WALDEMAR DESIGN AND MACHINE L.L.C.
MADE IN THE USA
Frequently Asked Questions
Which Industries has WDM Worked With?
WDM has worked with companies in the following sectors: Aerospace, Lawn and Garden, Boilers, Asphalt Plants, Tank Components, Air Conditioning, Agriculture, Lighting, Education, Air Filtration, Turbine MFG, Food Processing and Transportation, Automotive, Trailers, Custom Fab, Ventilation, Grain Handling, Manhole Risers, Trampoline, Department of Transportation, Shipyards, Chemical, Mining, Plastic Storage, Propane Tanks, Pressure Vessels, Semi Trailers, Nuclear Plants and Residential Heating to name a few.
What are the main suppliers of WDM?
Allen Bradley - Electrics, Auburn Gear - Planetary Drives, Baldor - Motors, Char-Lynn/Eaton Corp - LSHT Hydraulic Motors, C-3 Controls - Electrical Components, Continental - Hydraulic Components, Earle M. Jorgenson - Steel, Hoffman - Electrical Enclosures, Hydraforce - Hydraulic Components, Kurt - Hydraulic Hose & Fittings, Loctite - Sealants & Adhesives, Lovejoy - Couplings, McGill - Bearings and Cam Followers, Prince Manufacturing - Hydraulic Components, SKF - Bearings and Seals, TNEMEC - Paints and Coatings, Tompkins - Hydraulic Fittings, VisionMark - Nameplates, Wildcat Gear - Gears, Sprockets, and Drives.
Can I increase the thickness of my workpiece getting rolled if I decrease the width of it, if so what is the maximum capacity?
Yes you can calculate the capacity by using our capacity calculator (be sure to follow the directions exactly). You can also contact us with the model of machine you have for a maximum capacity chart. There is a lot of variables like workpiece's yield strength and the diameter of the finished product that need to be figured in to avoid damaging the rolls on your machine. We would be happy to assist you.
What does it mean to crown the rolls of a plate bending machine?
The rolls of the machine are crowned, meaning it is machined so that it is a slight barrel shape. It is done to compensate for deflection and ensure the uniform distribution of pressure which is required when rolling steel plate. As a standard we crown the roll to match the sweet spot (most popular materials) of your rolling requirements. You can roll metal that is thicker or thinner than what your roll is crowned for by using shims. Please refer to the Roll Bending Digest.
What crown should I have put on my rolls?
We can crown them for your most popular thickness. Then you can roll the outliers with shims if required. Please refer to the Roll Bending Digest. If you are a job shop and don't have a "popular" thickness we will crown your rolls for 2/3 capacity of your machine.
Which rolls are crowned?
On all of our plate rolls the top and lower rolls are crowned.
How much flats can be expected on the leading and trailing edges with the use of WDM plate rolls?
With the 310, 403, and K series you can expect a flat equal to 1-1/2 - 2 times the material thickness.
With the 101 series you can expect a flat equal to 1-1/2 - 2 times the material thickness if you are rolling to a diameter of 1.2 - 2 times the diameter of the top roll. If you are rolling to a diameter 4-6 times that of the top roll your flat will equal 2-6 times the material thickness.
Where on my roll should I roll narrow strips?
All rolling (except cones) should be rolled in the center of the rolls.
What are the voltage requirements?
All of our rolls can be built for 115V, 208V, 230V, 460V, or 575V and single or three phase with standard machines being 230V or 460V 3ph.
How tight should I pinch the material (403,K,310 series)?
Use the least amount of pinch required to get a good bend. With thin material you will want a low pinch and with thick material you want a high pinch. Low pinch = longer leading and trailing edges. High pinch = shorter leading and trailing edges.
What are hardened only rolls?
The standard 1045 carbon steel rolls are flame hardened to 55-60Rc to a depth of approximately 0.1" deep. They are then straitened to within 0.01" total run out.
When do I need hardened only rolls?
When you are rolling narrow thick strips, AR plate, or plate with slag edges.
What are Hardened & Polished rolls?
The standard 1045 carbon steel rolls are flame hardened to 55-60Rc to a depth of approximately 0.1" deep. They are then straitened to within 0.01" total run out. Next the rolls are polished to a G32 finish.
When do I need Hardened & Polished rolls?
When rolling cones, polished stainless steel, and aluminums.
What option do I need to roll cones?
You just need the standard cone attachment for rolling occasional cones. If you are doing production cone rolling you will need the heavy duty cone attachment along with the pinch roll trim option on the 403 and K series.
What is the difference between the Standard and the Heavy Duty CA?
The standard cone attachment has a hardened non-rolling snubber that contacts the workpiece. The heavy duty cone attachment has a hardened roller that rolls along the workpiece. The HDCA has additional hardware to continue the thrust on to the frame.
Can we do special circular grooves?
Yes we can do special grooves but please contact us with details first to ensure that your application is possible.
Can we roll angles on a plate roll?
Yes there is an extended shaft option on 310-5/6 models but on the 403, K, and 101 series you can't roll any angles. We do offer a designated angle roll called the AR series.
Which controller option is best for me?
The standard Beta is good for production and job shops rolling cylinders, segments, and cones. It is recommended for batch quantities up to 10pc.
The Pre control provides enough automation to greatly speed the through put performance and accuracy. It is easily programmed and can be used as a manual or preset type control. This control can increase production by up to 500% and is recommended for batch quantities from 3-100pc.
The Auto (403 series only) control is used for high volume production. The material is handfed and it completes all forming functions automatically. It has 4 modes; warm-up to get the machine to operating temperature, drop-end open for full circles, drop-end close for segments, and tack for positioning part to tack weld on the machine. This control can be used in manual, presets, or auto modes and has a 6-part memory storage. It is recommended for part batch quantities of 50+ pc.
When do I need the Length DRO option?
When you are rolling parts with flats or multi-radius.
Do I need a starting/squaring groove?
On the 403 series no groove is required.
On the 101 series 1 groove in the far roll is standard and is used to square the plate when loading.
On the K and 310 series 1 groove in the pinch roll is standard and a starting groove in the bending roll is included in the 3rd roll drive option.
When do I need a 3rd roll drive in the K and 310 series?
When rolling small diameters and thin parts where the resulting flat from feeding the material in the front without a prebend does not exceed the roundness tolerance of the workpiece. A common misconception is that the 3rd roll drive will allow me to roll a tight/smaller diameter. It will not.
What all is included in a Yearly PM
Click Here to see what all you can expect from a WDM Service Tech during a Yearly PM.
Common Misconceptions
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Having rolls made out of high alloy steel or hardening them will make them have less deflection i.e. need less crown.
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Crowning the rolls for thin material will affect the max capacity of the machine. It won't but it might require shimming on the thicker material see roll bending digest.
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That a 403 series (4 roll machine) is operated using all four rolls. Your workpiece should only ever contact three rolls at a time (Top, pinch, and either of the bending rolls).
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If a given position makes a good prebend then we can use we can use that same position for the finish bend. However the finish bend position is always higher than the prebend.
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If we are rolling a sheet/plate we can use a narrow strip of the same material to get our settings right. But because the rolls spring/deflect under load using a different width strip does not give us usable info.