NIP IT IN THE BUD

Phoenix Metals (Norcross, GA) recently ordered a Red Bud Industries' (Red Bud, IL) precision multi-blanking line, their sixth Red Bud line overall, for their new Ohio facility in Middletown. The company currently has five cut-to-length lines in their Norcross, Tampa, Nashville, Birmingham, and Charlotte plants.

This new line is currently configured to process mild steel and aluminum up to .135 in (3.4 mm) or stainless up to .105 in (2.7 mm). Space is being left in the line to add an additional heavy gage leveler at a later date to allow Phoenix to process up to .250 in (6.35 mm) stainless steel plate. Phoenix currently processes up to 3/8 in (9.5 mm) x 72 in (1829 mm) wide stainless plate in its Charlotte, NC, facility and up to ¼ in (6.35 mm) x 72 in (1829 mm) wide stainless plate in its Nashville, TN, facility on Red Bud blanking lines.

This line uses a precision grip feed system and CNC programmable slitter combination that gives Phoenix the ability to produce blanks with width and length tolerances of ± .005 in (.127 mm). The CNC slitter can be set up in less than two minutes per cut to eliminate costly downtime that can occur when using conventional packed arbor slitters. An additional advantage to the system will be the automatic strip divider positioning. While the operator sets up the slitting head, the strip divider positioning system automatically sets up the dividers in the strip stacker. After the operator finishes setting up the slitting head, the strip stacker is ready to run blanks.

This new line can process coils up to 50,000 lb (22,680 kg) at widths up to 72 in (1829 mm) and thicknesses up to .135 in (3.4 mm). The new line is configured with a coil stage and load system, uncoiler, peeler breaker, crop shear, Herr-Voss leveler, "pop up" flatness inspection table, top and bottom side PVC applicator, "hands free" thread system, dual motor heavy gage grip feed, CNC programmable slitter, scrap winders, shear, combination drop/strip stacker, part diverter, automatically lowering stack table, and side discharge rollouts.

In a separate project, after 33 years of service Morton Manufacturing Company (Libertyville, IL) recently replaced their original Red Bud line with a new.135 in (3.43 mm) line. Morton manufactures anti-slip walking surfaces for the railroad and industrial markets. The new line consists of a coil lift, peeler breaker, straightener, support ramp, edge trim, scrap chopper, "hands free" thread system, dual motor grip feed, shear, drop stacker, and automatically lowering stack table. The new line has a weight capacity of 30,000 lb (13,608 kg) and a width capacity of 48 in (1219 mm).

Phoenix Metals, Corporate Office, 4685 Buford Hwy., Norcross, GA 30071; Phone: (770) 447-4211, www.phoenixmetals.net

Morton Manufacturing Company, 700 Liberty Drive, Libertyville, IL 60048-2376, Phone: 877·667·8634, www.mortonmfg.com

Red Bud Industries, 200 B & E Industrial Drive, Red Bud, IL 62278-2198, 618-282-3801, Fax: 618-282-6718, www.redbudindustries.com.