A G R I C U L T U R E
Mass customization comes to
hydraulic tubing Flexible manufacturing of hydraulic tubing assemblies has become an essential part of agricultural equipment production. Ken Korane • Senior Editor
Efficient and cost-effective manufacturing of agricultural and mobile equipment today depends on highly engineered production systems. And that holds not only for complete machines like tractors and combine harvesters, but also for essential subsystems like hydraulic tubing assemblies. transfluid Maschinenbau GmbH, a specialist manufacturer of tube bending and tube processing machines with headquarters in Schmallenberg, Germany, has been delivering its products and technology expertise to manufacturers of agricultural machinery for many years, said Stefanie Flaeper, the company’s managing director. That includes tube-processing equipment for heavy tubes and profiles used in the construction of frames, and for large hydraulic systems. Industry trends
Because many agricultural OEMs deal with smaller series production, they require the most flexible manufacturing systems possible to craft finished hydraulic tubing assemblies. The great variety of geometries and low production volumes typical of mobile hydraulic tubing makes this a major challenge, said Flaeper. At the same time customers want production machines that are fast and easy to set-up and, of course, are extremely safe to operate, she continued. 34
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Hydraulic pressures are also increasing in mobile and ag applications, driven by the demand for greater load capacity, higher productivity and better energy efficiency. That means engineers are specifying higher-strength tubing materials. As a result, transfluid is building machines that are structurally more robust and offer a higher power capacity, for long-life operation. Tubing must also permit efficient flow with minimal losses, so it is important to have smooth, round bends with minimal ovality. transfluid machines incorporate a number of technical features which ensure high-quality bends. That includes, for example, a wide variety of application-specific tools; and electronic controls that tightly manage forces to ensure precise and repeatable part dimensions. Weight is, of course, also an issue, as is the avoidance of expensive fluid connectors. Here, advanced forming and bending technologies can often simplify complex routing and connection systems, to save on material use and cost. And it goes without saying that a leak-free, stable connection system is always a requirement, for both safety and for a minimal environmental impact, said Flaeper. Systems approach
All these requirements have a direct bearing on the types of machines the company designs and builds. “transfluid has its origins in the hydraulic industry, so we have a lot of experience working directly with systems manufacturers that we integrate into all our solutions for hydraulic connection systems. We have had quality
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