Posted to News on 7th Sep 2012, 14:01
Air-powered WALFORMplus makes metric tube fitting assembly easy
Eaton Corporation is introducing WALFORMplus, an air-powered version of the Walterscheid WALFORM M-WF385X tube forming machine that is ATEX compliant for use in potentially challenging environments. Eaton's air-powered version of its WALFORM machine, which carries the designation MWF385X-EX1, utilises the original forming head of the M-WF385X, but replaces an electric drive with an innovative pneumatic power pack. This replacement of electrical power eliminates potential sparks, making the new unit suitable for use on oil and gas platforms, mines, shipbuilding, flour mills, and other ATEX-classified environments.
The new pneumatic power pack was designed to connect into an industry standard seven bar airline that allows the machine to operate with a very efficient cycle time of less than 60 seconds. This new machine allows the user additional installation efficiency by allowing tube assembly at the point of installation in ATEX classified environments. The machine has been designed to be similar in size to the electrically driven machine, allowing it to fit on standard pallet sizes so it can be transported easily by forklift trucks or cranes. The performance of a metric tube fitting connection formed by the air unit is the same as one created by Eaton's traditional electrically driven tube forming machine.
Eaton's WALFORMplus tube connection system consists of four elements: 1) the mechanically reshaped tube end; 2) a DIN body with a 24 degree cone seat; 3) a DIN nut; and 4) a captive seal. Both the nut and body are constructed according to the DIN EN ISO 8434-1 specification. Eaton's WALFORMplus system offers the benefits of both an elastomeric and metal-to-metal seal.
Eaton's WALFORMplus system provides reliable metric tube fitting to tube retention even under high dynamic loads. The assembly process is simple and practical, can be completed with little training, and substantially reduces costs. Additional savings can be derived from the fact that manual pre-assembly and other auxiliary operations are not required. Visit www.eaton.com/hydraulics for more information.
