During this year’s ACHEMA, the according to the organizers world major trade fair for the chemical and process industry taking place in Frankfurt/Main in the time from June 18, to June 22, 2012, the Arnold Gruppe, Weilburg/Germany will again present new innovative machines besides their well-engineered product portfolio for the quartz glass, laboratory glass,and solar thermal industry. Visitors will now find Arnold in the focus centre of laboratory- and analysis technique on a new platform with new stand concept in Hall 4.1 J35.

(Photo: Fully automatic precision lathe)

More than six centuries of tradition and experience in the thermal and mechanical glass process incorporate into the wide spectrum of products and manufacturing solutions of the international accepted specialist Arnold. The range of products varies from burners to tools, basic machines up to complex, turnkey systems for the glass- and quartz glass machining, fibre optics and further special applications of the thermal glass machining process. The Arnold products are worldwide used in variable industry sectors as well as in challenging glass specialized companies and by free artists, professionally machining the glass material.

Focus of the fair activities forms the by Arnold enhanced fully automatic precision lathe of type P1040 especially suitable for laser joining of glass tubes. During live demonstrations, visitors will be able to follow the assembly of glass tubes via laser. The adopted CO₂-laser based glass tube joining process for the industrial utilization has successfully been proved in close collaboration with the Laser Zentrum Hannover e. V. (LZH). The laser processing of glass material offers significant advantages compared to conventional thermal joining processes. According to LZH, this process characterizes by good controllability of the laser combined with the high absorption of the radiation at the glass tube. This allows fully automatic and efficient joining processes, and e.g. at typical glass-glass or glass-metal compounds where an approx. 80 percent time saving can be achieved compared to common joining processes. Depending on the glass tube diameter and the wall thickness, the energy consumption can be reduced to up to 70 percent.

Glass tubes with a wall thickness of up to 3 millimetres and a diameter of up to 120 millimetres could already be proven to be successfully processed in short cycle times. Due to the demands for high quantities this process is suitable for e.g. the production of CPS receiver tubes for solar thermal power plants as well as for vacuum tube collectors for the hot water treatment in heating systems. Furthermore, Arnold offers solutions for the challenging glass-metal compounds which are e.g. necessary for the production of luminous elements.

A further focus on the ACHEMA is laid on the cutting saw of type 72/350 which is working according the principle of a cropping saw. With this method, not the working piece is guided through the saw blade, but vice versa. By swivelling the cutting device, the saw blade is vertically plunged into the working piece. By means of an adjustable counter weight, an optimum

weight distribution is achieved and by means of the control lever, a constant advance force is generated. The wet cutting process of the saw provides a breakout-free exact cut up to a diameter range of 130 millimetres. The new machine is available as of now and completes the Arnold well-proven range of cutting machines in the scratching/breaking, thermo shock and wet cutting

processes.

(Photo: Cutting Saw)

For the challenging demands for laboratory glass, Arnold offers variable machines. Excessive know-how especially for the forming of standard ground joints, threads and special flanges is required. Interested parties can access to the well-proven fully- or semi-automated forming-, drilling-, and grinding machines including considerable accessories.

Out of the available range of products, the worldwide used bench burner of type Zenit is additionally to the basic colour blue, at the ACHEMA now offered in the version yellow, red, green and pink for the design-orientated customer.