Rising to the challenge

Transmission tower construction is undoubtedly one of the most demanding angle fabrication applications. Machine performance and accuracy are crucial in this specialist sector of the steel fabrication market, and FICEP is well-placed to deliver.

Depending on your current equipment, our latest XP angle line series can reduce typical process times by 30% or more. Here, we delve deeper into how FICEP is meeting the needs of fabricators in this niche area.

A proven track record in pylon fabrication

You may not know that FICEP has been manufacturing angle lines since the 1960s and was in fact one of the first machinery specialists in the sector. Our first customer for automatic angle lines was the largest pylon fabricator in the world, and FICEP’s Italian manufacturing facility became their sole supplier.

This same expertise, honed over the decades in line with market evolution, is now available throughout the FICEP group to transmission tower fabricators across the world.

Why choose FICEP for angle lines?

Traditional pylon fabrication is complex. Towers are assembled on site, and those sites are often in remote locations. The towers are galvanized, which means accurate positioning of holes during the machining process is key to avoid reaming holes on site.

The traditional construction process requires up to three different hole sizes in any one leg of the angle, often with extremely tight gauge lines. In some cases, material thickness and construction codes dictate that holes must be drilled rather than punched, which makes the ability to incorporate a drilling machine into your angle line beneficial.

Remote construction means that easy part identification is essential, and hard stamp marking before galvanizing is a key part of this process. Cross member braces are traditionally notched at each end, and Ficep systems allow for the inclusion of an optional notching system in your angle line.

Depending on the tower design, the vertical legs overlap each other for splicing. This means that the outer heel of the overlapping angle must be milled to provide clearance for the splice connection. Finding a machinery partner who understands these technicalities and offers a range of machine options to support your specific fabrication requirements is key.

Against the backdrop of this demanding application with diverse requirements, the FICEP engineering team developed a comprehensive set of angle lines, which covers everything from basic punch and shearing applications to lines that combine punching, drilling, notching, marking, shearing or sawing. That same group of machines has evolved over time and is still meeting the needs of world-leading transmission tower fabricators.

Earning our place at the forefront of the industry

FICEP machines are running in demanding applications, where angle lines are expected to run three shifts a day, six days a week. This level of performance requires world-class machine reliability, and FICEP angle lines have become the world standard for quality, performance, accuracy and reliability.

Due to worldwide demand, FICEP has a dedicated facility for angle line manufacture at our Italian headquarters. Decades of experience in this sector, and the engineering talent that has been cultivated over the years within the group, also mean that product development and innovation are a natural part of life at FICEP.

Our in-depth understanding of this specialist application enables us to continually look at ways of increasing system efficiency. For our latest XP angle line series, innovations include increasing material positioning speeds with rack and pinion systems to 100 metres per minute to minimise process times.

They also include introducing new clamping technology that eliminates the time needed to engage and disengage material clamps after each positioning move; and reducing press cycles to the minimum by increasing hydraulic pressure and using smaller cylinders to reduce the oil volume required to cycle the press.

The XP Series represents a quantum leap in productivity. This commitment to driving innovation for steel fabricators is one reason firms around the world continue to choose FICEP for the most demanding angle fabrication applications. For more information about a new line or improving angle line productivity, visit our angle line page.