A Straightening machine is a heavy equipment used for the straightening of metal objects such as metal rods, flats, tubes, channels, h-beams, i-beams, rolled beams and scrap metal. These machines are widely employed in the metal working and metal processing industries world wide. The main function of these machines is to straighten and flatten different types of metal products that are normally difficult to get perfectly straightened using manual methods. They have a number of features that make them an invaluable piece of machinery.
These machines have different roller sizes and diameters to accommodate different material thicknesses. They can also have a number of back-up rollers to reduce the stresses and forces placed on the work rollers. The maximum straightening force is a direct proportion of the radius of the work roller. In addition, the width and length of the work roll is a major factor in the straightening capacity of a given machine.
When determining the appropriate machine for a specific application, careful consideration must be given to these factors. A common mistake is to request a machine that will straighten a very wide material without taking into account the effect this will have on the machine’s structure and maximum straightening force. The wider the material is, the greater the amount of deflection of the work rollers which can cause significant damage to the machine. This can result in poor machine efficiency and excessive strain on drive components. In most cases, a machine which is capable of handling wide material will require the use of back-up rollers in order to reduce the stress and deflection on the work rollers.
A well-designed Straightening machine should be capable of providing a constant, controlled deformation which minimizes the stresses and strains on the work rolls and support bearings. This can be achieved by a proper balance of the forces acting on the work and back-up rollers, and the distribution of these forces across the width of the work roll.
Another important factor is the type of material being straightened. Different metals have different yield points, so there is no one-size-fits-all solution when it comes to straightening machines. For example, aluminum can be more challenging to straighten than steel because it is more elastic and has a higher plastic ratio.
Both straighteners and corrective levelers work by passing a coil through a series of reversing rollers, which bend and stretch the strip to re-flatten it. They can have either computer or manually adjusted roller heights and both usually come with a readout to make it easy to adjust them according to the needs of the particular coil being processed. Some of the more advanced machines also have automatic controls that allow them to be operated from a remote location. This is useful for applications where the straightener must be located away from the production line. The ability to remotely operate the straightener can save a lot of time, money and effort for the manufacturer.
