Modern Technology in Pipes Processing

As we have already mentioned in June Issue of MM Prumyslove spektrum (Industrial Spectrum), the company ZKL Hanusovice is the supplier of precision shaped pipes for cooling, heating and de-aeration systems in automotive industry. In the last and this years this enterprise was assigned to a large number of new projects by many automobile manufacturers, particularly oriented to production of these parts. Similarly as in case of most of other companies the growth of production requires the necessity to invest in new modern technologies for processing of material into the shape of final product - pipes. At the start of the year 2003 we therefore purchased a new cutting machine designed to precise dividing of pipe semi-products to required length. It is the CNC saw Adige TS 72 capable to cut the pipes from 8 up to 102 mm diameter. It is outstanding by its high productivity of labor and accuracy of programmed lengths of sawn materials. Anyhow, this technology represents just the start of entire investment in production expansion. Towards the end of the last year the production capacity of pipe brazing was completed by entirely new modern brazing technology - the continuous brazing furnace with shielding atmosphere. Since until that time this was an unknown technology and used for the first time in Hanusovice, it was necessary also to purchase several welding presses applied in parts preparation and also for spot welding of various bolts and nuts. On top of that, in this way modernized high capacity line was further completed by technology for production of intricate shaped pipes with diverse outlets. It was completely supplied by the Finnish company T-Drill. Its task consists in center drilling of hole and subsequent draw of neck for accurate position of pipe outlet. Forming of the neck brings simultaneously also higher rigidity of the brazed joint. Over and above, for more intricate shapes of pipe ends the new forming machine with rotation head was procured. This Italian technology manages even very complex shapes of pipe ends, particularly required by clients from automotive industry. Owing to the fact that ZKL Hanusovice was equipped with modern CNC technologies for bending of pipes up to 32 mm diameter, in connection with the production growth of pipes of lesser diameters we purchased also another new high capacity CNC pipe bender designed for bending of pipes up to 16 mm. It is quite apparent that exploitation of such technology is hardly possible without a corresponding background. Therefore there has been established also new prototype shop and design room for pre-serial production of pipes, outfitted in conformity with requirements of the production division and of the client. So all the documentation to the product is easily transferable from R&D department of the automobile plant to the design room of the manufacturer and is afterwards usable for the production of the product itself.