Promotech BM-18 Multitask Plate and Pipe Beveller

A hand-held milling beveller for plate edges, holes and pipe ends

The Promotech BM-18 is a portable electric bevelling machine that mills weld preparations on steel plate and, with an attachment, on pipe. Because it cuts with a milling head and indexable inserts rather than a grinding disc or a torch, the bevel is produced cold, without a heat-affected zone and without the scale left by thermal cutting, so the edge is ready for welding after a single machining step.

Besides straight edges, the machine can follow contours, countersink holes from about 40 mm in diameter and round off edges with radius R2, R3, R4 or R5 before painting or coating. The rounding function is useful where a coating specification calls for a minimum edge radius on structural steel, ship sections or tank components.

Technical specifications

Milling heads, inserts and attachments

Each bevel angle has its own milling head; the bevelling heads carry five two-sided indexable inserts and the rounding head carries four four-sided inserts. The heads use a hexagonal fixing, and the guide roller is integrated with each head with a factory-set clearance, so the operator does not adjust the roller when changing heads. Promotech lists the following heads and inserts:

• Bevelling heads GLW-0640-30-01-00-0 (22.5°) to GLW-0640-30-07-00-0 (60°)
• Rounding head GLW-0640-30-34-00-0 with SPEX inserts PLY-000737 to PLY-000740 for R2 to R5
• LPEX inserts for mild steel (PLY-000395 carbide, PLY-000735 cermet), aluminium (PLY-000195) and alloy or stainless steel (PLY-000836)

The pipe attachment PRW-0670-05-00-00-0 allows external bevelling of pipes from 150 mm (5.9 in) outside diameter and internal bevelling from 110 mm (4.3 in). A worktable fixture ZBD-0509-12-00-00-0 turns the beveller into a bench tool for small parts from 15 x 25 mm cross-section and 400 mm length, with a maximum bevel width of 14 mm in that set-up. A radius insert positioner UST-0509-16-00-00-0 helps set the rounding inserts.

Working with the BM-18 on different materials

The variable spindle speed lets the operator match cutting conditions to the material, from mild steel to stainless steel, aluminium, brass and plastics. Harder alloys generally need the lower end of the speed range and the matching insert grade, while aluminium is cut with its own insert geometry. Bevels wider than one pass can be built up in steps, and the bevel width is adjusted continuously on the machine. Overload protection guards the motor during heavy cuts.

The basic set contains the BM-18 without milling head, a plastic box, a 32 mm flat wrench, a 6 mm Allen key, screw grease and the operator's manual, so at least one milling head and a box of inserts are ordered with the machine.

Documents and quotation

The Promotech BM-18 product sheet with the full head, insert and spare-part list is available on this page. Other weld end preparation machines are listed under Pipe Cutting & Bevelling Machines.

For a quotation, state the supply voltage, the bevel angles and radii required, the material grades to be machined and whether the pipe attachment or worktable fixture is needed.