The MILLHOG Dictator pipe beveling machine from Esco Tool Company provides compound bevels on heavy-wall 4.5-inch O.D. to 18-inch I.D. pipe, pulling a continuous thick chip without cutting oils. The tool mounts to the inside of the pipe using three wide clamps with hardened steel contact points. It can simultaneously perform a 37 1/2- by 10-degree bevel or other angle. Titanium-nitride-coated blades dissipate heat away from the pipe surface. Applications include precision machining end preps without grinding or rework for high-integrity welds and faster weld times.
“The tool has six points of contact inside of the pipe,” says Alex Brennan, sales and marketing associate, Esco Tool. “The more points of contact you have on the I.D., the stronger it’s going to fit inside the pipe. It’s important to get rigid clamping to hold the tool in place because of the weld preparation that this tool is being used for. Deep welds have a very, very high integrity and this piece of machinery is vital for passing all types of welding certifications and specifications.”
A self-centering draw rod actuated clamping system runs through the entire tool.
“Without that you’d be fighting the weight of the tool,” he says. “It makes a 100-pound machine seem almost weightless. When you’re centering it in the draw rod and mandrel-pull it into the center of the tube or pipe, it allows you to have a consistent cut all the way around.”
The 300-pound tool, with a working weight of about 150 pounds, develops 4,100 ft-lbs of torque at the cutter blade. An optional offset gearbox reduces the rpm and multiplies the torque.
“That’s important when you have P91 or super duplex material,” Brennan says of the gearbox. “Any time you have a rough material you want to slow down the tool. It’s similar to driving a car in the snow. If you slam on the gas, the tires are going to spin. But if you just touch the gas, you’re going to move quicker and have more control.”
The beveler is available with a 1,800-watt electric, 3 hp pneumatic or hydraulic speed-control motor.
“The motor connects to the gear head of the tool and is easily interchangeable with just four bolts,” Brennan says. “The male and female inlets are all the same, whether you go from hydraulic to electric or pneumatic. If someone were to purchase a Dictator pneumatic tool and realize after a few weeks that the electric version might be a better option, they don’t have to purchase an entirely new tool, just switch out the motor.”
Fully portable, the tool is available for sale or rent and comes with horizontal and vertical lifting rings. 800/343-6926; www.escotool.com.
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