Authors - W.B. "Bud" Graham
Articles written by W.B. "Bud" Graham
Results: 15
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How do you measure success?Contrary to common opinion, a high production rate is not the key to success in making tube. Attempting to low-ball the price — while cutting corners in maintenance and upgrades -- is a poor strategy in this industry. Columnist Bud Graham provides four production scenarios that compare various...
Publish date: July 11, 2006 |
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Envelope, please!Bud Graham revisits his January/February column on problems that plague tube mills (or nearly any manufacturing company, for that matter) and shares some reader feedback. Also, he provides the runners-up and winner of a caption contest for a photo that also appeared in the January/February issue.
Publish date: June 13, 2006 |
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Eliminating problems that cause flawsProblematic material? Yes, bad coil is out there. It could be mislabeled; the yield strength could vary from one part of the coil to another; it might have damaged edges; and so on. In the second part of this two-part series, columnist Bud Graham discusses steel coil, how its characteristics can...
Publish date: April 11, 2006 |
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Finding problems that cause flawsIf you're making flawed tube or pipe, don't blame the material. You need to start by examining every aspect of the mill. Only after verifying that the mill is in good working order can you turn your attention to the raw material.
Publish date: March 22, 2006 |
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Happy New Year!How can we make 2006 better than 2005? One way is to adopt a few work-related new year's resolutions. The author lists five factors that hold the industry back--factors that everyone should resolve to overcome for a successful year.
Publish date: January 10, 2006 |
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Relief ahead in 2006?An overview of the pressures faced by the tube and pipe producing industry in 2005 and the author's views on how 2006 will be similar, but with a greater emphasis on energy costs, conservation, and availability. Ends with a few reminders about tube mill maintenance and efficiency.
Publish date: December 13, 2005 |
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Scarfing tube and pipe—cut to the quickWeld bead scarfing (cutting, removing, and disposing) exposes mill operators to numerous hazards, including cuts and burns from the scarf. Part I of this article discusses the reasons scarf is removed from tube and the mill parameters that affect the scarf removal process. Part II discusses a...
Publish date: October 11, 2005 |
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Pulling taffy and producing tube
Publish date: December 11, 2003 |
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Plotting for successThe butler slipped through the pantry area with the warm milk and, after adding some arsenic, served the beverage to his master. The butler had been gradually increasing the amount of arsenic over many months, so the change in the milk's taste wasn't noticeable. Soon the mistress and her...
Publish date: October 23, 2003 |
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Measuring tube as it grows and shrinks
Publish date: August 28, 2003 |
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The little-known life of the scarfing toolWho cares about scarfing tools? There are more important things in life. When the beauty pageant contestant is asked what problem she would like to solve, she's more likely to answer "I'd like to establish world peace" than "I wish I could find ways to help scarfing tools last longer."
Publish date: June 26, 2003 |
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Solving the mysteries of the fin pass—Part 2 Editor's Note: This article is the second part of a two-part series about fin passes. Part I discusses their location, what they do, and how they do it. Part II focuses on troubleshooting.
Publish date: May 15, 2003 |
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Solving the mysteries of the fin pass—Part 1The fin pass was not the first time your father gave you five bucks for your allowance. The fin passes are those forming passes that immediately follow the breakdown or initial forming stages on a tube mill. Their role is paramount in the successful final presentation of the formed tubular...
Publish date: April 10, 2003 |
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Don't lose your bearing!It's Monday morning after a long holiday weekend, and the first shift is starting with a bang. The slit coil supplier is late with your delivery, the second-shift maintenance person has called in sick, the mill operator is going to be late to work, and you wish you were still at the beach with...
Publish date: February 27, 2003 |
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Inline gauge control in welded tube production: Reducing conversion lossesReducing scrap when converting strip to finished tube is a huge step in bettering your bottom line.
Publish date: July 26, 2001 |
