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
All eyes on Düsseldorf
Economists, bankers, and financiers use many indicators to gauge economic activity, such as interest rates, capacity utilization rates, the unemployment rate, and the PMI. One universal commodity, petroleum, provides a big cluster of economic indicators that works as a crude economic... 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
No need for annealing
Fabricators are always looking for new ideas. Any new strategy, whether it involves a machine, a process, a technology, or a technique, is worth investigating if it will result in a better product or improve profitability.
New ideas aren't always easy to implement. Sometimes they are... 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
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
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 isn't... 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
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 fromits raw ore. In the 1950s titanium was recognized for its high strength and light weight, making it... 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 lower... 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
April 10, 2007
Straining to understand bending?
Editor's Note: This article was adapted from the paper "Springback Characteristics of Bent Tubes for Hydroforming Applications," which was presented at the 4th Annual North American Hydroforming Conference & Exhibition, Sept. 25-27, 2006 London, Ontario, Canada. The use of hydroforming... Read more...
Article
March 13, 2007
Error-free tube fabrication
In addition to detecting the weld seam, some modern electronic sensors are sophisticated enough that, when properly programmed, they can differentiate between a good weld and a bad one. Picture the activity in a typical automotive assembly plant. Dozens of synchronous industrial processes... 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
June 14, 2005
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
April 11, 2005
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
November 9, 2004
Selecting a tube cutting process
Tube fabricators use a variety of methods—sawing, lathe cutting, rotary cutting, supported shear cutting, dual-blade shear cutting, and laser cutting—to cut tubing from mill lengths into shorter pieces for use in final fabrication. No single method is optimal for cutting the... 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
Thinking about an equipment upgrade?
It's no secret that manufactured products change continuously. Technological developments and higher consumer expectations are two of the forces that drive changes in nearly every manufactured item. Just as manufactured goods change, so do the approaches used to manufacture them. From... 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
September 14, 2004
Tube Hydroforming Design Flexibility—Part VI
Editor's Note: This article is Part VI in a series about design flexibility in tube hydroforming. Please read Part I , Part II , Part III , Part IV , and Part V .
Tube hydroforming reshapes a tube from a normally round cross section to a desired shape. The final shape, usually... 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
February 26, 2004
Tube Hydroforming Design Flexibility—Part V
Editor's Note: This article is Part V in a series about tube hydroforming design flexibility. Please read Part I , Part II , Part III , Part IV , and Part VI .
Combined with the information in Part III of this series that focused on cross-section expansion before hydroforming,... 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
December 11, 2003
Pulling taffy and producing tube
Do you remember going to the county fair and watching candy makers make taffy? As a child I often would watch the whirling motion of the taffy pull machine as it whipped and pulled and whipped and pulled again and again until the candy was the right consistency, texture, and color. As long as... Read more...
Article
November 20, 2003
Laser tube processing
Although many new applications are made possible by modern lasers, laser processing is not entirely new to tube production. Manufacturers have used lasers to cut tube and pipe since the late 1970s. At job shops most of this laser tube cutting was performed on flat sheet cutting laser... 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 all over the... Read more...
Article
November 20, 2003
Six-axis tube laser adds new dimension to job shop
Nine years ago co-owners Phil Kooima and his father, John, got out of the stamping business and into lasers. They now have seven flatbed laser cutting machines from 1,000 to 6,000 watts, along with press brakes, robotic welders, and other support equipment in their 90,000-square-foot... 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
August 28, 2003
Measuring tube as it grows and shrinks
We always have some confusion at our house concerning desserts. My wife claims that I like only two kinds of pie: hot and cold. Well, she is mostly right. My favorite is cherry, and I love it served either hot or cold. Here's our family recipe—you be the judge.
Grandma's Cherry Pie... Read more...
Article
August 28, 2003
Minimizing wall thickness variation in seamless tubing
Reducing the amount of variation, or achieving more wall thickness consistency, can be the difference between meeting a customer's requirements or not. It also helps to reduce or even may eliminate the customer's need for subsequent processes such as machining. Seamless tube typically is... Read more...
Article
August 28, 2003
Designing an off-road sport truck
They're big. They're mean. They growl and snarl. Untamed beasts, they're at home anywhere, regardless of the terrain or the climate. They prowl over mountains or deserts or backwoods trails, whether the conditions are warm or cold or wet or dry. They're custom-made off-road trucks, and... Read more...
Article
July 24, 2003
Tier 1 supplier builds four-stage competitive strategy
F & P Manufacturing Inc., a Tier 1 automotive supplier, is no stranger to competitive and financial pressures. Unrelenting competitive pressures come from the many other Tier 1 suppliers looking for opportunities to increase their slice of the automotive pie. Financial pressures come from... Read more...
Article
July 10, 2003
Article
July 10, 2003
Do you use checking jigs and fixtures?
The effect that checking fixtures have on your operating bottom line is so important that they should be given a much higher priority than most tube fabricators give them. The cost of quality checking fixtures should be included in every bid when quoting jobs. In fact, costs incurred... Read more...
Article
June 26, 2003
The little-known life of the scarfing tool
Just kidding, but I'm sure you get my point. Scarfing tools are pretty boring compared to the greater issues we face since 9/11. I pray for world peace right there with anybody who will listen. But then again, I've been asked many times why tools don't last or why they break after only a short... Read more...
Article
June 12, 2003
Waste not, want not
How good are tube fabricators at finding hidden waste? Uncovering and eliminating hidden waste has as much to do with being profitable as any other manufacturing cost. We all know how to quote and define the structured costs involved in a job, but what can we do to take care of waste that... Read more...
Article
June 12, 2003
Dealing with internal pressure in free hydraulic bulging
Finite element analysis (FEA) is a numerical process that treats a single item, such as a metal tube, as a large number of small, individual components, or finite elements. It performs calculations on each of the elements and uses the result to predict the deformation behavior of the... Read more...
Article
May 29, 2003
Robots and dials and knobs—oh my!
It has been said that necessity is the mother of invention. You be the judge. In the late 1950s, the U.S. Navy wanted to find a way to join heavy aluminum structural sections used to fabricate motor torpedo boat hulls. Gas tungsten arc welding (GTAW) offered suitable process... Read more...
Article
May 29, 2003
Article
May 29, 2003
Batter up! Turning an aluminum tube into a baseball bat
Although wooden bats still are the only type used in professional baseball, aluminum bats are used extensively in nonprofessional baseball and softball leagues. In fact, nearly 95 percent of all baseball bats used in the U.S. are made of aluminum. Hillerich & Bradsby Co. (H&B),... Read more...
Article
May 29, 2003
Article
May 15, 2003
Solving the mysteries of the fin pass—Part 2
First, some ground rules (assumptions) for the arrangement before we discuss some possible reasons for poor-quality seam welding and their solutions:
1. You are working with a new set of rolls and spacers. We assume that the rolls are manufactured correctly. This eliminates from the equation... Read more...
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
May 15, 2003
Producing holes in tubing
Producing holes in tubing with punch press tooling can be divided into two main processes: punching and piercing (see Figure 1 ). Tube Piercing Tube piercing is different from traditional hole punching in that a die is not employed on the underside of the material. Instead, external... Read more...
Article
April 24, 2003
Tube Hydroforming Design Flexibility—Part III
Editor's Note: This article is Part III in a series about tube hydroforming design flexibility. Please read Part I , Part II , Part IV , and Part V .
The last article in this series noted that variable periphery design, or cross-section expansion, often is thought to be the most... 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 24, 2003
The anatomy of a monster truck
It can be only one thing: a BIGFOOT® monster truck. And it contains an unbelievable amount of tube. Just a Hobby It all started innocently. Bob Chandler was a construction contractor by day, a 4x4 enthusiast by night, and a lead-foot all the time. His notoriously heavy foot led to a... Read more...
Article
April 24, 2003
Coating fabricating tooling
Exotic metals are being used more often, and stainless steel usage continues to rise in this industry as end users seek better-quality products to stay ahead of their competitors. Coatings have become a major player in helping tube fabricators manufacture parts from such materials. Let's talk... 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
February 27, 2003
CPR for your old CNC bender
Have you considered rebuilding and upgrading? Its primary advantage is cost, and cost effectiveness increases as bender size increases. Other advantages include the operator's familiarity with the bender and use of the same tooling. Let's take a look at two possible rebuilds of a typical... 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 7, 2002
Focusing on tube cutting lasers
Object
It travels at 186,287.490 miles per second (299,792,458 meters per sec.). Its visible spectrum ranges from 400 to 700 nanometers. Its smallest unit is a packet of energy, a photon. While its chief use is illumination, it has many other commercial, industrial, and military... 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
Tube Hydroforming Design Flexibility—Part II
Editor's Note: This article is Part II in a series about tube hydroforming design flexibility. Please read Part I , Part III , Part IV , and Part V .
It's difficult to overemphasize the importance of cross section expansion when you're talking about successful and innovative... 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
Technology modernizes CMMs
Coordinate measuring machines have progressed since their inception in the 1970s. Original machines were benchtop-mounted, cumbersome to use, and limited to five axes. In addition, some complex tube applications required two software programs for a complete set of measurements. These days,... 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...
