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Optimized processing of vessel heads and dished ends thanks to DRM: faster, more precise and more options

Thanks to DRM: "Able to prepare an optimal product for vessel manufacturers"

Bödenpresswerk Daaden achieves a significant step forward regarding precision, portfolio, and production speed. The company benefits from a 3D plasma cutting system including mScan technology for processing large-format vessel heads and plates

Published 21.03.2022 | Erich Wörishofer

Company profile:

Bödenpresswerk Daaden GmbHBetzdorfer Str. 77A57567 DaadenGermany

Bödenpresswerk Daaden GmbH was newly founded in 2001, continuing a tradition of manufacturing vessel heads at the Daaden site that goes back more than 70 years. Today's company specializes exclusively in the manufacture of high-quality, cold-formed vessel heads and dished ends. In three different production areas, heads for storage tanks or semi ellipsoidal heads and torispherical heads as well as special shapes of carbon and stainless steels, among others, are realized.

www.bodenpresswerk.de

Bödenpresswerk Daaden in the German Westerwald region
With the Bödenpresswerk Daaden, a renowned company with around 70 employees is based in the German Westerwald region, specializing exclusively in the production of high-quality, cold-formed vessel heads and dished ends. It was newly founded in Daaden in 2001.

Machine profile:

DRM series

Working area for sheets 3,500 x 7,000 mm
Cutting and trimming of domes Ø 500 bis 5,500 mm
3D plasma rotator "pantograph" with tilting up to 120° for weld preparation on domes, beams, pipes, and plates + auto-calibration feature (ACTG®)
3D scanner + mScan technology for compensation of the production-related deviation of dome shape by adjusting the
generated cutting paths according to the true scanned shape of dome

MG series

Working area 12,000 x 3,500 mm
Plasma rotator for weld preparation up to 50°

Small and medium-sized companies as well as globally operating corporations rely on the products of the Bödenpresswerk Daaden GmbH. The company has been a manufacturer of vessel heads and dished ends for many years and is in demand from companies involved in apparatus, vessel and plant construction. Since 2012, Bödenpresswerk Daaden has relied on plasma technology from MicroStep. In order to expand capacities and the product range, the company invested in a second CNC cutting system in 2017.

The red-hot dished heads come out of the annealing furnace, a few steps away the flanging and dishing machines hammer in time and trained fingers operate several joysticks in parallel: the production and processing of dished heads and ends is a complex process that requires experience and the right technology. After all, different industries have widely varying requirements for the shaping, surface finish and accuracy of torispherical heads, dished ends or flat dished heads. With Bödenpresswerk Daaden, a renowned company with around 70 employees has its headquarters in the German Westerwald region. The company was newly founded in 2001 and thus continues more than 70 years of vessel head tradition at the location. "We are characterized by our flexibility and by the know-how of our employees. This enables us to realize even the most complex projects with a wide variety of head shapes," says Daniela Gerold, sales manager at the Bödenpresswerk Daaden GmbH. Vessel and plant manufacturers of various company sizes or companies from the chemical, food or automotive industries but also architects and artists trust in the products of the vessel heads and dished ends manufacturer.

The first step on the way to a quality head takes place on a plasma cutting system. Here, a round plate is cut out of a sheet of metal, which is given its precisely fitting head shape in the subsequent processing steps. Since the end of 2012, the company has relied on an MG with rotator technology from MicroStep for the 3D cutting of flat material. In this way, materials with a thickness of 3 to 30 mm are cut to size. One of the decisive factors for the purchase was a recommendation from the long-standing customer Feldbinder Spezialfahrzeugwerke GmbH, which has been using various MicroStep systems for more than ten years.

Meeting growing demands with innovative technologies

This plasma cutting system received a highly innovative addition in 2017. Since then, a DRM plasma cutting system with a "Pantograph" bevel tool has been performing its services for processing flat material, but mainly vessel heads and dished ends. "The requirements for the designs of our heads have grown steadily over the past 20 years. This makes it all the more important for us to constantly invest in technological progress," says Daniela Gerold. Because with the DRM system, even complex weld seam preparations can be realized up to under the brim, precise and flexible cut-outs in different head types are possible quickly and with little rework thanks to the MicroStep mScan technology. "The 3D plasma cutting system offers optimum conditions for realizing cut-outs in all kinds of head shapes. In addition, the scanning technology provides us with a target/actual comparison of each head, which enables us to work even more precisely and faster," explains Sebastian Buchner, mechanical technician and sales administrator at Bödenpresswerk Daaden and, in his function, also responsible for work preparation. Complete cut-outs, but also cut-outs with microjoints or the marking of the heads are possible with this technology. The tolerances of ±1 mm required for cut-outs in heads do not pose any problems for the DRM. "This allows us to provide the vessel manufacturer with an optimally prepared product," says Buchner.

In addition to expanding capacities and the portfolio as well as increasing the production speed of vessel heads with contours or bevels, there were further advantages for the Bödenpresswerk Daaden: The separation of production units with black and white steel required by end customers from the pharmaceutical and industrial chemical sectors could be implemented, and in-house transport obstacles were also minimized by deviding the cutting technologies between two halls. One machine, two partners and many advantages. "With MicroStep, we have a competent partner at our side. Regular exchange of experience as well as training courses and also the reliable service round off the good cooperation," emphasizes Daniela Gerold.

"The 3D plasma cutting system offers optimum conditions for realizing cut-outs in all kinds of head shapes. In addition, the scanning technology provides us with a target/actual comparison of each head, which enables us to work even more precisely and faster. This allows us to provide the vessel manufacturer with an optimally prepared product."

Sebastian Buchner,

Work Preparation/Mechanical Technician | Bödenpresswerk Daaden GmbH

OVERVIEW OF THE HIGHLIGHTS OF THE PLASMA CUTTING MACHINE DRM:

3D sheet metal processing on a working area of 3,500 x 7,000 mm

The multifunctional cutting center of the DRM series at Bödenpresswerk Daaden GmbH enables flexible 3D processing of flat material on a working area of 3,500 x 7,000 mm. A HiFocus 360i neo with automatic gas console as well as Contour Cut Speed technology from the German manufacturer Kjellberg Finsterwalde is used as the plasma power source. The sectional exhaustable flame cutting table is connected via a Teka ZPF 9 H filter system – including a TK-FVS 7000 - 12000 spark pre-separator.

Complex processing of vessel heads from 500 to 5,500 mm in diameter

A special cutting table for vessel heads integrated in the cutting center allows heads with a diameter of 500 mm to 5,500 mm to be processed in their entirety thanks to the extended Z axis stroke. With the "Pantograph" plasma rotator, which can be tilted up to 120° on one side, the DRM series can be used to apply flexible bevels and cut-outs in vessel heads and dished ends of various shapes.

Plasma rotator "Pantograph" for 3D processing on flat material and heads

With the integrated "Pantograph" plasma rotator, tilt angles of up to 90° (up to 120° on one side) can be achieved. With the endless rotating bevel tool, extended 3D processing is possible not only on flat material, but also on heads – thus weld seam preparations can be realized up to under the brim.

mScan technology from MicroStep for precise detection and processing of heads

With MicroStep's mScan technology, the vessel head producer achieves highly precise and best cutting results: In combination with the plasma rotator "Pantograph" and a laser scanner, stable and high-quality results are generated, and a large amount of rework can also be avoided. The system determines the 3D geometry of the head, compares the real contour to the ideal contour, automatically compensates for production-related deviations and sets the cutting paths precisely.