ACC Homes in on High Concentricity Rates

The equipment and skills needed to achieve concentricity levels up to 97% or even more are difficult to obtain without including some form of automation. ACC is the answer.

The equipment and skills needed to achieve concentricity levels up to 97% or even more are difficult to obtain without including some form of automation. The traditional method is time-consuming (i.e. manual adjustments of four centering bolts). The Automatic Crosshead Centering coupled to a Maillefer crosshead helps you home in on concentricity.

Assisted with intelligence

The ACC system features an intelligent, servo motor-powered auto-centering mechanism. It has two modes - manual and automatic. Both are useful. A joystick serves as the interface for manual centering, while in automatic mode the system enters a closed-loop control taking live measurement readings. Concentricity is ensured automatically, resulting in even wall distribution with minimum thickness variations. Real-time data collection from the gauge makes the immediate adjustments possible.

Mixing modes for optimal position

The centering of the jacket or insulation layer falls under the responsibility of the operator. Hot surfaces and bad ergonomics can make the task difficult to fulfill properly. In order to introduce more intelligence to the production line, Maillefer has taken this step of the process to the next level.

With the help of ACC during the start-up phase, the operator manually adjusts the extrudate flow intuitively with the joystick. Centering reaches its optimal position when the flow begins to move directly down from die exit. Once the desired production speed is reached, then ACC’s automated mode takes over. This ensures minimum materials over-consumption.

ECH 35/45 crosshead equipped with ACC centering

Doing more with less

Being able to control material over-consumption is key for sustainable manufacturing. ACC offers a response. When one controls wall thickness with utmost precision, it leads the way to ecological and economical success.

Vast material savings are possible by doing more with less. In a normal jacketing line, the HDPE consumption can be roughly 400 kg/h. That corresponds 2000 – 3000 tons of HDPE consumption depending on the number of shifts and production efficiency. Our studies on current manufacturing lines show that there is plenty of room for improvement for material usage efficiency. Material savings can be over 50 tons per line when ACC is introduced on a jacketing line.

Winning concepts for the future

The first ECH 35/45 crosshead equipped with ACC has been supplied for a jacketing line. Deployment plans continue for fitting other model crossheads with ACC.

Automatic crosshead centering combines the latest technology with sustainability. By placing more intelligence in manufacturing components, we get to create winning production concepts. Here, economy meets ecology and the reality of a sustainable future together.