SPH | SMART PIN HEATING

Why heat pins?

From a certain chain size it is necessary to preheat the pins for bending. ThermProTEC has developed the SPH product series for this purpose. This enables pins to be automatically conveyed to the heating unit, heated homogeneously and fed to the bending machine. The system is compatible with bending machines of different manufacturers. Essentially, the system consists of two components, the pin feeder and an inductive heating station.

Components of the SMART PIN HEATING

Pin and forged link feeder

After application, round pins, forged pins and forged chain links must be automatically fed into the process. Containers are typically metal boxes from which the material is removed. In order to do justice to this application we have developed a variable loading system with which the semi-finished products are removed with a magnetic loading portal and deposited on feeding belts. In the simplest version these are only straight pins with a box. In the largest expansion stage, round pins and forged pins or forged links can be removed from two boxes. The forged pins are fed to the heating unit by a step conveyor. The forging elements are oriented, monitored by camera systems, then aligned and fed to the bending machine.

Heating unit

In hot bending the pins are heated to a temperature of approx. 800 °C. The homogeneity of the heating is decisive for the quality of the bending process. The heating takes place inductively in a three- or four-hole furnace. This oscillating system allows a sufficiently long heating time to ensure the heating of the pins. An integrated ejector unit then feeds the pins to the feeding unit of the bending machine. Forged pins are also aligned in this unit. The induction units have a heating capacity of 200 or 300 kW. The temperature reached is measured with a precision pyrometer to ensure continuous quality. The incorrectly heated pins are transported via an ejector unit to a waste box.

The concept of circular furnaces has proven itself in terms of temperature homogeneity and offers an efficient and precise method of heating. The furnace’s displacement unit is controlled by a servo motor.

Range of services

ThermProTEC supplies the complete system including process engineering design, interface adaptation to different bending machines and control integration into the entire process.