July 8, 2013
Last year, WAFIOS AG Reutlingen presented the BM 90 – the top model in the BM series – at Wire & Tube in Düsseldorf.
The single-head bending and coiling machine is designed for the upper wire diameter range up to a maximum diameter of 16 mm and for high-strength wires (1900 MPa) up to 10.5 mm. Right from the start, the machine impressed with the stability and process reliability of the overall system. These achievements can be attributed in equal measure to the familiar fixed mounting of the bending head and the option to move the head to four different positions. Furthermore, the high levels of operator convenience afforded by the ergonomic machine concept and the WAFIOS WPS 3 programming system with integrated iQ functions are increasing efficiency thanks to intelligent process control.
Even the basic version of the BM 90 boasts a very flexible machine concept and supports a very wide range of products.
The three mandrel and bending axes, each of which can be controlled independently, and the two axes for lowering the bending pins, along with the optional moving cutting unit, are opening up entirely new production possibilities and bending options for thick and spring-hard wires. The bending head, for which a patent application has been submitted, comprises 7 axes as standard for cross stroke, up/down stroke, mandrel axis and two bending axes. In addition, independent axial lowering of each of the the bending pins of the bending axes is also possible, significantly expanding the range of products still further.
With the coiling unit now being presented, the WAFIOS engineers are significantly expanding the company’s already impressive range of products. With its lateral movement coiling axis, the new coiling unit supports genuine right-hand/left-hand coiling in one bending part. Integrated pneumatic weight compensation for both stroke and lateral movement makes for more dynamic bending and coiling processes, improves the quality of bending parts and ultimately protects the machine. The pitch and initial tension of the spring body are generated through the stroke axis. At 850 mm, the impressive bend-back clearance of the coiling unit, combined with the (manually) adjustable bending head, is enabling previously unheard of levels of variety to be achieved in the production of ready-to-use parts in one pass.
The new coiling unit is recommended in particular for applications, which have until now required several manual or semi-manual passes to complete. It is also suitable for applications in which heat treatment to harden spring steels can be omitted as an additional stage in the process. An investment in this machine therefore makes sense not only for companies with bending requirements in the upper wire range but also for companies whose product range covers spring steel with coiling applications.
Example applications from the field of spring steel include belt tension springs or torsion rods for sports seats in cars, various spring tine applications in agriculture or fixtures and pipe holders for hydraulic applications, for example.
High availability, performance, flexibility and long machine service life make the BM 90 a future-oriented machine, offering high investment security and value retention of many years.