Master of Flatness

All levelers are not alike, and Architectural Grille (Brooklyn, NY) gained an appreciation for this through the automatic leveling gap control and easy cleaning features that are unique to the FlatMaster leveler from ARKU Coil Systems Inc. (Cincinnati, OH) after using another hydraulic leveler for a number of years.

Architectural Grille specializes in custom grille manufacturing for residential, commercial, hospitality, medical, architectural/decorative and education markets. The 40 person shop uses advanced technology to produce custom designs cost efficiently in New York City, in either high volume lots or quantities as small as one. Materials include various metals in thicknesses ranging from 0.062 in to 0.375 in, as well as non-metallics.

After using the other hydraulic leveler for a long time, the shop purchased a FlatMaster 55 in early 2014 and found it in a class by itself. “We throw everything at the machine, and it usually takes just one pass to get the parts flat,” says Stephen Giumenta, the company vice president and engineering manager. “Parts may be aluminum, stainless steel, mild steel, brass, bronze and copper. Different shapes, sizes, thickness, often heavily perforated with openings cut by laser, waterjet and punch.”

Servo-hydraulic control of the leveling gap allows the FlatMaster to level this variety by adapting its performance to the nature of the part, whether the leveling rollers encounter the tip of a triangular part or the full cross-section. As the part enters the leveling rollers, the machine can recognize any change in the required leveling force in a fraction of a second and apply more or less force to maintain a correct gap throughout the leveling section. “The equipment is a no-brainer to run,” notes Giumenta. “You set the material thickness, put in a distorted part, and it comes out flat. We had it installed and began training on it in one day, and we were running parts the next day.”

Blemishes caused by dirty leveling rollers were another issue with the earlier machine because it was extremely difficult to clean. “We had to bring in a rigger to tear down the machine so we could get at the roller section,” explains Giumenta. “If a machine is difficult to maintain, it won’t get much maintenance. Blemishes on our parts require additional processing, so we clean the leveling rollers regularly. With this new leveler, one person can remove and clean the rollers in a few minutes.”

Giumenta adds that the machine is also electrically efficient and quiet. “The noise is so low you can’t tell it’s running,” he says.

The company’s part volume keeps the leveler busy about five hours a day. The excess capacity allows the company to solicit contract leveling from fabricators in the region. “A leveler of this caliber is an unusual asset to have in a smaller fab shop, so shops in our area are starting to take advantage.”

ARKU, founded in 1928, is a world leader in roller levelers and press feeding technology with the world’s most extensive range of high-capacity and precision levelers, and with nearly 50 years of expertise in the field. With its headquarters in Baden-Baden, Germany, and ISO-certified facilities in Kunshan (China) and Cincinnati (U.S.), the business operates in almost 30 countries worldwide.

Its product range comprises precision levelers for parts, cut-to-length and slitting lines, press feeding lines and coil preparation lines for roll formers. The company provides engineering expertise to many manufacturing industries, including automotive, railroad equipment, shipbuilding, construction and furniture, as well as laser job shops and others.

ARKU Coil Systems Inc., 11405 Grooms Road, Cincinnati, OH 45242, 513-985-0500, Fax: 513-985-0580, www.arku.com.