Accumulators
The raw material for tube or pipe production is a large coil of metal and the most basic production systems use just one component, an uncoiler, to feed the material into the machine. While this is the simplest and least expensive way to get the material into the machine, the process isn’t very efficient. Production stops when the uncoiler is empty.
A complete entry system allows uninterrupted production and requires just two additional components: An accumulator and a shear end welder. T&H Lemont can add these to any mill to minimize downtime.
T&H Lemont has more than 10 entry system designs for processing material for nearly all of the common tube and pipe dimensions.
Entry Guide Tables
The entry guide table receives the raw material from the entry system. This table locates and guides the steel strip to the breakdown section to being forming the tube or pipe.
An entry guide tables typically uses pull-over and pull-under guides to establish the strip’s vertical location, and adjustable side guides for the necessary horizontal location. After the operator sets these guides, material flows smoothly to the first breakdown stand.
Weldboxes
Proper alignment of the tube or pipe is critical at every step. It’s especially important in the welding area.
For high-frequency induction welding systems, the weld box puts a substantial amount of pressure on the tube or pipe as it passes through the welding area. To make a successful weld, the pressure must be so great that it forces some of the red-hot material out of the weld zone, creating a bead of material along the weld seam. T&H Lemont’s designs are known for their longevity, despite the tremendous pressure and heat in the welding area.
Depending on the application, a high-frequency induction type of weld box has two to five tools that surround and contain the tube or pipe. The tools usually are independently adjustable. Independent adjustments allow the maximum versatility in setting each tool to the precise location.
On a TIG welding system, the weld box consists of several tool pairs, arranged in a linear manner, similar to the tool pairs that do the forming and sizing processes. Because the TIG process uses just a small amount of heat directed at the weld seam, and because TIG doesn’t require much radial pressure on the tube or pipe, a weld box for TIG doesn’t have to endure as much pressure or heat.
Scarfing Unit and Bead Winder
After the welding is completed on a high-frequency induction system, the next step is to remove the weld bead. This process uses an extremely hard and brittle blade to cut the weld bead away from the tube or pipe’s circumference.
T&H Lemont’s scarfing units usually feature two blades. When the first blade is too worn to cut well, or if the first blade chips or shatters, the second blade is ready. Also, the blades are mounted to vertical slides that lift quickly when the tube or pipe production line stops. After the production line restarts, the operator lowers the blade to the tube’s surface to begin the scarfing process again. This action prevents the sudden impact that would break the blade.
As the weld bead leaves the tube, it is a potential safety hazard. The bead is a very hot strand of metal with sharp edges, leaving the tube’s surface at hundreds of feet per minute. The bead winder pulls the weld bead from the tube and wraps it around a rotating head. When the unit is full, the operator cuts the weld bead and removes it from the winder. Then, the operator uses a tool to push the lead end of the new weld bead into the winder and the process starts over.
Ironing Stand
The TIG welding process often produces a small weld bead along the weld seam. This weld bead is too small for removal. A ironing stand reduces the weld bead’s height. In many cases, the resulting weld bead is unnoticeable.
Seam Orientation Unit
On nearly all tube and pipe production systems, the weld seam is at the top of the tube or pipe, in the 12 o’clock position. The components that work on the seam—the welder, scarfing unit, nondestructive testing system, and the annealer—are set up to work along the 12 o’clock position.
Depending on the material and the setup, the weld seam might veer away from the 12 o’clock position. For this situation, T&H Lemont designs and manufactures seam orientation units. This component uses tool pairs that twist the tube or pipe to bring the weld seam back to the 12 o’clock position.
T&H Lemont’s seam orientation units are available in two styles, manual and motorized. To adjust the amount of twist when using a manual machine, the operator must stop the mill. When using a motorized unit, the operator can make adjustments while the mill is running.
Straighteners and Turksheads
Tube, pipe, and profile often leave the production machine slightly bent, or bowed. The reason is that nearly every step of the process of making a tube, pipe, or profile adds stress to the material. The stresses show up at the end of the production line in the form of bow, twist, or both.
T&H Lemont offers several straightener designs. A single-plane straightener has a single set of rolls mounted on a plate. The operator adjusts the plate horizontally or vertically as necessary. A two-plane straightener has two sets of rolls mounted to two plates.
A third straightener type, a Turkshead, is a specialized two-plane straightener. The plates have horizontal, vertical, and rotational adjustments. The rotational adjustment allows the operator to remove twist from shaped tubing. Turksheads also can impart enough stress to change a tube’s shape.
