, stamping, NDE testing, are processes that are added in-line, each requiring special handling table features that are automated by Hetran. This level of automation provides valuable light s-out processing capability which means that the entry load table can be filled and the bar finishing process may continue unattended overnight. Shown below are typical handling tables provided in a BT-18Z peeling and planetary polishing cell. This cell were designed to convert long length forged and hot rolled bar into highly polished products including shafting and extrusion mandrels, which then are chrome plated. At right, the black bar load table to the BT-Z peeler. A chain and sprocket system indexes the bars forward to the linear feed table. Bars are gently lowered onto the electrically powered rollers and conveyed to the peeler. Below and to the lower right are views of the finished bar collection table after the planetary polishers. Plastic wear plates protect the polished bar surface. Production lots are separated by accumulating bars on either side of the collection table.
This article is for promotional and informational purposes only, and is not an offer. Prices and models may vary based on specific equipment configurations and customer specifications. Page 12