Metal Forming technology – Expanding, Shrinking, Expanding-Shrinking and Roll-Forming technology

We are experts for metal forming technology, especially for sizing and roll forming technologies. These are not so familiar within the industries we serve. We would like to change this as we believe in the benefits which include energy savings, machining reduction, quality, precision and more.

The Expanding Process – when the inside Diameter is of Importance

 

The expanding process is the most economical means of forming and / or sizing a wide range of parts having a continuous cross-section. Parts that are round, square or multi-sided can be successfully sized. A wide range of materials can be sized or formed by expanding, such as alloy steel, aluminum, mild steel, stainless steel, titanium and aerospace alloys, which are routinely formed and sized on SizTech expanders. Expanding can eliminate or reduce machining operations and therefore reduce your cost per part, especially when the inside diameter is of importance.

 

Material properties throughout the product are improved by momentarily elevating the stress in the product beyond the yield point, resulting in a form of mechanical stress relieving and increased material properties.

 

SizTech offers optimal process control during expanding.

A expander for forming metal products

Advantages of our Expander

  • Part accuracy, stress, cross section consistency and appearance are all a direct result of the number of jaws
  • The Ring indexing system allows for automatic rotation of the part
  • Measuring and calibrating of the inner ring diameter during the automatic cycle (Gauge mode)
  • Spring back compensation
  • A unique programmable control system with a user-friendly interface that guarantees repeatability and accuracy
  • Additional advantage for the forging industry: Material and labor savings
  • Additional advantage for the aerospace industry: Hot parts can be sized; the temperature of the product can be measured to calculate the expansion ratio to guarantee part diameter at room temperature

Features of SizTech

  • SizTech can help you to calculate material/machining savings
  • SizTech can advise you which applications are possible and which are NOT possible to expand
  • SizTech knows how to calculate the right expander for your application
  • Our unique design reduces the friction in the system
  • SizTech offers a proven, reliable machine design that guarantees high efficiency, long lifetime, and low maintenance costs (ex. special cone/drawbar configuration)
  • SizTech designs and tests tooling; tooling shares the same profile of the part that needs to be produced and is one of the most important parts in the expander
  • Quick change options for the tooling is available
  • SizTech can also supply automatic loading and unloading systems

Shrinking Process – when the outside Diameter is of Importance

 

The shrinking process is, as expanding, the most economical means of forming and / or sizing a wide range of parts having a continuous cross-section.

 

Shrinking is the opposite of expanding, with the product being formed or sized from the outside diameter by exceeding the material yield stress during compression. This compression is used to reduce diameters. Forces act radially inward toward the machine centerline. The force required is higher than for the expanding process.  The advantage is that improvements of the material properties are generated by a lower deformation.

 

Shrinking is preferred over other forming methods when the diameter of the part is relatively small and/or outside diameter accuracy of the finished part is critical.

 

Shrinking can eliminate or reduce machining operations and therefore reduce cost per part, especially when the outside diameter is of importance.

A retracted shrinker for metal forming

Advantages of our Shrinker

  • High outside diameter accuracy
  • No limitation on minimum diameters
  • Unique for assembling different types of materials (ex. steel rings around rubber parts)
  • Shrinking is the only process where a segment of a ring > 180° can be calibrated
  • Measuring and calibrating of the outer ring diameter during the automatic cycle (gauge mode)
  • Spring back compensation
  • A unique programmable control system with a user-friendly interface that guarantees repeatability and accuracy

Features of SizTech

  • SizTech can help you to develop your product with shrinking technology
  • SizTech can advise you, which applications are possible and which are NOT possible to shrink
  • SizTech knows how to calculate the right shrinker for your application
  • Our unique design reduces the friction in the system
  • SizTech offers proven, reliable machine design that guarantees high efficiency, long lifetime, and low maintenance costs
  • SizTech designs and test tooling; tooling shares the same profile of the part which needs to be produced and is one of the most important parts in the Shrinker
  • Quick change options for the tooling are available
  • SizTech can also supply automatic loading and unloading systems

The Expanding-Shrinking Process – when contoured transitional Areas are required

 

The expanding-shrinking process is an unique and economical means of forming a wide range of parts. For some applications, the principles of both expanding and shrinking are combined in a single machine. The center of such machine is an Expander. In principle, there are two methods to combine the processes:

 

  1. With an expander as the center of the machine and with a collapsible outer die, the outer die will have a predefined diameter and act as a compression tool. The part is then expanded into the outer die.
  2. With an expander as the center of the machine and a full shrinker around the expander, both the expander and shrinker can move to any given diameter.

 

This process is used for applications requiring the formation of localized embossments, beads, offsets, or other contoured transitional areas along the surface of the product.

 

Very complex curves or corrugations with high accuracy can be made. The process combines both motions so that the workpiece can be initially expanded and then shrunk. The cycle sequence can be reversed to provide shrinking first and then expanding.

 

This process can replace many other expensive forming processes.

A expander shrinker for metal forming

Advantages of our Expander-Shrinker-Combination

  • Complex profiles and shapes with high accuracy
  • Exotic materials can be formed and shaped without any machining
  • Optimize volume distribution and stress relief of the product
  • Measuring and calibrating of the inner or outer ring diameter during the automatic cycle (gauge mode)
  • A unique control system with a user-friendly interface that guarantees repeatability and accuracy
  • Additional advantage for the aerospace industry: Hot parts can be sized; the temperature of the product can be measured to calculate the expansion or reduction ratio to guarantee part diameter at room temperature

Features of SizTech

  • SizTech understands the advantages of using both processes
  • SizTech can advise you which applications are possible and which are NOT possible to size
  • SizTech knows how to calculate and design the right expander – shrinker combination for your application.
  • Our unique design reduces the friction in the system.
  • SizTech offers a proven, reliable machine design that guarantees high efficiency, long lifetime and low maintenance costs.
  • SizTech designs and tests tooling; tooling shares the same profile as the part on the inside and on the outside, which needs to be produced and is one of the most important parts in the expander-shrinker
  • Quick change options for the tooling are available
  • SizTech can also supply automatic loading and unloading systems

The Roll-Forming Process – when Forming complex Profiles is needed

 

SizTech roll-formers can be widely used in most industries to form a variety of complex materials, such as Steel, Inconel, Titanium, and Aluminum based alloys. Rotary roll-formers apply an unique metal forming technology that generates complex profiles to straight sided and conical shape hollow cylinders. This process produces accurately dimensioned parts with essentially uniform cross section.

 

The tooling design and process parameters control the material thickness. It is typically preferred that the material thickness does not change. The Roll-Former forming rolls are mounted on two driven spindles. The lower spindle can be moved vertically toward or away from the upper spindle to provide the rotary motion during the roll forming process. The spindles are controlled by different forming process steps. When necessary, the part will be guided by side guides which help guide the part during the forming process.

 

Another successful benefit of roll-formers is the “near net shape” roll-forming process. The principle is the same; however, because of the special design, the roll-former has specific forces to allow material to displace in radial and axial directions. All kinds of shapes can be formed to reduce or to eliminate additional machining.

 

Roll-formers are commonly used for making parts in automotive, aerospace, power generation and other industries.

A roll-former for metal forming

Advantages of our Roll-Former

  • Roll forming is a repeatable process
  • Near net shape gives considerable material savings, especially for extraordinarily complex profiles
  • Roll-formers can be built in a wide range of sizes and configurations
  • Suitable for high production runs
  • Tooling area is easily accessible which reduces set up time and tool change
  • The unique programmable control system has a user-friendly interface and guarantees repeatability and accuracy
  • Roll-formers can be designed with single- and double- end design
  • Wide range of products and product diameters on one machine

Features of Siztech

  • SizTech designs and manufactures reliable and maintenance friendly equipment
  • SizTech can advise you which applications are possible, and which are NOT possible to roll form
  • SizTech’s long life rotary spindle concept is hydraulically or electrically driven
  • SizTech provides position control for process optimization
  • Programmable process steps, fast approach, infeed, and ironing time
  • Custom tooling is designed with special materials for all applications, including testing of the tooling
  • Quick change options for the tooling are available
  • SizTech can supply automatic loading and unloading systems