Tube Manufacturer Shakes up Productivity with PDJ VibroContinually introducing innovative new equipment to its facility to embed lean manufacturing throughout its production site, tube manipulation experts HLP Tube Formers Ltd of Caerphilly has introduced finishing, deburring and drying equipment from PDJ Vibro.  The ISO: 9002 registered manufacturer makes a point of investing in new plant on a regular basis to stay abreast of technology and at the end of 2004 acquisitions included a PDJ Vibro EVP-RA 550 vibratory finisher and an EVK350 vibratory dryer. The PDJ equipment adds to the company’s 6 Addison Mckee CNC tube bending machines, 21 saws and 17 hydraulic and power presses. Predominantly manufacturing steel tube work for the automotive, construction and sports sectors as well as hydraulic applications, HLP Tube Formers encountered bottlenecks in its deburring and cleaning department and with over 250,000 tubes manufactured monthly – bottlenecks are not acceptable. When HLP Tube Formers Managing Director Mr Garry Page was specifically looking for a solution to solve the bottleneck it found PDJ Vibro. As Mr Page comments: “We were using barrel finishing machines that were labour intensive and time consuming and loading and un-loading was painstaking. We used to put the parts into boxes that were then emptied into the barrel finisher. Once processed the parts fell from the barrel back into boxes that were then dipped into a vat of liquid inhibitor that coated the parts to prevent corrosion. Following dipping, the boxes would be left for up to an hour for the parts to drip dry. Looking back we don’t know how we managed.” The introduction of the EVP-RA 550 vibratory finisher and EVK350 vibratory dryer now sees the parts placed firstly into the EVP-RA 550 vibratory finisher. This deburrs and cleans the parts to impeccable standards. Prior to the EVP-RA 550, the 45 employee company operated two barrel type machines that proved inefficient. As Mr Page continues: “Before installing the EVP-RA 550 we always had a backlog in the department. Now we have replaced two machines with one finisher and it gives us a finished part quality that is consistently to a standard above that previously achieved. Not only do we have better quality but the PDJ Vibro machine is more productive and credit to the acoustic lids the machine is considerably quieter.” Eliminating the bottleneck, the EVP-RA 550 is at least 15% more productive than the previous two machines combined whilst being considerably quieter than its predecessors. Making the EVP-RA 550 more efficient by reducing the laborious load and un-load operation is the ability of the finishing machine to deliver the parts directly into the EVK350 vibratory dryer. Parts are moved directly from the EVP-RA 550 by conveyor into the EVK350 without operator intervention.
Following the immediate success of both PDJ Vibro machines, HLP Tube Formers purchased a second finishing machine in 2005 to accommodate increasing capacity levels. The third addition, an EVP-A 350 vibratory finisher has a high abrasive efficiency that delivers exceptional surface finishes to HLP Tube Formers products. With continuously adjustable vibration controls, the EVP-A 350 comfortably and rapidly processes all the parts that HLP put through the machine. However, this is not the end of the transformation in the finishing department as Mr Page concludes: “We are increasing the amount of work that needs finishing, so we are physically extending the finishing department to accommodate crane loading and further machines from PDJ Vibro. It isn’t only the success of the PDJ Vibro machines that will see us do further business with the company. The PDJ Vibro staff are very knowledgeable and understand our exacting needs. If we ever have a query or a maintenance issue they are available immediately and this is priceless in our industry.” |
Eliminating the load and unload operation from one machine to the next has improved throughput, product quality and consistency as well as reducing the labour requirement in the department. Once parts are transferred to the EVK350 the machine removes oil and swarf remnants to completely dry the parts without having to leave the parts stand to drip dry – as the company previously did.
The EVK350 easily separates HLP’s 6 to 65mm diameter tubes from the Maize granules with its integrated ramp, leaving the parts to be caught in boxes ready for further processing operations or dispatch. The exceptional heating system in the Maize dryer delivers the parts to boxes in less than 30 minutes, a processing reduction of 50% compared to the previous drip dry method.