T&H Lemont ships the second of two TIG mills

T&H Lemont recently shipped the second of two TIG mills to a longtime customer that produces stainless steel pipe. The pipe goes into products it makes for applications such as commercial HVAC, industrial refrigeration, power generation, and industrial processing. The durable, robust pipe from its mills supports the company’s reputation for manufacturing equipment that is built to last.

These two identical mills, T&H Lemont model number WU11M-12, produce pipe diameters from 3/8 to 1.050 inches. The wall thickness range is from 0.020 to 0.065 inch. The mill is designed to run at a maximum of 50 feet per minute.

The investment includes entry equipment for continuous operation. A double uncoiler, a shear end welding unit, and an accumulator provide a buffer so production doesn’t stop. It has a six-roll, water-cooled weld box and an inert gas system to protect and cool the weld. Furthermore, a camera-based weld seam tracking unit provides lateral and vertical positioning of the tricathode welding carriage. Each welding torch also has an independent adjustment and the system uses arc voltage control (AVC) for welding parameter stability. The flying cutoff system is a hybrid. It uses a carriage drive system from a T&H Lemont model FCO-125 cutoff system and a rotary cutting head specified by the customer.

Operator conveniences include single-point adjustments on the vertical roll stands, lubrication points on the operator side of the mill, and a welding control system installed within view of the weld box, allowing the operator to observe the welding process while making adjustments on the fly.