Highway Guardrail W-Beam Roll Forming Machine | Haide Botou, China

Highway Guardrail W-Beam Roll Forming Machine by Haide Machinery

The Haide highway guardrail roll forming machine is a heavy-duty automatic production line that turns 3.0 to 4.0 mm steel coil into W-beam crash barrier panels for highways, roads, and bridges. The line uncoils, levels, punches, roll forms, and cuts guardrail panels in one continuous process through 18 forming stations, at 8 to 12 m/min, and needs only one operator. By changing the rollers, the same machine can also produce three-wave (thrie-beam) guardrail.

What Is a W-Beam Guardrail?

A W-beam guardrail, also called a highway crash barrier or two-wave guardrail, is the corrugated steel barrier that runs along highways and road edges. Its W-shaped cross-section absorbs and redirects the energy of a vehicle that leaves the road, keeping it from crossing into oncoming traffic or off an embankment. A thrie-beam, or three-wave guardrail, is a deeper version with three corrugations, used where higher containment is needed, such as bridges and medians. Guardrail panels are punched with slotted holes for bolting to posts and splicing to each other, and they are usually hot-dip galvanized after forming.

How the Line Works

1. Uncoiler. A 5-ton uncoiler holds the steel coil and pays it into the line.

2. Leveler. The leveling machine flattens the heavy strip so it feeds straight and punches accurately.

3. Punching. Hydraulic punching stations cut the splice holes at the panel ends and, where needed, the post mounting holes in the middle of the panel.

4. Roll forming. Eighteen forming stations bend the strip progressively into the W-beam profile, keeping scratches and deformation to a minimum.

5. Cutting. A hydraulic cutter with a profiled Cr12 blade cuts each panel to length cleanly without crushing the waves.

6. Output table. Finished guardrail panels are collected on the run-out bracket.

A hydraulic station powers the punching and cutting, and a computer control system runs the full line.

Key Specifications

Main Machine
Material thickness: 3.0 to 4.0 mm
Forming stations: 18
Working speed: 8 to 12 m/min
Main motor power: 37 kW
Hydraulic power: 15 kW
Drive: Sprocket and chain
Shafts: 45# steel, 100 mm diameter
Side wall plate thickness: 25 mm
Main frame: 400 mm I-beam
Cutting blade: Cr12
Machine dimensions: 16,000 × 2,500 × 1,300 mm (L × W × H)

Forming Rollers
Roller material: Cr12, hardened to HRC 58 to 60
Hardening depth: 0.8 mm
Surface roughness: Ra 0.1 to 0.35 µm
Design: COPRA roll design software

Uncoiler
Type: Manual uncoiler
Capacity: 5 tons
Coil inner diameter: 450 to 550 mm
Coil outer diameter: 1,000 to 1,250 mm

Line Components
Uncoiler, leveler, hydraulic punching stations, 18-station roll former, hydraulic cutting device, hydraulic station, computer control system, and finished product rack

Key Features

Heavy-duty construction. A 400 mm I-beam frame, 25 mm side plates, and 100 mm shafts give the rigidity needed to form 4 mm guardrail steel accurately.

One-operator automation. The full line runs automatically from coil to finished panel with a single operator, which cuts labor costs.

Two-wave and three-wave capability. Changing the roller set lets the line produce both W-beam and thrie-beam guardrail.

Hardened Cr12 rollers. Rollers are hardened to HRC 58 to 60 and finished to a fine surface to reduce scratching, with a stated service life of more than 15 years.

Inline punching. Splice and post holes are punched before forming, so panels come off the line ready for galvanizing and installation.

Built to drawing. Haide designs every machine to the customer's guardrail profile drawing using COPRA software.

Applications

This machine is built for guardrail manufacturers, road safety equipment suppliers, and highway construction contractors producing W-beam and thrie-beam barriers for highways, expressways, bridges, rural roads, and parking structures.

Ordering and Payment

Minimum order is one machine. Haide accepts a 30% T/T deposit with the 70% balance before shipping, 100% L/C at sight, or Western Union. Haide confirms the profile drawing with the buyer before production and tests the machine before the balance is paid.

About the Manufacturer

Haide Machinery has built cold roll forming machines since 1996 in a factory of more than 20,000 square meters, and exports to more than 40 countries, including the United States, Australia, Germany, the Netherlands, India, Indonesia, Nigeria, South Africa, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Turkey.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does a guardrail roll forming machine make?
It makes W-beam (two-wave) highway guardrail panels from steel coil, and with a roller change, thrie-beam (three-wave) panels.

What steel thickness can the Haide guardrail machine form?
It forms steel from 3.0 to 4.0 mm thick.

How fast is the machine?
The working speed is 8 to 12 m/min.

How many forming stations does it have?
The roll former has 18 forming stations.

What is the motor power?
The main motor is 37 kW, and the hydraulic station is 15 kW.

Can it make three-wave guardrail?
Yes. Changing the roller set allows the machine to produce three-wave (thrie-beam) guardrail.

Does the machine punch the bolt holes?
Yes. Hydraulic punching stations make the splice holes and post holes inline before forming.

Does the guardrail meet highway standards?
The machine is built to the customer's profile drawing. Buyers should supply a drawing that matches their local standard, such as AASHTO M180 in the US, EN 1317 in Europe, or JT/T 281 in China, and confirm hole patterns with Haide before production.

How big is the machine?
The line measures about 16 × 2.5 × 1.3 meters.