The German expression, ”drilling of thick planks” has long since become a popular metaphor for persistence. Rarely mentioned is the welding of thick metal sheets, although persistence is also required for this, at least when established methods are used.

But users know this all too well, especially those who decide to use submerged-arc welding (SAW) or metal active gas (MAG) welding. For example, to join the thick steel walls of ships with butt-joint using both methods, a welding seam preparation must be made. When using the typical laser MAG hybrid technique, multilayers have to be welded. This takes time. When the sheets are thicker than 20 millimeters, often there is no other way than to weld them from two sides or to use a backing technique. It does not get any quicker and the next time-eater is already waiting because the high-heat input of the conventional welding methods leaves its traces. It influences the steel structures of the sheets beyond the seam area and can lead to a distortion in the components requiring intensive post-processing.

Now, seams created by MAG or SAW welding are undoubtedly very solid and can also tolerate a suboptimal seam preparation. In practice, they have proven themselves over many years. However, this does not mean that we cannot do it better, as the comparatively slow processes and material distortions that must be accepted at MAG welding pose an economic challenge. And this does not apply only to ship construction, the task of welding thick sheets is also given in other areas, for example, in pipe systems for oil and natural gas pipelines or at the foundations of offshore wind turbines. On each of these application fields, one question keeps presenting itself: how can the welding processes be made more efficient and thus more economical?

Among the popular welding methods for joining mainly thick sheets, laser welding is also possible. However, in the past, a wider field operation was avoided for the reason that laser spots were mostly too small to bridge the height offset and the big gap sizes. Until now only the laser MAG hybrid welding could withstand the practical demands of reconciling the
numerous process parameters of this method which still poses a challenge.

Laserline has a real alternative: a fiber-coupled high-power diode laser system with mirror optic was developed especially for welding thick sheets. It offers a 60 kW output power as well as a focusing with 400 mm focal length that creates a practice-oriented focal spot size of 2.7 mm.

In test runs, very convincing welding results were attained. Sheet thicknesses of up to 25 mm can be welded with this system completely one-sided and in only one single work step. The high intensity of the laser beam melts up the material more quickly and thus shortens the processing period, which includes already two processes progresses.

On the one hand, per welding direction, previously unachieved feed rates of up to two meters per minute can be realized. On the other hand, the heating of seam adjoining sheet areas will be minimized with the risk of material distortion reduced.

Three further typical challenges of thick metal welding — height offset, the existence of variable gap sizes, and a lack of precisely milled metal edges — pose no problems at all for diode lasers: gap sizes of up to 1 mm as well as a height offset of up to 2.5 mm are safely bridged, while imperfect metal edges are reliably joined. The outcomes are small, smooth, and clean welding seams with impressive stability and homogeneity.

The fiber-coupled 60 kW diode laser systems from Laserline present therefore a real alternative to established welding methods. The economic benefits of a quicker and material protecting process control are not all there is to it. The laser system and optic must also have no fear of the rough wind that blows in shipyards or in pipeline construction. They can withstand quite a bit, just like the welding seams they produce.

The post Laserline Welding of Thick Metal Sheets appeared first on North America FarmQuip Magazine.

Sorting, stacking, transporting material, loading-trucks, quick journeys from A to B within confined space conditions, and keeping an overview at the same time: at the composting plant in Wachtberg there are many different tasks to be done. For this you need a true multi-talent machine.

Sennebogen offers exactly that and Mr. Riebau, owner of Wachtberg Kompost, is more than satisfied with his decision.

Excellent view into the Shredder’s loading opening

Meanwhile, at the composting site, a shredder is used to chop bark into bark mulch. Loading the shredder with raw material is done efficiently thanks to the elevating cab of the 355 E telehandler. At 4.25 m eye level, the driver has an excellent view into the shredder’s loading opening and can thus load material precisely and prevent possible blockages. Even when loading the trucks with finished bark mulch or compost soil, the clear view into the loading area offers several advantages. On the one hand, the flat viewing angle on or into the truck is neck-friendly for the driver and supports ergonomic working in the long term. On the other hand, the driver can see what he is doing and can, for example, improve the distribution of the material inside the truck container.

“For us, the 355 E is a multi-talent, which simplifies the processing of green residues as well as material handling and loading considerably. Above all, the elevating cab gives us a constant overview of the site and also of the trucks. Thus the 355 E has become indispensable for us”.

Klaus Riebau Owner of Wachtberg Kompost

Stacking or loading material – both can be done quickly

The finished bark mulch must then be stacked very high. This is easy with the Sennebogen 355 E telehandler. The clever combination of telescopic handler and wheel loader is also ideally equipped for this requirement. The robust steel construction of the telescopic boom with a stacking height of 8.5 m, the ideal power transmission into the bucket using the cleverly engineered Z-kinematics and the powerful drive train with continuously variable travel drive provide the driver with the perfect working conditions. Even heavily compacted and heavy compost is extracted effortlessly from the dense piles thanks to the high breakaway force of up to 85 kN. The innovative control of the drive unit automatically provides the driver with an optimum mix of pull/thrust force and travel speed – depending on the requirements.

The focus is on the customer’s wishes – in individual equipment and service

The 355 E has been equipped with the Volvo quick-change system on request, an additional hydraulic circuit on the boom head and a permanent function for the standard auxiliary hydraulics. This means that demanding and already existing attachments can continue to be used. The permanent function for the auxiliary hydraulics with freely definable oil quantity is particularly useful when using the sweeper.

Klaus Riebau is clearly enthusiastic about his new all-rounder and also praises the comprehensive on-site service and technical support provided by Sennebogen.

Source: Sennebogen

The post Sennebogen Explains How Wachtberg Kompost Relies on 355 Telescopic Lift appeared first on North America FarmQuip Magazine.