How To Use A Plate Bevelling Machine

How To Use A Plate Bevelling Machine

How To Use A Plate Bevelling Machine

    Here is a professional guide about how to use a manual feed plate beveller aka plate bevelling machine and it’s setting up, tool change, cleaning, and maintenance.

    This is a step by step complete guide on how to use plate beveling machines. In brief, this article covers the following points,

            Components of the SKF 25 plate beveling machine
       
            Safety measure before setting up the plate beveller
       
            Checking the workpiece
       
            Setting the milling head of the plate beveller
       
            Setting the chamfer width plate beveller
       
            Mounting the rollers of the plate beveller
       
            Milling with the plate beveller
       
            Using the plate beveller
       
            Tool change of the bevelling machine
       
            Cleaning of the bevelling machine
       
            Maintainance of the bevelling machine
       
          Safety measure before setting up the plate beveller
          The beveling machine may only be operated in a horizontal position. Secure the workpiece.
            Checking the properties of the workpiece. 
                  The surface of the workpiece must meet the following require- ments. The surface must be smooth and may not have any burn points, slag, welding joints or similar.  Before beginning with milling, remove surface unevenness. 
              Setting the milling head
               Place the machine onto the upper side (power connecting cable ).  Release the locking mechanism (2) on both sides of the machine. Set the desired milling angle. The milling angle can be viewed on the scale (1). Tighten the locking mechanism (2) on both sides of the machine.
          Setting the chamfer width
       
            Place the machine onto the upper side (power connecting cable ). Release the locking mechanism (1). Set the desired chamfer angle by turning the adjusting screw (3). The chamfer width can be viewed on the scale (2). Tighten the locking mechanism (1).
       
    Mounting the guide roller for milling plates

      Mount the plate (3) according to the illustration. Fix the guide rollers (2) in the borehole (1) with the washer and nut.
           
        What is Pipe Beveling? How to Bevel a Pipe?
   
        Pipe beveling is an angle forming between the edge of the end of a pipe or tube. When the pipe end is formed with a certain degree of an angle, it is called a bevel end or beveled end. Pipe beveling is an essential step in the welding preparation process of pipe joining. The quality of the beveled pipe directly affects the quality of the welding, so that proper pipe preparation ensures the best possible weld joint. Other than welding, beveling can also be used for deburring the cut pipe ends for aesthetic and safety reasons.
   
        There are several pipe end preparation methods for welding. In this article, the types and pros, and cons of pipe beveling machine will be discussed.
   
            What is correct, beveling, or bevelling?
       
            Both beveling and bevelling are correct. 'Pipe bevelling' is the English UK spelling and 'pipe beveling' is the English US. Also, the wording pipe chamfering, pipe end working, pipe end preparation, and pipe prepping are other common terms for this application method.

            Beveling vs. Chamfering: What is the difference?
       
            Pipe chamfering is technically a type of pipe beveling. Both terms refer to an edge forming between two faces of a pipe or tube. However, the main difference between pipe chamfering and pipe beveling is that a chamfer is an edge that connects two faces at a 45 degrees angle, whereas the bevel's slope can be any angle except 45 or 90 degrees.

            How to Bevel a Pipe?
       
            There are various ways to bevel a pipe. Using a portable or stationary beveling machines, doing it by a hand grinder, or by a plasma or torch cutter.

            The hand grinding method of pipe beveling is the cheapest and the most dangerous method compared to using a pipe beveling machine. It is time-consuming, and a skilled operator is required to perform a bevel on a pipe by a hand grinder. Moreover, it is nearly impossible to keep the bevel quality the same for each pipe operation while creating a lot of mess.
       
            Using a torch or plasma cutter is another type of pipe end preparation machine. It provides faster results compared to a hand grinder, however; it also has some drawbacks. The flat land at the end of the pipe needs to prepared by hand, which is not a safe process. Yet again, the command produced will be inconsistent.
       
            Also, this pipe beveling method cannot be used on all materials, which would affect your flexibility in production.
       
            A portable beveling machine comes in different configurations and is notably safer than the previous two methods. The biggest advantage of these portable machines is that they are portable so that it's time-efficient since the user can take the machine to the pipe. They are convenient to use for maintenance work, or on a construction site. However, they are inadequate to meet high production requirements.
       
            Stationary beveling machines provide the most options and flexibility for pipe beveling. Almost all kinds of pipe bevel shapescan be created with different combinations of tools. They are designed to meet high production requirements in a safe working environment. Also, stationary pipe beveling machines are easy to integrate with automated production lines, so that the operator does not even have to be on the machine all the time. There are various benefits of stationary beveling machines such as; standard carbide cutting inserts are inexpensive to replace when needed, easy to set up and requires low maintenance, ensures the lowest cost and fastest cycle time per bevel, provides safe working environment without creating a mess, offers a broad range of machining options and can machine several pipe or tube materials, and does not require a skilled operator. Last but not least, stationary pipe beveling machines ensure constant pipe bevel quality that directly affects the quality of pipe welding.
       
            The pipe cutting machine developed in this study is a portable device used to cut a steel pipe. The machine, which is attached to the steel pipe by magnetic force, is moving around the pip e using four wheels. It also works for straight cutting of a steel plate. For the higher precision and labor time reduction, the automation of a pipe-cutting process is needed. However, it is not easily achieved because of vibrations and the loss of track. It is also found that the problems of the automation arise from the coupling of the functional requirements for the pipe-cutting machine. So, it is very difficult io solve the problems by a conventional design method. 
       
            Manufacturers of all types of industrial products go to great lengths when promoting the features and benefits of their products on their websites. But many fall short of offering any real guidance on how to choose the right machine for each individual customer’s needs. So, to help out, we’re pleased to offer guidance to people wanting to know more about flange facing products. Included are answers to some of the commonest questions our technical sales team encounter.
       
            SECTION 1: BEGINNER BASICS
       
            If you’re new to flange facing. Here are answers to some of the more fundamental questions;
       
            Why is there a need for flange facing machines?
       
            Although flanges are mass-produced with machined surfaces, damage to the flange surface during transit and installation can occur. This results in scratches and dents to the sealing surface. Damage like this puts the integrity of the joint at risk – with potentially disastrous consequences. Even after pipelines have become operational, a joint’s integrity can be compromised by corrosion inside the joint. When this happens, the flange often needs to be replaced and can be removed using a split frame/clamshell cutter.
       
            What are the main industries using flange facing machines?
       
            These include petrochemical and pharmaceutical production plants, oil wells, pipelines and power generation plants.
       
            How do flange facers work?
       
            They work in a similar way to a gramophone player, with the cutting tool traveling in a spiral path across the face of the flange. This surface finish is commonly specified for flanges in the oil and gas industries, with the gasket material being compressed to fill the spiral groove. A flange with a spiral grooved finish is less liable to leakage, as any gas or liquid is forced to travel in the long spiral path rather than across the flange face.
       
            How are they powered?
       
            Pneumatic is the standard method, but hydraulic versions can be provided as an option on many machines in the range.
       
            How do I know if the flange surface needs machining?
       
            We recommend you read our previous blog article which includes a section covering what ASME states as acceptable flange damage.
       
       
            SECTION 2: APPLICATIONS FOR A FLANGE FACING MACHINE
       
            Raised Face Flanges, Heat Exchanger Flanges, Techlok Flanges, Recessed Gaskets & Spigots, Weld Preps, Hub Profiles, RTJ Flanges, Lens Ring Joints, SPO Compact Flanges, Swivel Ring Flanges.
       
            Note: to carry out some of the above applications you will need additional options and accessories.
       
            What options and accessories are available?
       
            Optional components for widening the usage of the flange facing machine include:
       
                    Compact flange machining kit to convert your existing flange facer. Alternatively you can specify a dedicated compact flange facing machine at the time of order.
               
                    Journal/end shaft turning kit
               
                    Heat exchanger mounting kit
               
                    Heat exchanger back facing kit
               
                    Lens ring machining kit
               
                    Orbital milling kit, replacing the single point tool post with a milling head.
               
                    Hydraulic conversion kit – to convert a pneumatic machine to hydraulic drive.
               
           
            Can a flange facing machine work in a subsea environment?
       
            Yes, however it will need to be a hydraulically powered.
       
            SECTION 3: CHOOSING A FLANGE FACING MACHINE
       
            What size machine do I need?
       
            There are many different sized flange facing machines available, for example smaller machines can be used on flanges from 2” up to 12” and the larger machines covers sizes from 45” up to 120”. Additionally, the MM1080ie is a unique design which can be mounted internally or externally and used to machine flanges from 0” all the way up to 157” diameter.
       
             Pipe Cutting and Beveling Machine
       
            This user pipe cutting and beveling machine is used for cutting and blanking of offshore wind power jackets. The jacket has been in the ocean for a long time, and the environmental conditions such as wind, waves, currents and ice are very harsh, so the manufacturing quality requirements are very strict. As the scale of wind power jackets tends to be larger, the corresponding pipe diameters and wall thicknesses of the pipes, ties, and columns have also increased. During the processing process, the pipe end intersecting lines have various mouth shapes, and the cutting difficulty and accuracy are also increasing. High, ordinary manual cutting methods can no longer meet the requirements. Aiming at the shortcomings of manual processing methods such as low production efficiency, high labor intensity, and poor product quality, the Kasirui technical team has developed a large pipe diameter intersecting wire cutting machine equipment to solve the problem of difficult cutting of large pipe diameter pipes!
       
            What is pipe beveling?
       
                Pipe beveling is the process where an angle is formed between the edge of the end of a pipe or tube and a plane perpendicular to the surface. A standard pipe bevel angle for welding is 37.5 degrees. Other angles and special forms such as J-Bevels can also be produced on the ends of pipe or tube using automatic pipe bevelling machines.
           
            Why bevel a pipe?
       
                Bevelling of pipe or tubing is most commonly used to prepare the ends for welding. It can also be used for deburring the cut ends for safety and aesthetic reasons.
           
            Why we need to automized pipe bevelling?
       
                ? Save time – stationary pipe cutting and beveling machine is many times faster than other methods such as hand grinding, flame cutting, hand held bevelers, or loading into a lathe.
? No more dirty operations such as hand grinding or torching.
? Consistent accurate pipe bevels each time, will face the end of the pipe square and bevel or deburr ID as needed.
? Cycle time normally in the 5 to 20 second range depending on size
? Eliminates ergonomic issues from operator handling hand tools
? Safer than hand grinding or torching, all chips are contained within the machine.
? Low operating cost, uses mostly industry standard carbide tooling
? Easily bevels stainless and materials not suitable for torching.
? Special forms such as J-bevels are easily produced.
? Can be operated by a non-skilled operator once setup.