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MG signs a new Record

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It’s the new machine AR 530 that, in the range of bending profiles made by MG, leader in the plate bending machines, owns the gold metal of all times. A giant that shows with its extraordinary measures 9 mt x 9 mt x 8 mt height, 340 tons, 220 Hp of total power able to grant 1900 tons in torque. For its features and performance it’s now the biggest section bending machine in the world, and it marks a new record. The final customer is Tromba Maurizio snc, important company sited in Verona, leader in the section bending field.

It has been a challenge for almost two years from the design to the final testing making MG among the best at industrial solutions in the world.

In the rich and differentiated world of high technology construction, Tromba Maurizio S.n.c. is very experienced in gargantuan bending for large buildings, and has specialized year after year in big high quality products. The Innsbruck Ski Jump, the Mestre Hospital, the Johannesburg 2010 Soccer World Championship Stadium, the dome of the coal storage in Civitavecchia thermo-electric power station, the impressive external helical staircase of the Lombardia Region Palace, are only a few of the impressive examples that show how this company works.  “Another important job we have made is the backbone of the Italian Genova – Ventimiglia tunnel for the high speed train,” says Mr. Maurizio Tromba, co-owner of the company together with Mr. Andrea, Mr. Nicola Tromba, and Mrs. Lauretta Binato. “We built about 1800 Tons of beams with sections from 180 to 220 mm. All made on MG machines, 15 hours a day for 14 months production!” This has definitely been a machine testing.” Tromba Maurizio S.n.c., established in 1967 for the fabrication of flanges used for the closing of heater hatches, has made prominent technological innovations through the years responding to the demand of the market for the deformation of always bigger elements. After constant investments, they own now 7 MG branded operative bending machines; a complete fleet among which model AR 360 was the largest capacity one, outclassed today by AR 530, the largest capacity ever. “With the AR 360, even if big,” Mr. Tromba goes on, “we could not satisfy some of the new market requests demanding larger sections bending, due to the machine’s physical limits. Now, with AR 530, we will be able to compete on a new market segment, to us it’s a very important goal and of course a quality step forward.” If earlier they were among the few to bend profiles of big dimensions, now they can consider themselves the unique all over the world to deform beams where the others stop.  For both companies this is not the final touch down but a new step in their development. “We produce over 300 machines, manufactured and started up every year,” states Massimo Roccia, who is the co-owner of MG SRL together with Mr. Francesco Barca and Mr. Giorgio Giraudo. “This is an innovative project we have added to our already differentiated range of products. It has been a challenge lasting for almost two years, from the initial project to the final test and I can say it will count us among the best industrial solutions in the world.” It’s remarkable to say that MG has got a strong, autonomous and incisive structure. MG SRL is a flexible company always ready to pursue new solutions. MG offers its machines all over the world. It focuses on the constant attention to the customer’s needs and offers products targeted precisely to each client’s requirements.

A cooperation based on trust

It’s exiting to realize that in Italian, the word trust, “fiducia”, comes from the Latin “fides”.  The second meaning of fides is “rope”. A figurative rope that can tie more persons or more company as in this case. Who loves going to walk or climb on mountains knows how it’s important to be tied with the rest of the group. Going forward to the goal staying close to each other means to share forces and makes you aware that you can reach your target feeling secure and calm, multiplying the trust in each other. The cooperation between Tromba Maurizio s.n.c. and MG has been going on since 2002 and this new big machine, AR530, has been realized thanks to mutual research and support between the two companies. “This comparison,” Mr. Tromba continues, “definitely conveys how our relationship with MG is. We have always been MG customers and have always found in MG people listening to our requirements and being attentive to our needs, able to give us the answers to new performance demands. It is interesting to think to the coincidence that the biggest section bending machine in the world, AR 360, was made by MG for us in the first sample. Now, after few years, even this new jewel made us stand again together to the same rope.” “This rope is not only between us and our customers,” adds Massimo Roccia, “it involves our suppliers, as well. It is the success of a close-knit team of workers aiming for the same goal. A team of workers I’m really proud of. Everyone has contributed with ideas, projects, and technological know-how in order to build this machine. In MG we use to say that working with passion builds the world.”

Record features

AR 530 stands out for its modular design in order to best optimize the assembly of the machine. Its design makes it also easy for packaging and freight handling. The main frame is made of very strong electro-welded steel, of which two modules weight respectively 54 and 64 Tons. It is a parallelepiped of 9 x 9 mt, 81m2 of surface for a total height of 8 mt. The machine is put into a 5 mt pit, letting the working positioning of the former rolls at about 1 mt from the ground on the remaining three to support and drive the shafts. The total weight is 340 tons, the installed power is 220 Hp with Direct Drive motorizations. “Our Direct Drive system,” says Massimo Roccia, “which has replaced all low-efficiency components such as belts or chains with a direct axis driving, allows the entire machine’s torque to go into the bending and does not lose torque between the various gears, this is called positive energy and allows a huge energy saving.”  The three double pre-bending motorized rolls allow the assembling of dies up to 1100 mm diameter, and are keyed to 540 mm diameter shafts. The force of the two side shafts is 950 tons each, able to generate a total thrust of 1900 tons on the piece to be deformed, with 50.000 Kgm torque in rotation, thanks to the three hydraulic coaxial epicyclic motor-gear boxes. The movement of the bending rolls is made thanks to four hydraulic pistons and it is planetary. This system which is typical MG reduces frictions to the minimum during the bending cycle and works as an anti-deflection system. In fact, the planetary approach of the two side shafts, with parallelism electronic control, towards the main shaft which is fixed in the center, allows a perfect bending and shorter flat edges even on hardest pieces. The hydraulic side guides are tridimensional movement, thus, the forming rolls adapt perfectly to the different bending radii.  All components have a sealed permanent lubrication, which is another specialty of MG manufacturing principles, lasting for the life of the machine. A geometrical laser control system allows the CNC to read the radius in three points, letting the necessary corrections on-line. On such section bending machine, the laser system controls very large radii, up to 22 mt, avoiding, on the contrary case of very small radii, the construction of templates that are usually necessary to get precision.   “AR 530 is unique – Massimo Roccia points out – not only for its features but also for the electronic, that has been entirely developed by Delsy srl, MG subsidiary Company whose leader is Mr. Daniele Albenga. ” This particular CNC control is made of two units; one is positioned on the electrical cabinet, the other one is on the control console. The two-units-CNC works wirelessly in protocol 802.11 on a real time operative system. The world HW, CNC, and SW is not simply a PLC controller but an application with dedicated cards monitoring the bending cycle in real time.”  Touch Command EVO, this is the name of the CNC developed on Linux platform, allows the operator to CAD generate any bending shape with the input of a few parameters and to load them directly from a DXF file into unlimited libraries that can be personalized.  This way it’s possible to have a countless steps and profile programs.  Programming is easy and intuitive with its large touch screen.  “It’s the first time the wireless technology is applied on such type of machines,” Mr. Roccia proudly says. “No cables or connecting wires obstruct the operators in the working space while they are checking the machine production.” Last but not least, when this giant is placed on its site in Verona, the machine itself will rotate. It will be put into a 5 mt deep pit on a rotating platform. This innovation will allow, in a very flexible manner, the bending of very large radius beams. The machine can rotate on its axis during working to avoid any plant obstacles that may be on the way. This is a great advantage speaking about working space and smooth working. “To get this particular goal – describes Maurizio Tromba – we had to realize a 12 mt diameter pit with the necessary depth. Impressive indeed! This solution allows us to work parts in half a space, it’s like having two buildings.”

Countless applications

HEA and HEB 400 beams have been bent for the impressive Johannesburg Stadium.

AR 530 is a giant without limits. It can bend all standard sections and profiles, special ones, bars hard way, squares and round, rectangular tubes and commercial profiles, angles, T, U, IPE, UNP, INP, HEA, HEB, HEM. It is moreover in the bending of beams that this machine shows its maximum power. For example, the biggest beams on market, HEM of 1000 mm, are normally cut in the middle for all their way long, bent, and then welded to form the original piece. With this new machine this profile can be bent hard way, avoiding the above process, with countless advantages, not only economical but of structural quality. “In the deformation phase of such striking profiles hard way, it’s necessary to preserve the core and not to twist it. We can do that using our technology called Traction Tooling which allows the core to remain perfectly straight and intact for the whole length.” Thanks to this new machine, Tromba Maurizio S.n.c. will stand out on the market for large structures buildings, for example the new 2015 Milan Expo, and also participate on tenders for the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games. The AR530 will be used to build the future skyscraper Oculus in Manhattan, USA, together with the adjoining 150 mt tall seagull structure by the near metro station.

An exceptional shipping

In order to transport the AR530 twelve trucks were used, two of them, transporting the modulus of 54 and 64 tons, with police convoy for exceptional loading. Among the rest, 4 flat racks and 6 long trucks in order to contain the over 60 parts. The space now free after the machine shipping confirms the need of MG to enlarge its plant. MG is analyzing the situation to see the possibility. “The market requests,” Mr. Roccia concludes, “seem to be evolving towards larger products. If this trend is confirmed in the next few years, MG will definitely need more space for the construction of big machines. I have to say that we all had become used to see this giant towering on us, we all felt a sense of emptiness when the last part of the AR530 was shipped. However, we immediately covered the space with other machines frames that are on our program.”

Who knows if among these future machines can be seen the next Record?