1. What is Pole Production Line?

Pole production line is a series of machines that can make poles.

There are multiple machines involved to complete this production line.

Based on the type of poles you need, it can be used to produce:

• Light pole
• Road light pole
• Traffic light pole
• High mast pole
• Utility pole
• Solar light pole
• Camera pole
• Smart city pole
• Industrial pole

Usually you will have a steel plate to start the process.

Then it goes through cutting, forming, welding, pole head, straightening and other surface processing.

There are different equipment used to build a pole production line.

Light Pole Production Line

2. How to Make a Pole?

There are different methods to produce a pole based on the shape.

But most steel tapered light poles will go through these steps.

Cutting Steel Plate

You will need to have steel plate ready for the light pole production.

Based on what you need your material can vary in thickness.

Cut the Steel Plate

Cut your steel plate into your desired shape.

Most light poles will use a trapezoid shape to cut.

Form Your Plate

You will need to form your steel plate to your desired shape.

This can be done with hydraulic press that can control the amount of force applied.

Longitudinal Welding

Once you have your steel plate shaped. You can align the two sides and weld.

Pole Head Forming

Depending on your pole you may need to bend the top of your pole.

Pipe Head Shrinking

You can shrink the diameter of your pipe if you need to.

Use our pipe shrinking machine to get your desired result.

Straighten Your Pole

You may need to straighten your pole after forming and welding.

Use our pole straightening machine.

Grind and Polish Your Pole

After welding and straightening you can grind and polish your weld seam.

Surface Processing

After your pole has been ground you can send it to your surface treatment.

This could be galvanized or painted or powder coated.

Inspect Your Pole

Once all these steps are complete you can inspect your pole.

3. What Machines are Used in a Pole Production Line?

Below is some of the equipment you may need to have in your pole production line.

Depending on what you want to produce you can setup your pole production line.

You can have some machines be semi automatic or fully automatic.

If you want to mass produce you may need more automation.

4. Steel Plate Cutting

As mentioned earlier the first step in making a light pole is cutting your steel plate.

You will need to know what shape you want to cut your steel plate into.

Light poles usually will require a trapezoid shape.

So your cutting machine should be able to:

• Cut accurate sizes
• Cut consistent
• Have straight lines
• Minimal waste
• Be able to repeat your position

Our plate trapezoid shearing machine can cut your steel plate.

Make sure your dimensions match your forming machine.

Plate Trapezoid Shearing Machine

5. Forming Your Pole

Now that you have your steel plate cut. We need to turn it into your pole.

This will take some bending and forming to your plate.

You can use a hydraulic forming machine to do this.

There are many ways to form a pole.

• Octagonal light pole

• Polygon light pole

• Tapered pole

• Cone shape

• Round pole

Depending on your material you may need to change how you form your pole.

Its important to have accuracy when forming your pole.

Because it will affect your welding process.

6. Longitudinal Welding

Longitudinal welding is when you weld your two sides together.

To create your pole.

You can use automatic welding machines to help you weld.

There are many variables that you can control on your welding machine.

Current, voltage, speed and position of your welding gun.

All of these will play a role in your weld quality.

You can also grind your weld seam after welding.

Or even inspect your weld if needed.

Pole Auto Welding Machine

7. Pole Head

You may need to form your pole head as well.

Depending on what type of pole you are making.

If you want to make a light pole with an arm you will need to bend it.

Our pole head bending machine can help you achieve this.

You will want to be able to control the angle, radius and position of your bend.

You can have different tools for different applications.

If you are making many types of poles this will come in handy.

8. Shrinking Pipe Head

You can shrink the diameter of your pipe as well.

Using our pipe head shrinking machine.

This can be used to shrink the top of your pole.

Or to create a different diameter to fit another piece on.

There are many uses for pipe head shrinking.

• Lamp arm

• Extend pipe

• Aesthetics

• Connecting pieces

Just make sure you have your dimensions right.

If you don’t shrink it properly it can be hard to put on your pole.

9. Pole Straightening

Your pole may need to be straightened after forming and welding.

Our pole straightening machine can help with that.

Straightening can help your pole look nicer.

And be more true to your dimensions.

Make sure you have the right machine for your pole diameter.

You will also want to make sure it can accommodate your pole thickness.

10. Surface Finishing

Once your pole is welded and straightened you can finish it off.

You want to remove any unwanted marks from your pole.

Here are some things you can do to your pole.

• Grind weld seam

• Remove burrs

• Smooth edges

• Clean pole

• Prep weld seam

Once your pole is finished you can send it to surface treatment.

Here are some surface treatments you can use.

Hot Dip Galvanize

Your pole can be galvanized to protect from rust.

Powder Coat

You can powder coat your pole to give it a nice finish.

Paint

You can also paint your pole if you want.

Just make sure you have the right treatment for your application.

11. Inspect Your Pole

There are many things you can inspect on your pole.

• Dimensions

• Length of pole

• Bottom diameter

• Top diameter

• Thickness of pole

• Size of sections

• Height of mountings

Straightness

Your pole should be within certain tolerances for straightness.

Welding

You can inspect your weld to make sure it looks good.

Some applications may require more testing on the weld.

Surface

Inspect your pole for any cracks or nicks.

Also inspect for welding defects, burrs and other flaws.

Finished Product

Make sure your pole fits your lamp, flange and doors.

By having these inspections you can ensure your pole is up to standard.

12. Automatic Pole Production Line

You can create an automatic pole production line.

By using our machines you can create a workflow like this.

Steel Plate -> Cut -> Form -> Weld -> Pole Head -> Shrink -> Straighten -> Grind -> Inspect

You can use conveyors to move your material from machine to machine.

Here are some benefits to having an automatic pole production line.

Increase Efficiency

By having machines do tasks you can save time.

Increase Quality

By using automatic machines you can have less human error.

Save Time Moving Material

You can reduce the amount of time it takes to move material.

Monitor Production

With newer technology you can monitor your production.

Scale Production

If you want to scale your production you can easily do so.

If you want to produce more you can just add more machines.

Or add more automation to your line.

Having an automatic pole production line can be very beneficial.

Especially if you are producing large quantities of poles.

13. Advantages of Having a Pole Production Line

By having all of these machines in one location you can increase your workflow.

You can move your material easier from process to process.

Have more consistent poles

By using the same machines you can have more consistent poles.

Increase manpower

You can have one person run multiple machines.

Decrease downtime

If you balance your production line you can decrease downtime.

Produce different poles

If you have the right tooling you can produce many different poles.

Have better quality control

You can inspect your poles at each stage of the process.

14. What to Consider When Buying Pole Production Equipment

When buying equipment for your pole production line you should consider.

What size poles you want to produce

Length of pole

Smallest and largest diameter

• Thickness

• Taper

• Shape of pole

• Shape of pole head

How many poles you want to produce per day/month.

If you want to produce more poles you may want to look into automation.

Do you want to produce different types of poles?

If you want to produce many types of poles you may want to look into tooling.

How much automation do you want?

You can buy manual machines or fully automatic.

Do you need install and commissioning?

When buying a production line you may want to have install and commissioning.

We can help train your operators on how to run the machines.

Do you need after sales service?

If you need help after you buy your machines we can help.

15. Pole Applications

There are many applications for poles.

Here are some examples.

Street Lights

You can use light poles for street lights.

Highway Lights

You can also use them for highway lights.

Traffic Lights

Traffic light poles are used to hold traffic signals.

Solar Lights

Solar lights can be mounted on poles as well.

High Mast Poles

High mast poles can be used to light large areas.

Such as parking lots, airports and stadiums.

Smart City Poles

Smart city poles can hold many different items.

Like cameras, communication and lights.

So there are many uses for pole production.

Home

16. Why Nanjing Bangwin Machine?

Nanjing Bangwin Machine sells industrial machinery and custom machines.

We can build you a pole production line that fits your needs.

Whether you need to produce small quantities or large quantities.

We can provide you with:

• Cutting machines
• Forming machines
• Welding machines
• Bending machines
• Shrinking machines
• Straightening machines
• Surface treatment machines

And help you put it all together to create a production line.

Check us out here at Nanjing Bangwin Machine.

17. FAQ

1. What is a pole production line?

A pole production line is made up of many machines.

That can be used to produce poles.

2. What type of material can I use?

Most light poles are made from steel.

There are many grades of steel you can use.

3. What machines do I need to make a pole?

You will need cutting, forming, welding, bending, shrinking, straightening and inspection machines.

4. How do I make a tapered pole?

You can cut your steel plate into a tapered shape.

Then form, weld, straighten, finish and inspect your pole.

5. Can I produce different sizes of poles?

Yes you can.

By changing your tooling and machine settings you can produce different sizes.

Just make sure your machines can accommodate your pole sizes.

6. What does a hydraulic forming machine do?

A hydraulic forming machine can form your steel plate.

Into your desired shape for a pole.

7. Why use automatic welding?

Automatic welding can help you have better quality welds.

And save time on repetitive tasks.

8. Can I surface treat my poles?

Yes you can.

You can have your pole production line lead into your surface treatment.

Or you can have a separate area for surface treatment.

9. Can I automate my pole production line?

Yes you can.

There are many ways to automate your pole production line.

Depending on what you want to automate.

10. How do I know what pole production line I need?

You will need to know what size poles you want to produce.

And how many you want to produce.

Then you can determine what machines you need.

18. Conclusion

So as you can see there are many steps to producing a pole.

From cutting your steel plate to inspecting your finished pole.

There are many machines you can use to produce poles.

If you want to learn more about pole production check out Nanjing Bangwin Machine.