Manufacturing Technology

Videx Machine Engineering Ltd has completed its range of fully automatic lines with the addition of a line for large diameter U-bolts and long straight studs, from straight bars or from coils.

Designed to work automatically without operator intervention, with coil or bar raw material, the new lines will cut to length from straight bars or coil; chamfer both ends; carry out thread rolling on both ends at the same time; as well as bend to shape.

The difference to traditional machines is the Smart-Transfer, which controls all the machines in the line. The Smart-Transfer dictates the line speed and controls the free flow of material from one machine to the other, stopping the line in case of any fault. The supervisor only needs to handle the feeding of the coils or bars and the discharge of the finished parts.

The new lines are available up to M27 high-tensile and will soon be available up to M33. The parts feed into the chamfer station, the thread rolling station and the bending station are fully controlled by sensors that make sure the parts always feed parallel. The machines are fully protected from improper feed, thus avoiding occasional failures and resulting in higher feed rates and longer die life.

The new lines are equipped with quick change features, taking the guess work away from the operator, as well as enabling efficient production in small batches of 200 – 500 pieces. The new lines can also manufacture long studs up to 6m long, with threads on both ends. Extrusion of the bar ends and other secondary operations, such as facing and drilling, can also be supported by adding stations.