Metal fabrication is a jar that is filled with different fabrication processes and closed with the equipment needed to pull those off. In most cases of manufacturing a whole product, multiple stainless steel fabrication, aluminium fabrication, and steel fabrication processes are needed. Laser cutting machines cut the parts, metal bending and metal rolling machines give them the required shape, and welding joins those parts to form the whole product. But it’s all just too much for. You need to go from one station to another for each process.
It not only takes time but also causes injuries to the operators because moving these parts are risky.
But the risk of loading and unloading of the parts decreases when all these can be done under one roof, specifically, one station.
Derived mostly from Toyota Production System, the lean manufacturing is developed to work relentlessly to remove all and any no-value-added parts from the part.
The ultimate lean metal fabrication process is actually a matter of unloading and loading a properly finished assembly from the very same machine it all started.
Putting The T
Usually preparing pipes for plumbing subassembly needs at least 2 different machines. One for cutting and one for making the collar Ts.
T-Drill developed a hand-held tool and bit specifically for the collars or Ts. In addition to the hand tool, it also makes other machines similar to the auto-feed drill press.
This is a single-station machine, which makes collars on pipes. To keep up with the time, the company expanded their line of products to offer programmable machines with automated feed table. Once the unit is done installing, the collaring head, linear T location, programming rotary, and loading the tube into a machine becomes a one-step process. The operator runs the program and the rest it up to the machine to finish.
An Automated Situation
Metal fabricators, especially pipe and tube manufacturers always wanted a solution that would help minimize the production time and risks. For pipe manufacturing, fabricators always wanted a setup that can cut the pipe and make the Ts on the same unit. Eventually, they got what was just a concept.
The unit from T-Drill would be fed the preloaded rack and when the rack is clean, it won’t stay idle. As the rack gets empty, the machine will fill it with new stash and the finished parts will go to the second part of the setup where the collar Ts will be done. The machine will be programmable to do all this. Manufacturers will not need any experts for the programming. The setup will straightly get its instructions from a database in .csv format.
Cutting, Drilling, Pulling, and Measuring
The machine has a tool library and a tool changer. The tool library can hold up to twenty different tools and these tools range from regular drill bits for general holes, pull collars made for plumbing, tapping tools for the furniture, and large diameter hole saw up to collaring heads. This interchanging multiple tool setup will make the pipe and tube preparation process more productive and efficient. Sooner than later, this machine setup will be embraced by all in the metal fabrication industry.
