battenfeld-cincinnati: Automated Wall Thickness Adjustment with Ball

Three-layer pipe head helix II 400  with electromechanical pipe centering                                              (©battenfeld-cincinnati)

Intelligent Operating Adjustment, or IOA for short, is the name of battenfeld-cincinnati's smart solution that enables the

production of dimensionally accurate pipes in the shortest possibletime without manual effort. The three-layer pipe head helix II 400-3 VSI TZ IOA with electromechanical pipe centering was one of the absolute highlights at K 2025. For the first time, a tool manufacturer is using a ball joint to adjust the pipe gap, which offers a number of advantages.

Every pipe manufacturer is familiar with the problem: the pipe head is usually centered using manual adjusting screws on the pipe gap, which depends mostly on the experience and skill of the machine operator.

Heinrich Dohmann, Director of Mechanical Engineering, comments: “With the patent-pending IOA technology, every operator can now achieve the defined settings at the touch of a button. This optimizes the quality of the end product and saves material. The time required to make the settings and the material waste during start-up are significantly reduced. The lower wall thickness tolerance also enables annual raw material savings in the six-figure range.”

Wall thickness measuring devices that use frequency-controlled radar waves to provide reliable wall thickness values over 360° immediately after start-up provide the input variable for automatic centering. Once set, parameters are stored and can be retrieved as needed, e.g., in the event of a dimension change. Previous projects can thus be reproduced at any time, and the wall thickness distribution of the pipe can be continuously optimized. At any given moment, the operator receives reliable parameters immediately and directly on their display.

How is the pipe tool connected to IOA? For the first time, battenfeld-cincinnati is using a tilting function via a ball joint in the new helix version. This tilts the nozzle area of the pipe tool slightly to achieve optimum centering. In contrast to manual adjustment of a screw at the pipe gap, which leads to a ledge in the flow channel where melt settles, there is now a smooth transition. Melt burns are eliminated and faster color changes are guaranteed. Another advantage of automated centering is that when one ball joint is adjusted, the others automatically adjust as well, eliminating the need for further iterative steps.

IOA can be retrofitted into existing helix pipe tools. The intelligent system is not only suitable for conventional lines, but also makes sense in fast dimension change lines, which allow dimension changes during operation.

Heinrich Dohmann comments: "By installing IOA in an FDC line, pipe manufacturers are taking a big step toward fully automating their lines.”