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Our customers have it made - because oftentimes, “standard equipment” just doesn’t cut it (let alone heat, cool, pull, stretch, stack, age, or handle it) when it comes to optimizing aluminum extrusion system performance.
That’s why Granco Clark’s aluminum extrusion installations are often custom designed and engineered to accommodate specific needs and achieve specified performance metrics.
Case in point, here’s how three custom-engineered solutions are optimizing productivity.
The new Granco Clark Billet Saw and Stacker at the Hodaka extrusion facility in Taiwan cuts logs into billets of exact length, stacks them in a cradle, then bundles and moves them for transport to extrusion lines.
By cutting billets on demand to the exact length needed when you them, the Billet Saw and Stacker eliminates the need to buy substantial quantities of various length—improving inventory control.
It also helps reduce scrap. With standard length billets, there will almost always be scrap. For example, a 26.2” cut from a standard 28” billet produces 1.8” of scrap per billet that will need to be reclaimed. Exact-length billets help reduce the need to reclaim excess extruded aluminum, which is more costly than reclaiming butt-ends of billets. They also eliminate unnecessary wear on dies from pushing excess metal through the press.
The Billet Saw and Stacker stacks in different configurations based on diameter, typically in a hexagonal fashion within a cradle. Its automated stacking capabilities eliminate human error and damage caused by manual handling. It easily stacks heavy billets, eliminating heavy manual lifting and the potential for worker injuries, as well as damage caused by manual handling. And the Billet Saw and Stacker is fast, much faster than manual stacking —stacking over 100 billets per hour.
At the Indalex extrusion facility in Connersville, IN, Granco Clark integrated and installed the new Profile Rotator—in-line profile handling technology placed after the extrusion cut off saw. The Profile Rotator acquires and lifts profiles from the aluminum extrusion line, rotates and orients them for proper nesting, then stacks them on a rack for transport to the age oven.
It’s particularly helpful for handling heavy extrusions — eliminating handling that might otherwise require a two- or three-person crew to manually lift and pass extrusions to carts. Consistent performance, reduced labor, and enhanced worker safety are all benefits Indalex is realizing from this new technology.
In another facility, Granco Clark developed our Manipulator technology to replace billet transveyors. With transveyors, billets sheared or sawn after leaving the furnace are tipped and rolled onto a transveyor, then tipped and rolled off it into the press loader.
Occasional misalignment of billets in the rolling process pose the potential for damage. The tendency for two-piece billets to separate, wander, or misalign before entering the press loader increases the potential for damage and waste. Surface contact in the tipping and rolling process can also expose billets to potential contaminants such as dust, oxide, and shavings, degrading extrusion quality.
The Manipulator, on the other hand, acts as a mechanical arm picking up billets, facilitating clean, smooth transfers, and ensuring precise alignment for insertion into the press loader. Granco Clark first developed the Manipulator to handle 3,000 lb. billets for a brass extruder and the technology has since been adapted and integrated into other aluminum extrusion systems.
From operational and production demands to physical facility footprints, every customer’s situation is different. Granco Clark works with you to recommend the right aluminum extrusion technologies and custom engineer them to your exact production needs. When you come to Granco Clark—you’ll have it made.
The New Spinning Log Welder: A Model of Efficiency
Why Our Customers "Have It Made"
President's Message: Finding the Silver Lining in Tough Times
Profiles: Serving the information needs of the international aluminum extrusion community
