Article
April 1, 2010
Selecting the right mandrel and wiper
Figure 1
Introduced in the mid-1980s, inserted (or standard) tooling can withstand the pressure associated with many bending applications. Replacing the insert, the bronze-colored portion at left, is less expensive than replacing the entire tool.
Whether the times are lean or fat,... Read more...
Article
March 1, 2010
Supply chain collaborates on bending project
Figure 1
The complexity of the finished product stems, in part, from making bends on both the H plane (hard way) and E plane (easy way).
Fabrication projects don't just happen on their own; they require planning, which often involves an OEM, a fabricator, a tooling provider, and a... Read more...
Article
February 9, 2010
Making a workhorse run
Figure 1
The use of vertical compression benders became widespread in the 1950s. A primary application was forming automotive exhaust pipes in high volumes. Photo courtesy of Pines Technology.
Vertical compression tube benders have been around for more than 50 years (see Figure 1... Read more...
Article
December 2, 2009
Choices in flying cutoff saw blades
Tube and pipe producers are a demanding breed. They have to be. With line costs up to $15,000 per hour, unexpected downtime can destroy the bottom line. Keeping the line up and running is critical, and in tube and pipe production shops everywhere, one important concern is the cutoff area.... Read more...
Article
December 1, 2009
Using laser shock peening to increase pilger die life
Figure 1 Two views of a standard pilger die show the entrance portion of the die, where the tubing first encounters the pilger process. The area of maximum stress varies by application and is influenced by tube material, input and output tube size, roll groove design, and roll die diameter.... Read more...
Article
September 25, 2009
Rotary straighteners for tube and pipe
Despite great strides in manufacturing processes and various technological developments over the decades, most tube and pipe production methods churn out tube that is neither round nor straight. Rotary straightening machines were developed to reduce ovality and improve straightness. In... Read more...
Article
September 15, 2009
Manufacturing motorcycle mufflers
Photograph courtesy of Victory Motorcycles, a division of Polaris Industries Inc., Medina, Minn.
You don't have to look far to find a motorcycle these days. Riders purchased 900,000 motorcycles in 2008, nearly triple the number sold in 1995. The best-known motorcycle rally, held... Read more...
Article
September 2, 2009
Shopping for a new tube mill coolant?
Warren Buffett is known to have said, "Price is what you pay. Value is what you get." While the concept of price is straightforward, measuring value is tricky. In comparing two products, understanding what you get is much more complex than comparing the prices. The current economic... Read more...
Article
September 1, 2009
Shaping profits with a mandrel extractor
Bending a tube and preventing it from collapsing is a mystery to most folks, especially those whose livelihood does not involve bending tubes. For those who bend tubing for a living, knowing how to decrease ovality in the bend region can be of interest.
Before discussing strategies for... Read more...
Article
September 1, 2009
Article
September 1, 2009
Learning to adapt
Although Production Cutting Services initially focused on saw-cut parts, these days it also provides machined (right) and laser-cut (left) parts. It also learned the ins and outs of drilling and plasma cutting. Manufacturing isn't the same today as it was two and a half decades ago. CNC... Read more...
Article
July 28, 2009
Trends in offshore energy
Although Hurricane Katrina lasted just seven days from start to finish, it was among the most destructive natural disasters in the history of the U.S. The flooding, damage to residential districts, displacement of residents, and loss of life captured the headlines and the toll—1,836... Read more...
Article
June 29, 2009
Focusing on bent tubing
You have been bending tube and pipe for years, and while you're proficient at bending, you realize that you're spending too much time on quality control. Some of the parts are easy to handle and have just one or two bends, so measuring the straight sections and verifying the bend angles... Read more...
Article
March 9, 2009
Titanium trends
Although titanium was discovered in the late 18th century, it wasn't until 1940 that a metallurgist, Dr. William Kroll, first devised a commercially viable process for extracting the metal from its raw ore. In the 1950s titanium was recognized for its high strength and light weight, making... Read more...
Article
March 9, 2009
Putting a few end forming basics to work
End forming processes are used to change the shape of a significant majority of fabricated tube ends. Quite often one or both tube ends must be formed to mate to another part. The mating part might be another tube, a small component such as a fuel pump, or a large component such as an... Read more...
Article
December 4, 2008
Fact or Friction?
The tube and pipe bending process is full of variables and options, all of which you must understand and manage successfully to make the end product.
Any of these variables can make a significant contribution to the success or failure of the manufacturing process. Certain variables are... Read more...
Article
October 28, 2008
TIG for titanium tubing
Titanium is 45 percent lighter than steel, 60 percent heavier than aluminum, and more than three times stronger than either of them. While it is much more expensive than many other metals, it has greater corrosion resistance, lower life-cycle costs, longer service life, and drastically... Read more...
Article
June 12, 2007
Don't underestimate India
Photo courtesy of Nancy Olson If you pay much attention to international economics, you know that during the past few years much of the press has focused on the BRIC countries—Brazil, Russia, India, and China. The term BRIC was first used in 2003 in a report written by the Goldman... Read more...
Article
August 8, 2006
Modern flying shear tube cutoff systems - Part II
Figure 1
Flying 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 (... Read more...
Article
August 8, 2006
Modern flying shear tube cutoff systems
Part I discussed the different types of mainframes, their capabilities, and construction.
Figure 1
Flying Cutoff System with Servomotor Belt Accelerator
The modern flying cutoff system consists of a high-strength steel mainframe, a die set accelerator,... Read more...
Article
May 15, 2006
Troubleshooting Guide for Cleaners
This guide is part of an article series " Flushing out four-letter words-rust, dirt, and wear; Part II: Removing soils effectively ," by Mike Pelham, International Chemical Co., Philadelphia, reprinted from the June 2006 issue of The Tube & Pipe Journal®. The article addresses how to... Read more...
Article
April 11, 2006
Modern flying shear tube cutoff systems - Part I
The current generation of flying shear tube cutoff systems is even better-suited for the application than previous versions. With mainframes made from high-strength steel; tools made of lightweight, high-strength materials; and controls that use up-to-date programmable logic controllers with... Read more...
Article
December 13, 2005
Cutoff die setup for dimple-free rounds
Figure 1 Tube Mill Dimple-free Flying Cutoff Modern tube mills that operate with a dual-shear blade and a flying cutoff system can produce dimple-free round steel tubing efficiently. For example, 3-inch-OD tube mills regularly make 70 cuts per minute or more on short lengths from... Read more...
Article
September 13, 2005
Article
July 12, 2005
Tube and pipe loading
Figure 1 Editor's Note: Occasionally, thefabricator.com will publish brief features that highlight the successful use of a specific product to solve a shop floor problem. The article's intent is to provide the reader a real-world application/solution story that could inspire... Read more...
Article
April 11, 2005
Using AC for Al
Figure 1 Orbital gas tungsten arc welding (GTAW) has been used in many industries since its introduction in the 1950s. Developed by the aerospace industry for welding small fittings to tubes, the process was limited by its large power supplies and cumbersome fixtures suited only to... Read more...
Article
April 11, 2005
Tension control in tube and pipe production
On a tube or pipe mill, the incoming strip is formed by about 24 pairs of tool stands. To help ensure such a line runs smoothly, the strip must be pulled between every pair of stands. The parameter that indicates if or how much the strip is pulled is tension. Traditionally, tension is... Read more...
Article
April 11, 2005
Welding zirconium and zirconium alloys Part II
Welding Technique Gas tungsten arc welding (GTAW) zirconium requires careful attention to many of the same criteria used in welding other metals. Successful welding depends on the electrical characteristics, wire feeding, interpass cleaning, workpiece preheating, and heat input.... Read more...
Article
March 8, 2005
Managing rotary-draw tube bending
Most information published about tube bending relates to a specific aspect of the process, such as tooling, control and equipment features, or component technology. This type of information is valuable for keeping tube fabricators up-to-date on what's available and is useful in selecting... Read more...
Article
March 8, 2005
Simulating a robotic workcell
Like many other software tools, CAD continues to evolve at the speed of . . . real time. Even though we think the world moves at a faster pace each day, a second is still a second, an hour is still an hour, and real time is what matters in the world of manufacturing. Some technologies... Read more...
Article
January 10, 2005
Welding zirconium and zirconium alloys
A magnified view of a titanium-zirconium weld joint shows titanium (the multicolored area, left), zirconium (the green and yellow area, right), and a mixture of the two metals (the blue area, center). The intense colors come from polishing the weld interface and anodizing the surface.... Read more...
Article
October 12, 2004
Certifying the quality of your tube and pipe
Many testing services are available to ensure the quality of tube and pipe. Laboratories that perform the testing provide certified reports that summarize the test results and state whether or not the materials meet the testing acceptance criteria. Many industries, including military,... Read more...
Article
September 14, 2004
Tube Hydroforming Design Flexibility—Part VI
Tube hydroforming reshapes a tube from a normally round cross section to a desired shape. The final shape, usually rectangular, develops along the part length. The cross-sectional periphery may be consistent throughout the part and equal to the original tube, or it can be expanded in localized... Read more...
Article
September 14, 2004
Lean times call for mean tactics—Part 1
Personally witnessing the growth and maturing of the tube bending industry for the last five decades has been a great privilege, and as one of the remaining warhorses of this industry, I am in a position to take a long look back at this peculiar fraternity that we belong to. It... Read more...
Article
August 10, 2004
Tips for welding preparation
Advances in equipment automation and the development of new and exotic tubing materials have affected welding techniques and weld preparation. The levels of cleanness required in many industries—medical, electronic, aerospace, chemical, pharmaceutical, agricultural, and... Read more...
Article
July 13, 2004
Is your bend good enough?
You recently acquired a pipe bender to enhance your fabrication capabilities, received an order, procured the pipe stock your customer requested, and bent it as specified. Your customer rejected the first lot. He called and complained about a hump on the extrados, and he said something about it... Read more...
Article
July 13, 2004
MIAB welding of thick-walled pipe ends
Various methods are used for welding pipe, including electric shielded metal arc welding (SMAW), submerged arc welding (SAW), and flash end welding. Another efficient process is magnetically impelled arc butt (MIAB) welding. Current technology and equipment allow MIAB welding of pipes with wall... Read more...
Article
July 13, 2004
Bending and handling tube
It used to be simple: Purchase the tube fabrication machinery necessary for a project and hire motivated workers to get the job done. It's not that simple anymore. Technology advances have made automated bending and material handling processes possible for tube fabricators. Some... Read more...
Article
June 8, 2004
Hydroforming tapered engineered tubes
In tube hydroforming processes, tube is expanded by a high-pressure medium (usually water) until it fills a die cavity. Since the volume of tube material (the product of its cross section multiplied by its length) remains constant, the tube wall thins to accommodate the expansion. Often axial... Read more...
Article
June 8, 2004
Optimizing your hydraulic cutoff press
It is accepted that, because tube production is a highly competitive industry, many tube producers stay up nights thinking of ways to increase output and improve quality with less labor. Three obvious strategies are to increase mill speed, minimize downtime, and eliminate secondary... Read more...
Article
May 4, 2004
Metallurgical aspects of tube production
The metallurgical aspects of small-diameter tubing (5/8 inch and smaller) can be divided into three categories: Raw material characteristics Process design and control Finished tube inspection and testing These aspects are linked to and dependent on each other, so looking at them as a... Read more...
Article
May 4, 2004
Troubleshooting OCTG threading: Part II
Read Part I
Editor's Note: This article, Part II of a two-part series on tube and pipe threading, explores troubleshooting related to threading cutting, insert shape, chip breaker geometry, coatings, and coolants.
An examination of the cutting tools used on... Read more...
Article
May 4, 2004
Keeping stainless steels stainless
Causes of Corrosion
Stainless steel's corrosion resistance is due to a thin, chromium-rich, transparent oxide film on the surface 1 . This protective film develops when more than 10.5 percent of chromium is present in the alloy and when the gas or liquid environment the stainless steel is... Read more...
Article
April 6, 2004
Don't throw away your profit margin
Grinding applications can be divided into three broad categories, especially with regard to tube and pipe: Welding preparation and heavy metal removal Metal fabrication and construction Light metal removal, finishing and sharpening Abrasives for grinders come in many grains, shapes, and... Read more...
Article
March 25, 2004
Part feature developments in hydroforming products
Tube hydroforming technology continues to develop in ways that improve part utility, economy, and process robustness. Each advancement broadens the applicability of tube hydroforming by making designers aware of what is possible and of the economic and performance benefits to be... Read more...
Article
March 25, 2004
Developments in hydroforming
The demand for hydroformed products continues to grow around the world, and so does the demand for hydroforming knowledge. To serve the continuing need for such knowledge, the third International Conference on Hydroforming brought people from around the world to Stuttgart, Germany, Oct.... Read more...
Article
December 11, 2003
Selecting a welding frequency
High-frequency contact and induction welding processes have been used in welded tube production for more than 50 years with little attention paid to the welding frequency. Traditional vacuum-tube-type welders operated at frequencies between 300 and 400 kilohertz (kHz).... Read more...
Article
November 20, 2003
Zero to sixty in the blink of an eye
Bruce Van Sant heats the rear tire just before a time trial at The Big Race at Brainerd International Raceway, Brainerd, Minn.
It would be no exaggeration to say that Bruce Van Sant grew up around motorcycles. The youngest of three Van Sant brothers, he rode motorcycles... Read more...
Article
October 9, 2003
A survey of presses for hydroforming tubes, extrusions
The first parts hydroformed in Germany for the automotive industry were manifold components. The process provided both cost savings and manifolds with good gas flow characteristics. Other applications of IHP hydroforming are engine cradles and frames for lightweight trucks. Advantages... Read more...
Article
September 25, 2003
Pour me a mandrel
A low-melting-point alloy is heated and poured into a length of tube. To reduce weight and cost for all types of products, design engineers often specify tubes and pipes with thinner walls instead of the previously used heavier-walled tubes and pipes. Shorter tube or pipe lengths also... Read more...
Article
June 26, 2003
The Bold in Arches
Texans will remind you that things are bigger in Texas, and the Dallas Convention Center is just another example, as this computer drawing shows. Two 860-ton roof truss assemblies, fabricated from large-diameter pipe, make it possible for Dallas to boast that it currently has... Read more...
Article
June 26, 2003
Making hands-free straight, saddle, and miter cuts
Since its inception in 1969, the company had used traditional, manual processes. Pipes were moved into and out of the work area by forklift, and pipe cutting was done with either a hand-powered mechanized torch or a hand-held torch. For straight end cuts, an operator attached a... Read more...
Article
May 29, 2003
Article
May 15, 2003
Inspecting welds on complex tube forms
Many manufacturers are familiar with using eddy current systems to inspect their sheet and tubular products. Eddy current testing (ECT) is a nondestructive electromagnetic test that offers a rapid examination to detect surface-breaking flaws or cracks. It can be applied easily to straight... Read more...
Article
April 24, 2003
Boatmaker finds new saw for trailer production
Recently the company wanted to increase the efficiency of its trailer-building operation. Specifically, this entailed replacing a 20-year-old sawing machine plagued by performance that was no longer satisfactory, broken blades, and poor tolerances. "We were looking for a saw that was... Read more...
Article
April 10, 2003
Making the connection
Eaton Corp. manufactures a patented end connector, called STC®, or Snap to Connect. It is a reusable connector designed for low-, medium-, and high-pressure applications. STC is a threadless connection that requires only hand assembly to connect and a simple release tool to... Read more...
Article
April 10, 2003
Solving the mysteries of the fin pass—Part 1
Figure 1
Original tubular forms, such as bulrushes, are found in nature. Modern tube isn't an invention—it's merely a copy of a natural plant form. Photo courtesy of Wildcat Bluff Nature Center, copyright 2001.
Editor's Note: This article is the first part of... Read more...
Article
April 10, 2003
Making the cut
Choosing the proper blade for the application, optimizing its use, maintaining the saw, and using a cutting coolant all pay productivity dividends. Choosing and Using a Blade Sawing pipe and tube stock is fundamentally more difficult and more complicated than cutting barstock or... Read more...
Article
March 27, 2003
Fill 'er Up
Fuel filler tubes currently are manufactured from carbon steel tubing, which is expanded using mechanical forming techniques. The filler tube then is welded to a section of tubing that is bent to the shape required by the vehicle's design.
Most filler tubes have an offset centerline and their... Read more...
Article
March 27, 2003
The basics of roll form tooling design
However, you must understand and apply common practices to the design process, and couple them with a certain degree of "magic" gained from experience. For each new tooling requirement in a roll form design, take the following five steps: Develop a cross-sectional drawing.... Read more...
Article
March 27, 2003
Article
March 13, 2003
Using precision abrasive wheel technology
Capabilities and Limitations Precision abrasive wheels can cut solid parts as small as 0.001 inch in diameter and tubular parts from 0.004 to 3 in. OD. Length tolerance for short, small-diameter parts can be as tight as ±0.001 in. Tolerance for parts up to 6 in. long can be held to... Read more...
Article
March 13, 2003
Heating P91 boiler pipe
Insulating blankets are an integral part of induction heating equipment. After the pipe is heated to the proper temperature, the induction coil is removed and the pipe is welded. "Our turnaround time averages eight to 12 weeks, and that includes pipe made from P91 chrome-moly steel,"... Read more...
Article
January 16, 2003
Comparing materials for high-temperature steam piping
X20 was introduced in the 1950s in Germany and used in steam lines operating at temperatures of 530 degrees C and higher for fossil fuel-fired power generating sets of 150 megawatts and more. However, two factors limited its use: the extreme care needed for its fabrication and welding and... Read more...
Article
November 21, 2002
Piping in productivity
A critical requirement of this underground pipeline was to build it directly to the bottling plant. The 8-inch-diameter 304L stainless steel Schedule 10 pipeline -- more than 1.5 miles long -- delivers spring water from a mountain borehole to a new bottling plant. A completely... Read more...
Article
October 24, 2002
Evaluating the Danger of Loud Noises in Tube and Pipe Shops
DoALL continuously tests and develops quieter band sawing blades. Here a technician uses an audiometer to measure noise levels created during sawing. Loud noise in the workplace traditionally has been associated with employee hearing loss. However, the Occupational Safety and Health... Read more...
Article
October 10, 2002
Material property variations in tubes used for hydroforming
Figure 1: A schematic view shows the three regions from which three strips of sheet are cut as raw material for manufacturing tubes. Only tubes whose material properties are consistent can be hydroformed into a high-quality product. Variations in tube material properties may result... Read more...
Article
September 12, 2002
Forming exhaust components with an alternative lubricant
In spring 2000 Zeuna Staerker ( www.zeunastaerker.de ), a manufacturer of exhaust system components, took a critical look at the lubricant it was using to mandrel-bend 300-series stainless steel tubing. Although the parts it manufactured, exhaust components for BMW Z3® and X5®... Read more...
Article
July 11, 2002
Say 'no!' to burrs, dimples
Tube and pipe producers know two sources of pressure all too well — competitors' relentless progress and customers' uncompromising demands. Tube producers are caught in the middle. To remain competitive, they run their mills at increasingly higher speeds, which often leads to... Read more...
Article
June 27, 2002
Expanding Their Reach
"The significance is the ability to reclaim the lost diameter in the well plan as each casing string is installed," said Bill Dean, Business Development manager for Enventure Global Technology LLC, a Houston-based joint venture of Halliburton Energy Services and Shell Technology... Read more...
Article
May 16, 2002
A primer on titanium tube and pipe
Titanium is the ninth most abundant element in the earth's crust and the fourth most commonly used structural metal. In nature, it occurs only as a mineral (ore) in combination with oxygen or iron (rutile, TiO 2 , or ilmenite, FeTiO 3 ).
Titanium is a lightweight material whose density... Read more...
Article
February 14, 2002
Achieving cost-effective environmental compliance
Note: While this article discusses federal environmental statutes, many states have implemented programs that are at least as stringent as the applicable federal program. While federal regulations are in effect throughout the U.S., state or local governments may impose additional... Read more...
Article
January 10, 2002
Hydroforming provides Rx for medical pumps
Figure 1: The pump housings Hudson produces for the three Arrow models are made of fully contoured and circular titanium to provide smooth, sloping edges between surfaces. Arrow International wanted strong housings for its implantable pumps. The answer had to be in titanium, with... Read more...
Article
November 15, 2001
Rockwell hardness and Brinell testing of tube and pipe
All hardness testing methods require a good understanding of the testing process to obtain accurate results. Hardness, while technically not a material property, is used extensively to determine quickly if the material being tested is suitable for its intended use. If the material is too... Read more...
Article
October 25, 2001
Hydroforming a new front automotive structure
Figure 1 Vehicle structures have evolved over the years in response to demands for improved performance, safety, cost reduction, and changes in technology. In today's automotive environment, those first three factors often are concurrent requirements, while the last can provide the... Read more...
Article
October 25, 2001
Article
October 11, 2001
Mastering the tool selection process
Editor's Note: Baicheng Wen is no longer with Roll-Kraft. This article originally appeared in the December 1999 edition of TPJ-The Tube & Pipe Journal. Two of the goals all manufacturing companies share are minimizing production costs and maximizing profits. In the tube and pipe... Read more...
Article
September 17, 2001
Monitoring the quality of welded tube and pipe
Figure 1: Eddy-current flow follows a closed-loop pattern unless interrupted by a crack, pin-hole, or similar discontin uity. Eddy currents are alternating electrical currents that can be induced to flow in any electrically conducting material, which covers all metals. Eddy current... Read more...
Article
September 4, 2001
Accumulating strip before the mill
Figure 1: Strip can be stored in a deep pit, where it will hang in a loop. In simple terms, a strip processing line consists of a device to hold a supply coil of strip and a device to perform an operation to convert the flat coiled strip into a product. In tube mill operations, a... Read more...
Article
September 4, 2001
Maintaining an RF tube and pipe welding generator
In the simplest terms, tube and pipe is produced by a mill that rolls flat stock material into a round shape, welds the two edges together, and cuts the resulting homogeneous pipe to some predetermined length. The subject of this article is the radio frequency (RF) generator that... Read more...
Article
September 4, 2001
Boosting efficiency in solid state welders
High-frequency induction (HFI) welding is used widely by the tube producing industry, but a large number of variables need to be controlled to perform the operation successfully. In the HFI welding process, high-frequency current is induced in the open seam tube by an induction coil... Read more...
Article
August 16, 2001
Hydroforming with end feeding
Figure 1 Object Sections of tubular hydroformed components typically are developed to keep the section perimeter-the length of line —to within 2 and 5 percent of the tube's circumference in the central regions of the member. Near the ends, the section perimeter can be increased by... Read more...
Article
July 12, 2001
Hydroforming on a budget
In today's business environment, characterized by cost-cutting measures and increasing competition, it can be difficult to justify spending money on new manufacturing equipment. It can be especially difficult to justify purchasing equipment for a competitive niche market, such as hydroforming.... Read more...
Article
May 30, 2001
Skelp edge preparation for manufacturing ERW pipe
Achieving a quality weld requires starting with good edges. In manufacturing electric-resistance- welded (ERW) pipe and tube, this is critical. Perfect edges are almost impossible to obtain consistently by rotary side trimming single-width coils or side trimming and slitting master... Read more...
Article
April 24, 2001
Article
April 24, 2001
Automated tube welding of heat exchangers
Harris Thermal Transfer Products, Newberg, Oregon, is an American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME)-code shop that focuses mainly on the production of shell and tube heat exchangers. As an ASME-code shop, it carries three stamps (U, R, and PP) for building and servicing pressure... Read more...
Article
April 24, 2001
Examining electric resistance weld nuggets in tube and pipe
An in-depth examination of electric resistance welding (ERW) weld nuggets as a quality control step in the manufacturing of high-strength tube and pipe used for pressure applications has been a proprietary procedure for some manufacturers for several years. Types of pressure-application tube... Read more...
Article
May 1, 1999
Article
April 7, 1999
The basics of rotary cutting
The rotary cutting concept is not new. Since its introduction in 1919, it has developed into an effective method of production tube and pipe cutting, regardless of lot sizes. In industrial applications, a rotary cutter is basically a motorized version of a plumber's tube cutter. The tube... Read more...
