Walform Machine

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Walform machine is a new technology that provides assembly of compression fitting and tube. Walform machine is a tube forming machine that is ATEX-compliant for use in potentially challenging environments.

Standard re-assembly and assembly of system is guaranteed with the machine assistance as a final assembly stop and it provides lasting functional reliability even under dynamic pressure impulse and high vibration loads. It reliably avoids both insufficient and excessive tightening which are the most frequent causes of faults. 

CATALOGUE :

​​​​​​Walform Machine​

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What are walform machine

1. What is walform machine?

It is made in a portable type form factor that easy to carry in different job site. The connection system is the most popular and leading cold forming metric tube fitting system in the world. ​The Eaton walform machine helps to create a profile ring in the tube body and resulting in the recognized pressure point felt during tube assembly. Electronically control walform machine guarantees efficient reshaping of tube production with consistent high quality standard.

​2. Can compression fittings be reused?
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Compression fittings are available in multiple sizes and configurations while offering the best performance in high pressure application which covers numerous market industries. All fittings components are made according to DIN 2353 specifications.  The sizes are available from 6mm to 42mm outer diameter in steel and stainless steel material. A compression fitting is used to join two tubes together. Seamless tubes are mainly made from material steel ST37.4 and ST52.4 and stainless steel SS316/316L.
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Standard compression fitting and tube assembly is via cutting ring technology, which is a metric DIN compression fitting that consists of a body, profile ring and nut. Cutting ring technology is a conventional method during assembly, two cutting edges of the profile ring penetrate the tube, creating a reliable and safe sealing while the top area of the profile ring seals along the fitting body. 

This procedure can be performed by trained worker who have attended a course about the assembly on compression fittings. For more information, you can refer to Swagelok tube fitting assembly. This conventional method is suitable to apply for low volume of production, repair works or environment whereby there is no power supply is available.  There is a risk involved as the process is prone to human careless mistake. During the tightening process, the worker can under or over tighten the nuts and sleeve and it might lead to system flow leakage which can cause serious danger under high pressure application. The body sleeve cannot be used after assembly. ​

The features of standard assembly: 

• Meets fitting DIN 2353 standard requirement
• High axial strength profile ring that provides radial flexibility
• Two edge cutting ring
• Limit stop assembly

The benefits of standard assembly: 

• Connection meeting market industry specifications
• No deformation during excess tightening
• Provide a full 360-degree seal surrounding to the tube
• Provide an easy and safe assembly in low volume

3. How do you assemble a compression fitting with walform machine?

Walform system is a tube fitting system that consists of 4 types of components.

Component 1	Mechanically reshaped tube end
Component 2	DIN fitting body
Component 3	DIN union nut
Component 4	Viton Walform seal

Clamping Jaw

The mechanically reshaped tube is positively connected by a conventional DIN fitting body and union nut with the sleeve removed. The only leakage path is being sealed off by an elastomer ring or viton walform seal and a metal-to-metal backup seal for extra protection. In addition, the reshaped tube completely eliminates a leak path compared to the standard cutting ring system. It does not allow the potential for tube pull-out during excessive pressure and impulse application. ​

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The features of walform assembly: 

• Meets fitting DIN 2353 standard requirement
• Viton Walform seal with secondary metallic seal
• One piece of reshaped tube is required
• Fewer of components are required
• Low torque and equal standard

The benefits of walform assembly: 

• Connection meeting market industry specifications
• Eliminates leak path and does not allow tube pull-out easily
• Redundant sealing for overall system performance improvement
• Fewer components reduce material and labour cost
• Large volume of high quality installation assemblies can be produced efficiently and consistently
• Provide an easy, simple, practical and safe assembly process that can be carried out by anyone
• Unmistakable pressure point clearly indicates the end of the assembly travel; it makes excessive or insufficient tightening virtually impossible as the standard is consistently controlled by the machine assembly
• Manpower cost saving; the machine requires only one man to operate one machine and lesser time is required to configure a tube and larger volume can be produced
• Material cost saving; the minimizing mistake can help to reduce wastage as well as cost of replacing the tube and fittings that are damaged in the assembly process

Walform assembly provides reliable metric tube fitting to tube retention even under high dynamic loads. The assembly process is practical and simple. It can be completed with short training provided and substantially reduces the overall cost. Additional savings can be derived from the fact that manual standard assembly and other auxiliary operations are no longer required.

Remover Tool

4. What is a walform machine installation tool?​

Before operation of walform machine, the right tool installation is required such as reshaper, clamping jaw and removing tool. Both clamping jaw and reshaper come in two types of material, stainless steel SS316 and carbon steel ST37.4/52.4. 

The application jaw size measurement is according to the tube outer diameter size. The reshaper has three types of design, with or without internal support and adapter ring. The selection of the correct reshaper design is based on the tube material and wall thickness, refer to table below for further information:

Tube OD	WT 1.0	WT 1.5	WT 2.0	WT 2.5	WT 3.0	WT 3.5	WT 4.0	WT 5.0	WT 6.0
6	☆	✦
8	☆	✦	✦	✦
10	☆	✦	✦	✦
12	☆	●	✦	✦	✦
15		●	●	●
16		☆	●	●	✦		✦
18		☆	●	●	✦		​
20			●	●	✦		✦
22		☆	●	●	✦		​
25			●	●	●		​✦	​✦
28				●	●		​✦
30			☆	●	●		​✦	​✦	​✦
35			☆	●	●		​✦	​✦
38					●		​●	​✦	​✦
42			☆		●		​●

Reshaper Suitability Tube Wall Thickness (WT) for Hydraulic Steel ST37.4/52.4 Tubes

☆  With adapter ring
●    Reshaping with internal support
✦   Reshaping without internal support

Tube OD	WT 1.0	WT 1.5	WT 2.0	WT 2.5	WT 3.0	WT 3.5	WT 4.0	WT 5.0	WT 6.0
6	​☆	​✦
8	☆	✦	​✦
10	☆	✦	✦
12	​☆	✦	​✦	​✦	​✦
15		●	​●
16			​●	​●	​✦
18			​●	​●	​✦
20			​●	​●	​✦
22			​●	​●	​✦
25			​●	​●	​​●		✦
28			​●	​●	​​●
30				​●	​​●		​✦	​✦
35					​​●		​✦	✦
38					​​●		​​●	✦
42					​​●

Reshaper Suitability Tube Wall Thickness (WT) for Stainless Steel 1.4571 Tubes

☆  With adapter ring
●    Reshaping with internal support
✦   Reshaping without internal support

5. How does the machine improve business productivity compared to conventional method?
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The process to create reshaping tube is made simpler with shifting from conventional manual method to partial machine method. The need is to prepare a worker to insert the tube into the configured walform machine. The primary cause issue in system installation is internal or external fluid leakages. With applying the walform machine in system installation, the overall system performance efficiency is improving whilst the risk of leakages is being reduced.

The time required to produce a reshaped tube with walform machine is 5 to 8 seconds with compare to conventional manual method is at approximately 60 seconds. Overall, the walform machine saves at least 50 seconds for each tube reshaping process and this transform to 6 to 10 more tube reshaping can be made. Therefore, the overall productivity and output increases.

6. First commissioning and start-up preparation of Walform machine
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Step 1: Tube preparation

Saw off the tube at the right angle according to the length required. Deburr the tube ends from external and internal with a maximum 0.2mm size allowed. Remove the paint in the clamping and reshaping area if any is found. Clean the bare metal of the tube end and make sure the tube is in perfect condition with no spalling and no damage.

Step 2: Disposition of walform tools
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Replace the oil reservoir by the vent screw including in the consignment before commissioning the machine.

Open the tool holder and remove the unlocking pin. Turn both tool holder handles anticlockwise and pull the told holder handles and move aside. Insert the clamping jaw with slight pressure into the tool holder up to a noticeable catch and install the reshaping stud hand tide using the removing tool. The reshaper and clamping jaw for each size always form a single unit. 

Walform Reshaper

​Close the tool holder and swing the toll holder back into position. Slip the tool holder back into its mount and pull out the unlocking pin and turn both tool holder handles in clockwise direction until the unlocking pin engages again. Plug in the main cable and set the master switch to “I”, which means ON and the machine ready indicator lights up.

7. How to use a walform machine?

Here is the list of walform machine full operation procedures and to watch the full video on the operation procedure, kindly click at the ​video clip. 
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1. Insert the tools and close the tool holder and the red indicator lamp expires. 
2. Press the start button key and the machine is in basic position. This procedure is repeated after every tool change procedure. 
3. Press the start key button key and function key simultaneously. Hold them down for approximately 2 seconds. The ready indicator is the white indicator lamp that lights up. The insertion position will be moved by the clamping jaws.
4. Slide the nut into the tube and insert the tube horizontally up to the stop and hold it tight with your hand. Tube axis and tool axis must be coincided. 
5. Set the walform pressure on 99% and press the start key. The procedure runs automatically and cannot be interrupted by external factors. 
6. Remove the reshaped tube by pulling it from the machine. 
7. Examine and check the reshaped tube for detectable quality defects such as surface damage, spalling or cracks. 
8. Check the control diameter and kindly take note that the excessively small reshaping diameters impair the function of the fitting. 
9. When changing the tools, switch off the machine and start with the beginning step above.

Reshaper: Screw the reshaper anticlockwise out of the holder using the removing tool.
Clamping Jaw: Force out the clamping jaws by applying slight pressure and tilting at the same time. The reshaper and clamping jaw for each size always form a single unit.

8. Where is the walform machine used at?

The main markets are as per below:

• Stationary/Industrial Equipment
• Construction
• Agriculture
• General Hydraulics

The applications are as per below:

• Machine Tool
• Hydraulic Presses
• Excavators
• Loaders
• Harvester/Balers
• Mining Equipment
• Concrete Pumpers
• Offshore Equipment

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CATALOGUE :

​​​​​​Walform Machine​

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