Welding lines for a variety of precast elements

Eurobend provides solutions for all precast plant layouts that are suitable for any element dimensions and types of application. Its tried-and-tested PL XY and PL AMM mesh welding lines are designed to produce stan-dard and custom mesh as well as mesh reinforcement with openings for a wide range of precast elements. ­Eurobend machines are equipped with innovative high-end features, sophisticated electronics, a software package and computer hardware with a unique redundant storage system to eliminate production downtime due to hard-disk defects or data loss, and an interface for the exchange of manufacturing data in various formats commonly used in the industry, such as BVBS or Uni-technik. They are easy to operate and maintain due to their ingenious, modular design.

Both machine series provide an appropriate solution for any budget because they can be equipped either with a feed option for precut rebar, as in the entry-level PL XY series, or with a fully automatic coiled rebar feed system, as in the high-end PL AMM series.

Standard and custom mesh, reinforcement with openings

The innovative, CNC-programmable PL XY Twin mesh welding line uses a patented method to process precut rebar in order to manufacture standard and custom mesh products as well as mesh reinforcement with openings.

Mesh is produced from line and cross wires in diameters of up to 20 mm. The PL XY Twin machine is equipped with two mobile multi-point welding heads that enable an output of up to 400 weld spots per minute. The smallest line wire step for all diameters is 50 mm and above in 50 mm steps; the cross wire minimum step is and above infinitely programmable at 50 mm. Mesh with the above characteristics can be produced just in time on a type-by-type basis without requiring any adjustments. The manufacturing process is controlled through the software delivered with the machine.

Line wires are manually inserted into preselected grippers that are attached to a carrier unit. The carrier unit then automatically feeds the line wires into the welding machine and returns to its original position for the next feed cycle while the machine is welding the mesh. Grippers are fitted with LED lights to simplify line wire feed. This system virtually eliminates idle time between the fabrication of two different mesh items.

A second feed system attached to the line wire carrier enables fabrication of mesh with variable line wire lengths (material-saving mesh) or mesh with openings.

A custom feeding system is used to automatically feeds cross wires into the welding line. A second cross wire feeding and positioning system enables production of mesh with variable cross wire lengths as well as of mesh with openings. In the latter case, an additional screen simplifies the feeding of cross wires in custom lengths.

Finished mesh products are automatically removed via a mesh stacking and roller discharge conveyor system.

Production of precut rebar

Next to the mesh welding line, an independently operated MELC Flexiline multi-rotor straightening and cutting machine is located that is equipped with Eurobend 4G rotors with hyperbolic rollers and the patented, extremely fast diameter changeover system. This machine ensures perfect straightening quality and highly accurate lengths. It enables diameter changeovers within just three seconds without moving mechanical parts, and produces precut rebar in specified diameters either on demand or according to a daily production schedule.

The extremely fast diameter changeover system provides the unique opportunity to produce precut rebar one after another for all mesh products within a given batch. Rebar items are placed on a chain-driven pocket conveyor.

This simplified material handling, storage and logistics system also leads to savings in personnel cost and capital expenditure.

Combined with the high straightening quality and exceedingly short diameter changeover times of the MELC Flexiline rotor straightening and cutting machine, the unrivalled flexibility of the PL XY Twin welding line series makes this system the superior, most economical choice for all plants producing mesh reinforcement because it ensures just-in-time fabrication of standard and custom mesh as well as mesh with openings for any type of precast concrete application.

Fully automatic production

The high-end PL AMM mesh welding line feeds wire directly from the coil and ensures a fully automatic process of producing standard and custom mesh and mesh with openings.

This machine fabricates mesh from coiled line and cross wires in diameters of up to 20 mm. It can be equipped with up to 81 stationary welding heads and achieves an output of up to 80 cross wires per minute. The smallest line wire step for all diameters is 50 mm; above it is programmalbe in 50 mm steps – or even infinitely on the PLC AMM FLEXI series.

Two independently operated MELC Flexiline multi-rotor straightening and cutting machines equipped with Eurobend 4G rotors with hyperbolic rollers and the patented wire guiding system ensure perfect straightening quality and length accuracy. They enable diameter changeovers for one and the same mesh item within just a few seconds, thus making it possible to weld up to six different line and cross wire diameters for a single mesh product.

Any mesh products can be fabricated one after another just in time on a type-by-type basis without any manual adjustments. The manufacturing process is controlled through the software delivered with the machine.

A software interface provides various industry formats, such as BVBS and Unitechnik, to exchange production data between the computer and the factory environment.

Finished mesh products are automatically removed via a mesh stacking and roller discharge conveyor system. They can also be bent and conveyed further along the line using integrated bending and crane systems, or moved onto production pallets in a just-in-time process.