Issue:

When producing ASME BPE, Semiconductor or Japanese standard fittings the elbows must be polished to remove all marks and imperfections. When bending the tube there are always ‘orange peel’ marks and marks from calibrating the elbow (making it round).

Practice Today:

Today, it is polished manually or polishing using mechanical polishing machine. For manual polishing, it is usual to have a team of 40+ people manually polishing with abrasive paper.

Mechanical polishing is slower, produces a dust/metal particles during operations, and leaves residual oil. Mechanical polishing also produces less than satisfactory quality.

New Solution:

ECM Methodology developed by pECM Systems and introduced by OTRA in Korea produces far superior and consistent surface finish while reducing cost per parts significantly.

pECM Systems provides turn-key systems for the manufacture of a variety of ASME BPE stainless steel pipe fittings. The systems include machine tool, control system, electrolyte management and tooling. In addition to the tooling all process parameters are supplied so that the system can enter production immediately after installation.

Applications ‘BioPharma’ and “ultra-high purity (semiconductor)” elbows and Tee’s are produced with our technology to ensure ultimate quality and performance (below)

Benefits

  • Very fast Return on Investment (ROI)
  • No abrasive polishing material >$200k saved PER YEAR. (Based on 100,000 elbows)
  • High Production rates (One operator being able to produce > 10000 elbows per month!)
    >150 per hour 1” elbows
    > 60 per hour 1 1⁄2” elbows
  • Zero Cathode wear – 1000’s of components can be produced
  • Simple to use

Systems for manufacturing BPE components by ECM

The machine is set up in two stations. One station is for loading/unloading and another for ECM process. ECM process is carried out on each station alternatively.

The machine tool is of composite granite and stainless steel construction to ensure precision, stability and long life.

  • Designed to Machine to final dims and tolerances
  • Special attention to surface finish
  • Simple operation
  • Very few consumables