During pilgering, the dies endure extreme amounts of stress. Shot peening is a conventional, economic process for hardening the tooling, but its benefits are limited. Supplementing shot peening with laser shock peening where the stress is highest can help to extend the service life of the tools.

Friction saws are the conventional cutoff machines for tube and pipe mills. Drawbacks include hazards (noise and risk of breakage) and burrs they tend to generate. Tungsten-carbide-tipped (TCT) blades, which require more sophisticated sawing machines, run slower and safer, cut cleaner, and are less prone to breakage.

Energy Steel & Supply Co., Lapeer, Mich., a fabricator that manufactures components for nuclear power plants, used to spend quite a bit of time on pre- and postweld heat treatment. After seeing a demonstration of an induction heating system, the company made the switch and enjoys the benefits of a faster, safer way to deliver heat to the components it manufactures.