Leveler operator Randy Duckworth processes steel parts more than 1" thick on the ARKU FlatMaster leveler at O'Neal's Birmingham plant. The parts are cut from plate by laser or plasma machine. They vary widely in size and shape and often have openings as well. "We set up the leveling control, and a part typically comes out flat on the first pass," said a company spokesperson.
Production Manager Brian Fella (l) and leveler operator Randy Duckworth (r) check flatness on a batch of parts processed on the ARKU FlatMaster 120. A typical flatness requirement is 0.07" across a 60" diameter.
The servo-hydraulic leveler adjusts its force instantly to compensate for the varying cross section of parts with large cutouts and perforations or shapes, such as triangles and circles.
Specifications for flatness on steel plate parts are becoming tighter and more common with the heavy equipment OEMs in the U.S. To meet these requirements, O'Neal Manufacturing Services (OMS) recently received its second ARKU FlatMaster leveler, a model 120-200, at its plant headquarters in Birmingham, AL. According to the company, the machine is unique in the U.S. - it is the largest FlatMaster in North America - allowing OMS to level parts up to 1.675" thick and 78" wide.
OMS is one of the largest manufacturers of complex metal fabrications for the heavy equipment industry. Its 10 plants are each ISO 9001:2008 certified, offering 1.5 million square feet of outsourcing support for OEMs in the agriculture, construction equipment, material handling, railroad and power generation industries. "Capital equipment purchases, including the ARKU flattening presses, are a business decision based upon our customer intimacy strategy," said Gerald Brockman, Vice President of Sales and Marketing at OMS. "All of our resources, whether capital, time or human, are focused on enhancing long-term relationships with our key customers."
The new leveler is a big step up from the FlatMaster 88 acquired for the company's Greensboro plant in 2013. "Our Birmingham facility was quoting some business that required a tight flatness tolerance on parts larger and thicker than our machine in Greensboro could handle," said Gene Gadient, an application engineer at OMS. "We have a gantry flattening press that could do the work, but the part volume and variety, as well as our experience with the smaller FlatMaster, make the larger roller leveler a better solution. The gantry press is a trial-and-error method that takes an experienced operator. It may take several hits from both sides of a part to get it flat. With our FlatMaster in Greensboro, we set the control and the part typically comes out flat - very flat - on the first pass."
The contract for the Birmingham plant largely involves mild steel nearly 1" thick with a minimum yield of 36 to 50 ksi. The parts are cut from plate by laser or plasma machine, and vary widely in size and shape, some with openings. A typical flatness requirement is 0.07" across a 60" diameter.
Circles, triangles and parts with openings are a particular challenge with a hammer press. "You can chase a high spot for quite a while," Gadient explained. "It is a very inexact science." The ability to adapt the leveling force to varying shapes is what sets the FlatMaster apart. Each part presents a changing cross section as the leading edge, center and trailing edge enter the leveling rollers. These changing cross sections require varying levels of force to maintain the leveling gap. The FlatMaster's servo-hydraulic system can recognize any change in the required force in a fraction of a second and adjust to maintain a precise gap.
More than just leveling the part, the FlatMaster also stress relieves it, making it much easier to weld or bend. "We found in Greensboro there is a definite advantage to using flat parts in our downstream operations," said Gadient. "It is a unique manufacturing asset."
FlatMaster machines are available for part thicknesses up to 2.25".
OMS produces fabrications and welded assemblies for OEMs with a "Planned Demand" outsourcing strategy, partnering with key suppliers to provide long-term, forecastable and repeatable production - allowing customers to focus on their core competencies.
ARKU, founded in 1928, is a provider of roller levelers and press feeding technology with an extensive range of high-capacity and precision levelers. The product range comprises precision levelers for parts, cut-to-length and slitting lines, press feeding lines and coil preparation lines for roll formers.
For more information contact:
O'Neal Manufacturing Services
744 41st Street
North Birmingham, AL 35222
877-623-3344
www.onealmfgservices.com
ARKU Coil Systems, Inc.
11405 Grooms Road
Cincinnati, OH 45242
513-638-8554
www.arku.com