The main focus during the development of the gearbox was on optimizing cutting times, increasing saw blade life as well as to minimize the saw blade diameter. In this context it is essential to manufacture the saw in ASMAG’s own workshop in Scharnstein/Austria, to ensure the necessary high quality of the saw. The use of high-strength aluminum alloys in the gearbox and clamping device further guarantee the high stiffness of this unit, which is essential for the core process of sawing.
The also newly designed protective enclosure with integrated highly effective noise insulation ensures a safe and easy operation of the saw.
The main innovation in the protective enclosure, however, is its compact design, which on the one hand reduces the space required on site and on the other hand guarantees a high level of functionality in terms of accessibility.
All units of the machine including the lubrication aggregates and the entire electrical control, are constructed on a self-supporting base frame. The saw is designed as a “Plug&Produce” machine and is fully tested at ASMAG before leaving the factory. Thus, the ready-to-use machine is delivered to the customer in one piece.
At the customer's site the saw only needs to be positioned in the right place and connected to the factory network, which means that installation and commissioning time and thus downtime of the tube welding line is shortened significantly. Replacement of an existing saw with a LINIAR DRIVE saw is therefore possible at any time of the year and is no longer limited to the summer or winter shutdown.
The machine's self-supporting subframe results in additional savings in machine foundation. Existing foundations very often prove sufficient due to this design which saves complete foundation costs and further reduce an already short downtime when replacing an existing saw.
In its daily practical production operation, innovations in already installed saws of the linear DRIVE series show a significant increase in productivity. Thanks to the highly dynamic concept, much higher line speeds are achieved. For short length sections cut with conventional saws the line speed can be very slow due to their short lengths.
The linear DRIVE saws with significantly higher line speeds cut short length sections at much higher line speed respectively the time gained by the highly dynamic drive can be used to extend the cutting time, which results in an extended saw blade service life time.
Many new features in the machine software, such as the software for minimizing the scrap length when cutting eddy current detected defects or the software for weight dependent cutting, also increase the productivity of the line or in down-stream machines such as drawing machines.
The saws of the linear DRIVE series set new standards in the tube and pipe industry. The added value of this new development can be presented economically on the basis of practical experiences.
