http://www.thefabricator.com/TubePipeProduction/TubePipeProduction_TechCell.cfm The Tube and Pipe Production tech cell is packed with specific links to help you find product information, suppliers, technical articles, case studies, seminars and conferences, as well as books, software, and videos on metal fabricating-related topics. en-us http://www.thefabricator.com/RSS/images/thefabricator_rss.gif http://www.thefabricator.com Copyright 2007 FMA Communications, Inc. All rights reserved. official publication date Tue, 21 Aug 2007 11:17:17 AM CDT Vicki Bell Laurie Harshbarger http://www.thefabricator.com/TubePipeProduction/TubePipeProduction_Article.cfm?ID=1599 Figure 1 A forming force that exceeds a material's yield strength results in plastic deformation, which holds the metal in the shape to be formed, and elastic deformation, which results in springback. The light crosshatched pattern indicates the areas of plastic deformation. The heavy crosshatched pattern indicates the areas of elastic deformation. Figure 1a shows the plastic and elastic deformation zones for a general-strength material; Figure 1b shows larger zones associated with a hi... Baicheng Wen Tue, 10 Apr 2007 12:00:00 AM CDT http://www.thefabricator.com/TubePipeProduction/TubePipeProduction_Article.cfm?ID=1583 You might not think that a hypodermic syringe and a large-diameter down-hole tube for oil exploration have much in common, but in fact they do. Tube producers often use tube drawing to change tube IDs, ODs, and wall thicknesses. Drawing also can improve the surface finish and refine the grain structure. Tubing is used in applications as varied as aircraft hydraulic lines, diesel fuel lines, thermocouple sheathing, chromatography, and semiconductor manufacture. Tubular products for th... Laurence Shaheen Tue, 13 Mar 2007 12:00:00 AM CST http://www.thefabricator.com/TubePipeProduction/TubePipeProduction_Article.cfm?ID=1488 Routine maintenance inspections are necessary for any cold pilger mill to perform optimally. The number, frequency, and quality of routine maintenance procedures have short-term and long-term effects on the machine's operations and capability. Investigating more than 30 machines revealed that neglecting routine maintenance has a negative effect on tube quality and mill productivity. Some of the maintenance issues cited were severe. During the past 10 years, many tube manufact... Glen Stapleton Tue, 07 Nov 2006 12:00:00 AM CST http://www.thefabricator.com/TubePipeProduction/TubePipeProduction_Article.cfm?ID=1471 Matching the best lubricant with your applications requires a comprehensive evaluation of your goals, your operation, and how your operation may change in the future. This article is Part III of a multipart series that addresses how to eliminate tube producing and fabricating problems. Part III discusses the use of lubricants to reduce tool wear and improve bending. Part II addressed the use of cleaners. Part I, which appeared in the April/May issue, discussed how to select a rust inhi... Mike Pelham Tue, 10 Oct 2006 12:00:00 AM CDT http://www.thefabricator.com/TubePipeProduction/TubePipeProduction_Article.cfm?ID=1468 Hastings Irrigation Pipe Co., Hastings, Neb., blazed a trail in the late 1940s by manufacturing irrigation pipe out of a material that was not used commonly at that time: aluminum. Five decades later Hastings and that unusual material are both field-tested and proven for manufacturing irrigation and industrial piping. The company's present product offering is pipe from 2 inches to 12 in. in diameter and 0.051 in. to 0.083 in. in wall thickness. Its nine tube mills use gas tungst... Eric Lundin, Senior Editor Tue, 10 Oct 2006 12:00:00 AM CDT http://www.thefabricator.com/TubePipeProduction/TubePipeProduction_Article.cfm?ID=1420 Dotting the rolling landscape on U.S. 127 in Kentucky, just south of Danville, are a half-dozen small gate manufacturers. As is typical in many rural areas throughout the nation, most of these shops are small operations where people have learned how to use their skills to contribute to their communities—and, of course, put food on the table. But then you get to Dunnville, Ky., a village of about 200 people that even many Kentuckians haven't heard of—and you hit the gat... Stephanie Vaughan, Contributing Writer Tue, 08 Aug 2006 12:00:00 AM CDT http://www.thefabricator.com/TubePipeProduction/TubePipeProduction_Article.cfm?ID=1419 Editor's Note: This article is Part II in a three-part series about modern flying shear tube cutoff systems. Part I discussed the different types of mainframes, their capabilities, and construction. Figure 1Flying Cutoff System with Servomotor Belt Accelerator The modern flying cutoff system consists of a high-strength steel mainframe, a die set accelerator, lightweight tools, and programmable logic controls. This article discusses die set accelerators (Figure 1). Simply sta... John Pavelec, Contributing Writer Tue, 08 Aug 2006 12:00:00 AM CDT http://www.thefabricator.com/TubePipeProduction/TubePipeProduction_Article.cfm?ID=1411 You have probably heard it, and you may have lived it. Business is slow, layoffs have left you shorthanded, maintenance is a thing of the past, and upgrades are on hold. The reason for the layoffs, lack of maintenance, and postponed upgrades is always the same: "We have no money!" Strangely, it's often the same when business is good. "We can't shut down the line for anything," and this includes maintenance, mill alignment, roll inspections, and, well, you name it. Mor... W.B. "Bud" Graham Tue, 11 Jul 2006 12:00:00 AM CDT http://www.thefabricator.com/TubePipeProduction/TubePipeProduction_Article.cfm?ID=1409 Cold pilgering is a longitudinal cold-rolling process that reduces the diameter and wall thickness of metal tube in one process step. Depending on the material, the cold pilger process achieves cross-section reductions of more than 90 percent in a single working cycle. Figure 1 The cold pilgering process relies on four main actions: The tube moves forward and it rotates while the ring dies move back and forth and rotate. Figure 1 shows the principle of the cold pilger proce... Oliver Strehlau Tue, 11 Jul 2006 12:00:00 AM CDT http://www.thefabricator.com/TubePipeProduction/TubePipeProduction_Article.cfm?ID=1376 Editor's Note: This is the second article in a two-part series on regrinding tube mill tooling. Part I discussed the first two steps of the five-step process: (1) receiving and inspection and (2) analyzing and creating work instructions. Part II discusses (3) machining, (4) final inspection and documentation, and (5) packaging and shipping. Machining In the regrind shop, the production supervisor reviews the work instructions and regrind charts and determines a "game plan... Chris Miller Tue, 13 Jun 2006 12:00:00 AM CDT