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For TTEngineering the year 2020 starts with a new, outstanding partnership with Publitec, a well-known player in the publishing world of technical press.

Considering the company’s application field, Deformazione was set as target magazine, since it deals with metal plastic deformation techniques and sheet metal working.

In February the first advertising page was released, marking an absolutely brand new start for TTE: thanks to its new-born marketing branch the company is ready to show the world its completely renewed look!

Sfogliate la rivista online: http://pdf.publiteconline.it/rivista/index.php?id=190#book5/84

Halton Oy (Finland) installed an automatic line for pipes production manufactured by TTEngineering, which allowed the Finnish company to take a significant qualitative leap in terms of productivity. The plant replaces an old line and integrates a 1,500 W fibre laser calendering and welding machine switched with a 3D pipe cutting system, integrated in the plant. The resulting advantages are manifold.

The plant replaces an old line and integrates a 1,500 W fibre laser calendering and welding machine switched with a 3D pipe cutting system, integrated in the plant. The resulting advantages are manifold.

Halton Oy is an important Finnish manufacturer of products for the air-conditioning, ventilation and airconveying industry; the company has been selling its products all over the world for 35 years, counting on a strategic trade policy focused on customer satisfaction with dedicated products and solutions, always considering technological innovation and flexibility as its trump cards. With this in mind the company has recently installed a fully automatic plant for pipes production manufactured by TTEngineering, replacing an old system based on the resistance welding technology and perfectly integrating an existing automatic machining unit.

Deeds, not words

TTEngineering’s Sales Director says: “The project originates from the customer’s idea to replace the old resistance welding pipe production line with a new and better performing one, based on sheet metal laser butt-welding technology”.

In comparison to its competitors the winning asset was certainly the “custom-cut solution” offered by the company from Como, which would allow the customer a considerably more favourable ROI. “That’s why we visited the customer even before starting with offers and layouts: we checked its needs and process modalities and only after that we proposed a solution that could meet the specifications required by the customer.

Despite our offer far exceeded the customer’s budget (over 50%), we persuaded him with facts, since our solution would assure a remarkable increase of production efficiency and flexibility, as a direct consequence of reducing cycle time and machine setup time during item change, as well as eliminating intermediate processes and workings with the related equipment. Not to mention the reduction of warehouse stocks and raw materials handling costs, which results in energy saving. Moreover, our solution was largely preferred for its flexibility in terms of production range, assuring the possibility to manufacture not only round pipes but also rectangular and square sections, which are typical of the air-conditioning sector, adding an absolutely excellent aesthetic quality to the finished product”.

A qualitative leap

It would appear that so far Halton Oy had worked with a Jurassic machine; obviously, this is not true, but it is a fact that the purchase of this solution proposed by TTEngineering enabled the customer to reach and obtain what mentioned before without giving an inch of area compared to the previous system.

The other factor that finally persuaded Halton Oy was testing a similar system with their material directly at TTEngineering, watching how our programmers and mechanical engineers reconfigured anthropomorphic robots and equipments on existing plants in a short time, adjusting them perfectly according to their needs.

And if we also add a touch of Bel Paese to the reliability and technological innovation of TTE systems, maybe sipping a glass of fine wine in a typical restaurant on Lake Como, it’s a done deal!

The switched fibre laser welds and cuts

The plant is composed of a coil sheet metal cutting line integrated with a newly designed CSU 1000 model – automatic calendering and welding line; the welding laser source is 1,5000 W fibre “switched” for the pipe cutting system. Once the pipe is calendered with the Flexformer® system, it proceeds towards the fibre laser welding unit; at the end of the process the pipe is automatically picked up by a Fanuc robot (50 kg at wrist), which delivers it to the 3D cutting machine. All processes are carried out within the same automatic unit.

By means of a sophisticated vision system, the 3D cutting machine searches for the welded joint in order to perform perfectly aligned cuts; once the workpiece is cut according to the customer’s design, the robot picks it up by and places it on an already existing conveyor belt that moves it to a second pre-existing processing line that completes it.

With a cutting line able to process DX 54 and Inox 316 galvanized steel coils up to 1,000 mm wide and a thickness up to 1 mm, it is possible to cover big production lots without ever stopping the plant: we are talking about an annual amount of 650,000 finished products, which result in 3,600 working hours divided into two shifts with a 90% plant efficiency rate. With the fibre laser technology, maintenance works both on welding and cutting units are almost entirely eliminated, assuring high quality standards and system reliability. Every time the pipe diameter and/or thickness changes, the customer does not need to perform any manual set up; in addition the change of the gas and fine dusts suction system installed on the 3D cutting machine (nozzle) is performed automatically by an anthropomorphic robot.

In the end, it is worthy to emphasize the importance of a factor that sometimes is taken for granted, but which should not be disregarded when speaking of a plant able to manufacture pipes with continual and sudden production changes. We are talking about the line management and programming software, which has been customized and produced by TTEngineering with sartorial mastery, just like a tailored suit. The software communicates directly with the customer’s management system to get information about items to be sent to production in a flexible and just-in-time way.

Moreover, it is possible to have the two units working independently: this allows the customer to manufacture pipes addressed to other purposes while using the 3D pipe cutting machine manually to feed the other machining unit in the workshop.

As per tradition TTEngineering attends the major events in a never boring way, counting on the continuous technological innovation used by the company to enhance its automatic production systems, mostly addressed to the air ducts, air-conditioning and flues sectors.

Therefore, Euro BLECH 2014 is the stage chosen by the company from Como to introduce to the audience a breakthrough in the pipe laser cutting field: as stated on the slogan that overlooks TTEngineering’s stand in Hannover, with this innovation the company rewrote the rules of productivity. Indeed, it is a high-performing and dynamic machine with extraordinary performances for cutting thin materials from 0.4 to 3 mm by virtue of 50 m/min rapid movements on recirculating ball bearing guides and a 15 m/min max. cutting speed.

The new TTEngineering laser cutting system is able to process efficiently pipes with a maximum length, diameter and thickness of respectively 1,550 mm, 650 mm and 3 mm. The machine is loaded manually while the workpieces unloading is automatic for pieces up to 220 mm.

Featured by a compact design that makes it easy to be installed, this new system is inter alia designed to be integrated with anthropomorphic robots addressed to machine tending, with a drastic downtimes reduction connected to workpieces loading and unloading.

Precise, reliable and intuitive thanks to the TTEcutting software, the machine is also equipped with the following features: numerical control clamping claws spindle, laser cutting head anti-collision system, support rollers automatic adjustment system, which does not require any setup as diameter and/or thickness change.

If not rewritten, the level of expectations in terms of productivity has surely been raised.

TTEngineering has recently produced a fully automatic FMS on behalf of Domotechnika, the main Russian chimney pipes manufacturer. The present system provides for the just-in-time manufacturing of pipes and accessories such as single and double wall T-fittings, elbows and pipe sections.

This full factory plant, installed in Saint Petersburg, is the fifth one manufactured by the company from Lomazzo (Como) over the last four years and addressed to this sector, for which TTEngineering is definitely a well-established benchmark.

Due to both its prestige and production requirements, Domotechnika is one of the most impressive companies in this field; relying on a widespread network of distributors, agents and direct sellers, the company is indeed a market leader in the field of stoves, chimneys and materials for industrial and civil building in Eastern Europe. In particular, the plant commissioned to TTEngineering deals with the manufacturing of pipes and accessories addressed to the sector of chimney pipes, whose distributor is the brand named “Vulkano” and with whom the company is definitely the greatest Russian manufacturer.

Specifications and requirements were quite strict due to the need to increase both quality and throughput of the finished product, thus significantly reducing either production costs or the impact of the variables connected to manual activities. Therefore, the request dealt with the supply of a completely automated full factory plant capable to manufacture several types of workpieces just-in-time, from the easiest ones (single or double wall pipes) to the so-called “T-fittings” and elbows, working over two shifts a day, for an overall amount of around 4.000 hours per year and an annual production target of around 700.000 pipes.

Experience as a surplus value

As a matter of fact, the company from the province of Como has been able to turn the periods of market stagnation into new opportunities, thus making its own dimension a strong point to succeed in those fields, where even the most relevant competitors had some difficulties. “The confrontation with our competitors dealt with either engineering or return on investment for the customer” says the sales manager of TTEngineering. “For us this full factory plant is the fifth experience of this kind in a short time. We are currently the only company in the world with a complete know-how in the field of chimney pipes; this allows us to fully meet even the strictest and most challenging requirements, such as the ones expressed by Domotechnika.
Thanks to our knowledge and experience, we can design and manufacture the whole range of machines for the production of components addressed to the industry of chimney pipes and air conditioning; and that is exactly why we got the better of our German competitor for this order”.

The customer was able to evaluate the actual potential of the solution offered by TTEngineering not only through the usual videos or system layouts, but rather by watching closely a similar plant already installed by TTE at the Spanish production site of a German multinational corporation working in the same field: watching closely a full automatic plant working reliably over three shifts has been for sure a very important element for the decision taken by Domotechnika.

In balance between well-established solutions and novelties

L’impianto installato a San Pietroburgo raccoglie tutto il know-how di settore di TTEngineering: integra infatti macchine e soluzioni consolidate, come per esempio il sistema di formatura dei tubi Flexformer® a settaggio automatico e l’uso della tecnologia laser disk da 2 kW Q-switch (impiegata, a seconda della lavorazione richiesta, per la saldatura del tubo oppure per la saldatura dei colletti dei “T”) con novità assolute, come quella rappresentata dalla linea di taglio coil con aspo doppio di svolgitura, posta in ingresso dell’FMS. Una soluzione pensata e voluta per garantire la produttività richiesta da capitolato, la variabilità del materiale impiegato (Inox 316 ed Inox 304) e soprattutto la flessibilità necessaria alla produzione just in time di pezzi di forma, dimensione e natura differente.

The plant installed in Saint Petersburg relies on the widespread industry knowledge of TTEngineering: it integrates well-established machines and solutions, such as the roll-bending system Flexformer® with automatic set-up and the 2 kW Qswitch laser disk technology to be used for either pipes or T-necks welding, with brand new elements, such as the coil cutting line with double uncoiling reel, installed at the entrance of the FMS. This solution was developed and designed in order to grant the throughput required by the specifications, the variability of the materials used (316 and 304 stainless steel) and, above all, the necessary flexibility for just-in-time manufacturing of workpieces with different shapes, dimensions and features.

Con una parte della linea il cliente ha quindi la possibilità di produrre in automatico tubi diritti a singola parete o il tubo interno/esterno per i doppia parete; con un’altra parte vengono prodotti i raccordi a “T” e con un’altra ancora le curve. Si tratta quindi di un FMS vero e proprio, piuttosto articolato e complesso, che ha richiesto lo studio e la messa a punto di soluzioni ad hoc sia per la parte meccanica e l’automazione, armonizzata per far dialogare al meglio le macchine tra di loro, che, soprattutto, per quanto concerne il software di governo dell’intero impianto”.

Handling the finished piece, not the semi-finished one

TTEngineering has provided its customer with a flexible, fully automated system, perfectly matching with its software system for production management, so that the production starts when the various orders are delivered, in compliance with the wished just-in-time philosophy.

“Thanks to the TTE Software Management, the programming main of the plant communicates with the entire company handling system and processes the information coming from the sales orders in real time, turning these data into either actual production orders or remarkable benefits” adds Mr Pasquettin. “Which benefits? First of all the fact that the plant handles the finished workpiece, not the semi-finished one; consequently, once the production order is launched, the result is granted for both piece quality and manufacturing time, thus allowing Domotechnika to easily estimate the deliveries. Throughput increase and quality of the pieces, absolute repeatability and flexibility are expected benefits. Another primary aspect is that with only one operator supervising and two workers dealing with both machines and dies set-up, it is possible to manage the whole factory production”.

“On top of that the just-in-time management of the finished product implies the reduction of both warehouse volume and its resulting costs, reducing delivery times and optimizing waste as well”.

The main reasons of TTEngineering satisfaction are the acquisition of another important reference such as Domotechnika and the fact that the customer itself has acknowledged both passion and enthusiasm showed by TTE during the pre-sales stage: this is a further proof that the reduced dimension of a company like TTE is not at all a limit, but rather the actual surplus value of this Italian reality, which is strongly focused on its customers’ satisfaction.