Content tagged with "tube-and-pipe"
Results: 48
Article
September 1, 2009
Looking to improve weld seams?
Technological improvements often are simple concepts that can have profound effects on existing processes. New technologies and process efficiencies allow manufacturers to improve products or increase throughput. For example, developments in high-frequency power supplies allow tube and pipe... Read more...
Article
August 5, 2009
Troubleshooting OCTG threading: Part I
Producing threaded connections that comply with the standards set forth by the American Petroleum Institute (API) requires precise control of each element of the thread form.
High-production threading of oil country tubular goods (OCTG) is accomplished using carbide-tooled machines that may... Read more...
Spanish
July 7, 2009
Article
January 13, 2009
'It's the economy, stupid'
The results are in and they are not surprising. An overwhelming majority of respondents to an annual survey of metal fabricators ranked the economy as their No. 1 business concern. For the past five years, the "Fabricating Update" e-newsletter has surveyed its subscribers about various... Read more...
Article
November 25, 2008
Serpentine bending in production
You might not see serpentine bends often, but they are used more commonly than you probably realize. Their main purpose is to transfer heat. A tube bent into a serpentine shape, successive 180-degree bends, allows an original equipment manufacturer (OEM) to fabricate a product that extracts... Read more...
Article
September 16, 2008
Reflections on a perfectly symmetric ellipse
While many of BR Sculpture's projects involve casting, the company does quite a bit of fabrication work too. Like any fabricator, BR's owner, Brett Richards, occasionally is stumped by a daunting manufacturing problem such as this one-forming a perfectly symmetric frame for a mirror. A... Read more...
Article
July 15, 2008
From the CAD station to the production floor
A 2-D drawing, which is the conventional method for describing components such as bent tubes, contains all the necessary information for programming a CNC tube bending machine. However, conventions don't hold forever, and modern technological developments are changing the way this information... Read more...
Article
April 15, 2008
Buy it by the pound, sell it by the foot
With raw material and energy costs soaring and imported tube and pipe flooding the U.S., tube and pipe producers are facing increasing pressures to reduce costs to maintain profitability. While strategies for cutting costs or optimizing tube and pipe manufacturing processes abound, they... Read more...
Article
March 11, 2008
Machine shop sees the (laser) light
Figure 1 Laser-cut tube parts are given a close inspection after coming off the BLM- Adige LT712D laser tube cutting machine at MG Products Inc. Mark George, president of Elkhart, Ind.-based MG Products Inc., chuckled when asked whether his company is more of a machine shop or a tube... Read more...
Article
March 11, 2008
Automation in tube and pipe welding
Robotic welding of tube and pipe means more control over a task that can be grueling for welders if done manually. Encompassing applications ranging from exhaust systems and fenders to furniture and fencing, tube and pipe welding is a complicated task. That's why robots make so much sense.... Read more...
Article
January 15, 2008
Vertical SMAW: It's a stick up
Figure 1 SMAW, or stick welding, requires a certain mastery of skills, and vertical and overhead stick welding is that much more difficult-one of the reasons the specialty is in such great demand. Vertical and overhead stick welding have never been in such high demand. Heavy construction... Read more...
Article
December 11, 2007
Festivus poles for the rest of us souls
With a dull, lusterless finish, an aluminum pole becomes the symbol for this country's favorite non-holiday holiday—Festivus. Not too many metal fabricators can say they are a supplier of not only metal product, but also a piece of pop culture. The Wagner Companies of Milwaukee can.... Read more...
Article
October 23, 2007
Designing for laser cutting
A revolution is under way in the tube fabrication industry. The revolution is being driven by the need for manufacturers to fabricate tubular products faster, more accurately, at lower cost, and with shorter lead-times than before. The enemies in this fight are a shortage of skilled labor,... Read more...
Article
October 9, 2007
Fabricating: Employment or enjoyment?
He has a big, booming voice that matches his stature, a New Jersey accent, and a passion for motorcycles. No, you won't see him on television, he isn't Paul Teutul Sr., and he has nothing to do with Orange County. But he loves choppers. He has modified quite a few motorcycles over the... Read more...
Article
September 11, 2007
A high-flying metal fabricator
Mention the word airplane to most people, and they'll likely think of jet-powered superjumbo aircraft and the ongoing battle between the two titans, Boeing and Airbus. Among Boeing's largest is the 747-400. It measures 232 feet long, has a wing span of 211 feet, has a range of 7,260 nautical... Read more...
Article
July 10, 2007
Top five questions about anodizing architectural tube
During anodizing, the aluminum oxide layer is made thicker by passing a direct current through a sulfuric acid solution, with the tube serving as the anode, the negative electrode. The current releases hydrogen at the cathode, the positive electrode, and oxygen at the surface of the aluminum... Read more...
Article
June 12, 2007
Sawing? Cool it.
A quality, properly mixed and maintained sawing coolant helps increase cutting rates, improve the cut finish, and extend blade life.
Nearly every metal sawing operation can be made more efficient with a quality sawing coolant that is properly mixed and maintained. Coolants also improve... Read more...
Article
June 12, 2007
4 Troubleshooting tips for rotary cutting made easy
It's important to check the alignment of the infeed support system to prevent cutoff blade breakage, threading, and poor-quality cuts.
In today's economy, the key to survival is productivity as well as quality. This means improving efficiency, minimizing downtime, and reducing labor... Read more...
Article
June 12, 2007
Tube fabricator bends with industry changes
Jay Hall, president of Harco Metal Products Inc., Tempe, Ariz., laughs when asked if he ever thought China and other countries would have affected his business when he jumped into tube fabricating 19 years ago. "Then I told them it was a nonissue. I didn't even know they existed," he said.... Read more...
Article
April 10, 2007
High-speed cutting, end-finishing
Tube fabricator Leading Edge Hydraulics, Rockford, Ill., supplies hydraulic tube components to the off-road and construction industry segment. The family business grew rapidly since its decision in 2003 to concentrate on hydraulic tube fabrication, rather than on general-industry tube... Read more...
Article
April 10, 2007
Turning a machine shop into a fabrication shop
Like most contract manufacturers, Target Laser & Machining Inc. started out as an idea that became a concept that evolved into a plan that eventually developed into a business. It was Gary Reiter's idea, machining was the concept, and subcontracting a large amount of work for a local... Read more...
Article
November 7, 2006
Material separation anxiety
The structural materials that welding and fabrication shops must saw are more abusive to band saw blades than any other metal sawing application, but paying attention to band selection, band speed, feed rate, coolant, and maintenance can minimize the abuse. Band sawing square tubing, round... Read more...
Article
October 10, 2006
Article
October 10, 2006
Luminous aluminum makes light work
Hapco had to design and fabricate aluminum light posts to replicate the art deco, Empire State Building period look of cast-iron poles made 70 years ago as part of a Triborough Bridge renovation project. The paint color had to be custom-blended to resemble cast iron. Special mounting bases... Read more...
Article
October 10, 2006
Lasers loom larger in tube, pipe cutting
In today's manufacturing environment, 2-D lasers are the standard for cutting flat sheets and plate. Nearly everyone is familiar with laser technology's capabilities and speed for 2-D part processing. What may not be as well-known, however, is laser's 3-D capacity for mainstream... Read more...
Article
October 10, 2006
Flushing out four-letter words: rust, dirt, and wear
Figure 1 Several tube and pipe sections and Q-panels that have been coated with different rust preventives are displayed for inspection to gauge the preventives’ effectiveness.
This article is Part I of a multipart series that addresses how to eliminate tube fabricating and... Read more...
Article
September 12, 2006
Bridging the challenges
Made from API 5L grades X52 to X60 pipe, the Tempe Town Lake Bridge was fabricated in segments and assembled on-site. In an Arizona match-up between concrete and steel, metal edged out the competition. This contest started in July 2003 when a design team began discussing the Tempe... Read more...
Article
September 12, 2006
Selecting a tube end forming method
Your company has the opportunity to provide a tube assembly, but it requires end forming—a capability you do not have. An Internet search for "tube end forming" leads to a range of options. How do you sort through them?
Focusing on the function of the tubes to be reshaped, and not on the... Read more...
Article
July 11, 2006
Dam the purge gas and full speed ahead
The first step in making your own water- soluble purge dam with water-soluble paper is to cut the paper in a diameter about 1.3 times the inner diameter of the pipe. Next, slit the edges and insert the paper disk into the pipe with the lip of the paper dam toward the weld area and... Read more...
Article
July 11, 2006
Cutting tube saw costs
Today metal tube sawing technology is light-years ahead of where it was just five years ago. A better understanding of the cutting process has led to advancements in sawing machine and saw blade technology that optimize tube cutting. Many tube fabricators are unaware of how the latest... Read more...
Article
June 13, 2006
Tube hydroforming for expanded design options
Much of the attention on hydroforming concerns automotive components and focuses on weight savings, strength improvements, and reducing the number of parts. While all of these are advantages gained through hydroforming, a less commonly discussed reason to hydroform components is more... Read more...
Article
June 13, 2006
A review of common nondestructive tests
Nondestructive testing is one quality control function and complements other, long-established methods. By definition, nondestructive testing is the testing of materials for surface or internal flaws or metallurgical condition without interfering in any way with the integrity of the... Read more...
Article
June 13, 2006
Flush out four-letter words — rust, dirt, and wear
A tubular assembly is cleaned in an Alliance Aquamaster CD-3000 rotary-drum cleaning system with wash and heated blowoff. The drum is constructed of stainless steel and includes spiral flights and part "kicker" bars. Photo courtesy of Alliance Manufacturing Inc., Fond du Lac, Wis.... Read more...
Article
June 13, 2006
Not a one-stock shop
Is metalworking a vocation practiced by craftsmen or merely a set of processes performed by machines? Is it a labor of love or just a job that pays the bills? Is it a matter of reading blueprints and programming machines, or is it more than that? Visit Submission Custom Machine, the shop... Read more...
Article
June 13, 2006
The regrind process for tube mill tooling - Part II
Editor's Note: This is the second article in a two-part series on regrinding tube mill tooling. Part I discussed the first two steps of the five-step process: (1) receiving and inspection and (2) analyzing and creating work instructions. Part II discusses (3) machining, (4) final inspection... Read more...
Article
June 13, 2006
The regrind process for tube mill tooling
Editor's Note: This is the second article in a two-part series on regrinding tube mill tooling. Part I discussed the first two steps of the five-step process: (1) receiving and inspection and (2) analyzing and creating work instructions. Part II discusses (3) machining, (4) final inspection... Read more...
Article
May 9, 2006
Hitting pay dirt -- in pipe
72-in.-dia., 1-in.-wall pipe is being welded using preheating coils on each side of the weld. A torch bracket reaches over the coils. Oil refineries aren't the only ones hitting pay dirt in Canada. Northern Alberta is the land of opportunity for welders and pipe fitters these days.... Read more...
Article
April 11, 2006
When a good tube bends bad - Part II
Editor's note: This is the second part of a two-part article that examines tube bending defects, possible causes, and suggested remedies. Part I discusses surface defects; Part II covers other defects, such as wall thinning, ovality, buckling, and fractures. When the stress on the... Read more...
Article
April 11, 2006
The regrind process for tube mill tooling - Part I
Editor's Note: This is the first article in a two-part series on regrinding tube mill tooling. Part I discusses the first two steps of the five-step process: (1) receiving and inspection and (2) analyzing and creating work instructions. Part II will discuss (3) machining, (4) final... Read more...
Article
April 11, 2006
When a good tube bends bad
Editor's note: "When a good tube bends bad" is a two-part article that examines tube bending defects, possible causes, and suggested remedies. Part I discusses surface defects; Part II covers other defects, such as wall thinning, ovality, buckling, and fractures. Read more...
Article
March 7, 2006
When a good tube bends bad - Part I
The clamp used to bend this 16-gauge, 3-in.-OD aluminized steel tube slipped about 2 in. at about 75 degrees into the bend. The clamp continued to move forward, but the material did not, causing the slippage marks (horizontal lines) and wrinkles on the intrados. Editor's note:... Read more...
Article
March 7, 2006
Understanding how rotary tube and pipe cutting works
With rotary cutting, a two- or three-disk cutter head revolves around the circumference of a stationary pipe or tube while the cutters close in toward the center. The cutters penetrate only the wall thickness. Rotary pipe cutters are not new to the industry, but innovations and new... Read more...
Article
February 7, 2006
Imagination fabrication
Burke's signature play environment this year is a multievent treehouse designed to look like it is in a natural setting, complete with hollowed tree trunks and leaf climbers.
Founded in 1920, BCI Burke, Fond du Lac, Wis., is the oldest playground and park and recreation... Read more...
Article
January 10, 2006
Cutting to the chase - Integrating secondary operations
Many tube cutoff machines have evolved to integrate end forming and bending capabilities that normally are considered secondary operations. Considering the tube industry's need to reduce costs to stay competitive, the concept of integrating more operations may sound appealing. An inline system... Read more...
Article
October 11, 2005
Tube, profile cutting with lightning speed
Even though laser cutting tubes and profiles is basically a 3-D task, some can be cut with a 2-D machine equipped with an additional rotary axis. With rectangular tubes and other profiles, however, laser cutting is substantially more complex: The X, Y, and rotary axes move... Read more...
Article
October 11, 2005
Fitness equipment manufacturer pumps up
Given the spirited competition in the fitness industry these days, Los Angeles-based Paramount Fitness Corp. can't afford to get the slightest bit out of shape. A leader in the design and manufacture of commercial strength training products turned to laser technology to help keep it in... Read more...
Article
September 13, 2005
9 Questions About Annular Cutting
A portable magnetic drill allows you to take the drill to the workpiece. When you are using a magnetic drill and pipe adapter accessory, mount the adapter securely to the pipe with a tightly wrapped chain. Using a twist drill to make holes in pipe or tubing can prompt concerns about... Read more...
Article
January 11, 2005
Roll forming basics
Both roll forming and tube and pipe forming involve bending steel with roller dies, with each pair of rolls working the strip progressively until the desired shape is achieved. How roll forming differs is that it lends itself well to prepunching, midpiercing, and postpunching all inline,... Read more...
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