£1.1 Million in AddisonMckee Tube Bending Technologies Provides Dinex with Outstanding OEM Credentials
Share:
In their largest single order received to-date, world-leading tube manipulation technology specialists, AddisonMckee, have provided complete exhaust solutions specialists, Dinex Group, of Middlefart, Denmark, with over £1.1 million worth of tube bending machines.
Appreciating that their ongoing success in the commercial vehicle exhaust market was clearly reliant upon being recognised as a premier OEM supplier, and being able to focus on manufacturing the very highest quality, aesthetically-pleasing Euro 5-compliant exhaust components, in 2005 Dinex set about implementing a widescale factory upgrade at their Middlefart facility.
Repeatability, controllability and reliability
As part of this upgrade - and brought about by thoroughly understanding the significant advantages in terms of repeatability, controllability and reliability that only AddisonMckee's all-electric CNC tube bending technologies could provide - Dinex approached AddisonMckee in Spring 2006 for three all-electric DataBend tube bending machines.
In order to provide the widest possible range of tube bending capabilities, the models ordered by Dinex were a DB150 ESRB (150mm maximum tube diameter, E - all-electric, S - multi-stack, R - multi-radius, B - boost) machine, a DB130 ESRB model and a smaller radius DB100 ESRB machine.
In addition to this requirement, Dinex also asked that an older AddisonMckee hydraulic tube bender, a machine that had been in reliable daily service at their Middlefart facility for almost twenty years, was upgraded to enable it to incorporate AddisonMckee's latest control system.
Commented AddisonMckee Director of Global Marketing, Christian Rogiers, "We were particularly pleased to be invited to provide Dinex with this range of market-leading tube forming technologies. A leading producer of complete exhaust and emission control systems for diesel trucks, buses, vans and industrial machinery, Dinex required the capability to bend the tighter radius compound bends and complex parts that are increasingly becoming commonplace in commercial vehicle design. With aesthetics a key feature of modern exhaust systems, the ability to form the most complex shapes, out of a single piece of stainless steel, was also a major consideration."
Meeting specific requirement
In order to meet Dinex's requirement to bend larger diameter tubing of up to 150mm, while significantly reducing tube wastage and considerably improving process cycle time when bending thinner wall, larger tube diameters on tight multi-radii, the DB150 ESRB model supplied to the Danish exhaust specialist was equipped with an electric carriage boost of 150KN and, additionally, a dual boost system to allow a true boost to the tangent point of the machine's tooling.
In the DB150 ESRB solution for Dinex, AddisonMckee effectively created a 150mm diameter capability, 3-metre true boost bending machine that would work in two ways.
Newly developed internal boost
Initially, via use of the conventional boost carriage, the tube length is boosted forward to the point where, if progressed any further, the collet would interfere with the operation of the follower. In order to achieve further boost, and minimise waste material, at this point the bending process is switched seamlessly from collet boost to the company's newly developed internal boost system, a process allowing the very maximum amount of material for bending to be presented by boosting right through the target point of the bending tools.
As an additional advantage, by using this innovative method to progress more tube through the bending dies, traditional wear-out issues associated with the boost process are overcome.
Offering 150KN of electrical boost, the internal boost system significantly reduces the amount of tube end scrap that is generated, with considerable annual reductions in tube wastage. Auto set-up, rapid changeovers and minimal downtime in between bending are proving their worth in enhancing productivity, while the use of all-electric technology means there are no hydraulic fluid temperature variances or contaminants to be concerned about.
Innovating new technologies
With its upgraded manufacturing facilities in place, and a vision of achieving global market leadership, Dinex is now focused on innovating new exhaust technologies and becoming the main supplier of complete exhaust systems and emission technology products to commercial vehicles worldwide.
The all-electric cost advantage
The advantages of AddisonMckee's clean, safe, highly repeatable and accurate all-electric DataBend tube bending technology over the use of traditional hydraulic processes are well documented. Indeed, in a recent independent analysis by a customer using both hydraulic and electrically operated machinery, verifiable proof of the significant efficiencies of embracing electrical tube bending machinery was achieved.
Comparing a hydraulic 65mm diameter machine with an AddisonMckee DataBend DB 75 all-electric model by use of an amp meter with chart recorder for 3 shifts of normal continuous operation, their findings were that based on 237 days at 24 hours a day, the annual electricity costs of the DB 75 all-electric model would be only 18.6% of the cost of using the hydraulic tube bender.
About AddisonMckee
Globally renowned for the design, manufacture and supply of some of the world's finest tube bending and end forming technologies - for increasingly complex automotive, aviation, truck and shipbuilding requirements - AddisonMckee also offers highly innovative tube measuring solutions, tube perforation, piercing and louvring technologies, hydraulic press machinery, muffler assembly solutions, plant automation and complete workcell integration.
In addition to these capabilities, a whole range of tooling and accessory options are also provided, as are comprehensive maintenance and service contracts, training and education programs and financial services. Where applicable, AddisonMckee is also able to offer customers the opportunity of machine rebuilds, refurbishment, upgrades and trade-ins.
From its state-of-the-art manufacturing centres in the USA, United Kingdom, Canada and China, AddisonMckee is committed to providing rapid solutions to market and also regularly assists clients in product prototyping, parts development, small production runs and pre-production sample development.
AddisonMckee is principally owned by WHI Capital Partners (WHICP), a Chicago-based private equity group that invests in middle market, industry-leading companies with solid financial fundamentals and proven management teams. WHICP is an affiliate of William Harris Investors, Inc., a family-based asset management firm founded by Irving B. Harris in 1987.
For further information please contact:
Christian Rogiers - AddisonMckee
E-mail: crogiers@addisonmckee.com
Tel: +1 513 228 7076
Fax: +1 513 228 7226
