Measuring the bends and straight sections of a bent tube can be tricky and time-consuming, especially if the tube has a large number of bends in several directions. Photogrammetry, also known as optical measurement, uses a booth equipped with several digital cameras to make a digital image of the part, allowing fast, easy measurements.

The first step in learning about welding aluminum is learning about the various alloys themselves (cast and wrought)—the digits used in the aluminum designation system, the properties of the various alloys, and the considerations in matching a filler metal to a base material.

Eddy current testing does more than detect product defects. When used with a proper monitoring system on a mill staffed by highly trained operators, it can help to optimize the mill's efficiency. The first part of this two-part article covers eddy current system principles.

Two forming methods can make a bead for an airtight seal on a metal tube: rotary (spin) forming and progressive ram forming. Each has advantages and disadvantages in bead profile, cycle time, amount of wall thinning, and so on.