The last article has explained what beveling is in general, part of the article was also focused on
pipe bevelling. This blog post will explain the difference between different solutions for locking of
pipe bevellers into pipes and when it is a good idea to consider an automatic locking systems on
your machines.

There are two basic types of locking a beveler into a pipe: internal and external. Today we are going
to talk about the internal locking mechanisms. Majority of ID locked machines, made by BEVEL,
use three locking jaws; that are fitted into conically shaped internal shaft fitted with an internal thread
used for expansion of the locking jaws into the pipe. This can be done either manually or automatically
using compressed air.

Lets have a look at the manual locking system first. The manual system is a standard option for
most of the machines in our range. As you can see on the video, the locking need to be expanded
manually by acting on the nut rotating the inner part of the shaft; this pushes the locking jaws
outwards, which will look into the pipe eventually.  The system is also self-centering, if certain
procedures are followed. When the beveling is done the machine is to be unlocked following
reverse procedure.  It may sound a bit complicated but in fact all it is locking and unlocking
one nut. This system is suitable for most end-users and daily usage.

The other option of locking is to use an auto-locking system. The system can be used on all
sizes of bevellers with pneumatic motors up to 8”: LITEA, RAX, 4PACT, ENERGLIX, SHAVEDGER.
It works on very similar basis as the manual locking, except for the fact it is necessary before
beveling to turn the locking wheel, which locks the beveler into the pipe. For unlocking the beveller
this process has to be repeated in opposite direction. This way is effective in case of bevelling
small amounts of bevelled pipes or in case of different diameters of pipes. Otherwise the quicker
way is to use self-locking system. The self-locking device will action the locking jaws with one
single move of a locking lever - the locking occurs in less than a second. With standard locking
device (the wheel with knobs) - the locking occurs in cca 5 seconds. The same timing applies for
unlocking procedure. This system thus saves time. Only pneumatic machines can be equipped
with the self-locking device, as locking jaws are expanded by pneumatic pressure.
This system can be seen in the following picture:

Even quicker option is to use auto-locking system. This system is suitable especially for bevelling a
large amount of pipes with the same diameter. After set up, the operator can easily execute repetitive
operations by means of foot switch, considerably increasing speed of execution thanks to pneumatic
system of auto-locking, auto-rotation and auto-feeding. In this case it is convenient to hang the machine
on a balancer. This will allow you to complete one operation (i.e. locking + bevelling itself + unlocking)
in less than a minute. You can see an auto-locking system in the following video: