Safer, faster edge rounding for highway railing production

Van der Zalm Metaalindustrie B.V. is a metal fabrication company involved in projects where edge quality and consistency are important. For a recent infrastructure project near the A27 motorway at Hooipolder in the Netherlands, the team was tasked with producing railing elements that had to meet strict quality standards.

The project, carried out under Rijkswaterstaat requirements, called for steel edges finished according to NEN-EN 1090-3, rounding with a minimum radius of 2 mm. Requirements like these are becoming increasingly common in modern construction.

Traditionally, this work was done with grinding tools.

“Before this, we always did it by grinding,” the operator explains. “But with these requirements you want a clean, consistent radius on the material.”

Before Van der Zalm decided to invest in Beveltools equipment, a demo was carried out on site so the team could see the process in practice. After that demonstration, the company purchased two different tools: the ABIS-R 3.0 and the EBA 3.0.

To meet the required standards more efficiently, the team started using Beveltools machines to round the edges of steel strips used in the railing construction. The difference in the workflow was immediately noticeable.

“With the bevel tool you can give the strips a nice radius very quickly. After that you basically don’t have to do anything anymore.”

Integrated into the production process

The fabrication process involves multiple steps and departments. Materials are first cut and prepared at another production site. Once the parts arrive in the workshop, operators deburr and round the edges before the components move on to assembly and welding.

“We receive the parts here after cutting and drilling. Then we remove burrs and make the radius with this tool. After that the parts go to the assembler and then to the welder.”

Because many of the parts involve long edges, the Beveltools EBA 3.0 machine is particularly effective compared with manual grinding.

“This tool is really useful for longer lengths. Only in tight corners you might still use a grinder, but for this type of work the EBA 3.0 is much faster.”

The smaller ABIS-M tool is ideal for quickly creating a radius on the edges of smaller holes.

Cleaner and more comfortable to work with

Besides speed and consistency, the operator also points to the difference in working conditions.

Grinding typically produces a lot of fine dust, which affects both visibility and operator comfort. The cutting process used by Beveltools produces chips instead of abrasive dust.

“With this tool there’s much less fine dust. You still get small chips of course, but not the grinding dust.”

The ergonomics of the machine also make it easier to work with during longer jobs.

“It’s light, easy to use, vibration-free and it’s easy and fast to change cutters. That makes a big difference when you’re working with it all day.”

Consistent results for demanding projects

For infrastructure projects where edge quality is critical, consistent results are essential. The ability to quickly create a clean radius helps ensure that each component meets the required specification.

According to the operator, that reliability is one of the main advantages.

“It’s simply a very easy tool to work with. You get a good result quickly.”

As edge-finishing requirements continue to increase in construction and fabrication, tools that help deliver consistent quality and improve working conditions have a clear place in the production process.