What end flare looks like
The same stud, with and without AntiFlare.
Without AntiFlare
With AntiFlare
Same line. Same speed. Same operator. The only variable is whether AntiFlare is active.
When a punched stud or track gets cut to length, the cut end wants to spring outward. The web tries to relax. The flanges roll open a degree or two. On a screw-attach framing job, that degree is the difference between a part that drops into a track and a part the installer has to coax with a hammer.
End flare is not a tooling problem. It is a residual stress problem in the steel itself. You cannot bend it back at the cutoff because the steel will keep relaxing for several inches after the cut. The conventional fix is to slow the line down, accept the flare, and let the field deal with it.
AntiFlare solves it in real time. A Pre-Flare Device puts a small corrective bend in the part before cutoff. A pivoting anti-flare fixture downstream of cutoff senses the actual end condition and finishes the correction. Both elements are servo-controlled and recipe- recalled, so the line does not slow down and the operator does not babysit.
Capability envelope
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TEKFAB Technology, End Flare Control
AntiFlare™ System
The end flare problem solved in real time. Pre-flare ahead of cutoff, sensor-controlled anti-flare after.
Why we engineered it this way.
The Pre-Flare Device works because corrective bends applied before final geometry is set ride the residual stress wave instead of fighting it. The pivoting anti-flare fixture works because optical sensing closes the loop on the actual end, not the theoretical end. Together they hold tolerance whether you are running 14 ga 1-5/8 inch track or 10 ga 6 inch stud.
AntiFlare is standard on the Heavy Gauge Structural Roll Forming Line because that is where end flare hurts the most: heavier gauge means more residual stress, longer parts mean more downstream effect, and structural framing demands the tightest fit-up on screw-attach. It is available as an upgrade on Light Gauge Structural, Drywall, and custom builds when the application calls for it.
Where this fits
Lines that ship with AntiFlare™.
Inside the system
A two-stage correction, not a single fixture.
Most attempts at end flare control are a single mechanical fixture clamped near the cutoff. They work on one gauge, one section, and one speed. AntiFlare splits the work across two stages so the system stays correct across the full envelope.
