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When, where, why to use nondestructive testing methods
The type of inspection needed for piping systems depends on which code or standard is invoked for the project. Understanding the order inspection requirements can make or break a contractor. This article should shed some light on the various...
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Evaluating drawing lubricants
Chlorinated lubricants, which have been phased out in Canada and Europe, are still used in many metal-forming applications in the U.S. This class of lubricants is under scrutiny in the U.S., so it makes sense to test alternative lubricants now....
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Replacing the tapered roller bearings in your mill tooling frequently?
Overlooking a small component on a tube or pipe mill—even something as seemingly insignificant as the roller bearings inside the inboard and outboard stands—can lead to excessive downtime. Learning the proper way to install and maintain these...
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Heat-treating line pipe weld seams
As the use of thick-walled pipe for API applications grows, so does the need to verify that it has been correctly normalized. Use of 2-D simulation verifies that the temperatures and heating pattern needed to obtain the desired strength and...
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HPTR's past, present, and future—Part II
Initially developed in the 1950s for manufacturing tubing with ultrathin walls for nuclear fuel cladding, the high-precision tube roller (HPTR) continues to provide a fast, economical way to achieve extreme reductions in diameter and wall thickness.
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HPTR’s past, present, and future — Part I
Initially developed in the 1950s for manufacturing tubing with ultrathin walls for nuclear fuel cladding, the high-precision tube roller (HPTR) continues to provide a fast, economical way to achieve extreme reductions in diameter and wall thickness.
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Designing a dust collection system for weld seam remetallizing
OHSA seems to be taking an increased interest in worker safety and, according to OMB Watch, has been citing an increasing number of workplace violations. Tube and pipe producers who remetallize their product pay particular attention to OSHA...
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Changing the point of attack
For inline cutoff, tube and pipe producers typically use a mechanically driven, single-blade device. This type of cutoff unit is good for most applications, but in many specialized cases, it might not produce good results. Square or rectangular...
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Cold drawing principles
Understanding that drawing a tube requires more than just pointing and drawing is a good start to a successful draw. Procuring the raw material, pointing, drawing, straightening, and finishing are the five steps fabricators need to keep in mind.
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Notching options
While most fabricators could probably name
three methods for notching tube, they
actually have six choices. Understanding the
advantages and disadvantages of each is the
first step in selecting one.
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Choices in flying cutoff saw blades
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...
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Laser-based inspection for laser welding
New developments in laser-based inspection systems offer tube and pipe mills real-time inspection of laser-welded seams. These systems can help to shorten setup time, improve weld quality, and reduce scrap.
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Rotary straighteners for tube and pipe
Although six-roll straightening machines were the industry standard for decades, 10-roll machines provide twice as many bending moments and therefore turn out straighter, rounder tube.
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Shopping for a new tube mill coolant?
Many mill coolants are available today. Understanding the factors that drive selection and management of these fluids can help to minimize the costs of their use in welded tube production.
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Looking to improve weld seams?
Most tube and pipe producers weld the seam as it is—without additives or fillers—and risk the problems associated with oxidation. A specially formulated brazing flux, in liquid or paste form, dissolves and removes oxides, prevents...
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Troubleshooting OCTG threading: Part I
High production threading of tube and pipe for use by the petroleum industry is accomplished using either mechanically actuated or digitally controlled, carbide tooled machines. The most effective way to deal with residual stress is to full body...
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Flexibility with smart flying shear upgrades
Production flexibility can enable a tube and pipe producer to expand its offerings and customer base and increase its chances of survival in a down economy. One way to achieve this flexibility is to upgrade the operation's flying shear component.
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Selecting speed reducers for roll forming lines
Setting up a roll forming line requires careful consideration of the speed reducers to be installed at each forming station. After determining the horsepower for each station, it is necessary to determine the appropriate durability, thermal...
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Selecting speed reducers for roll forming lines - Horsepower isn't the only consideration
Setting up a roll forming line requires careful consideration of the speed reducers to be installed at each forming station. After determining the horsepower for each station, it is necessary to determine the appropriate durability, thermal...
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Increasing efficiency of HFI tube and pipe mills
Manufacturing welded tube and pipe efficiently requires controlling several variables. The material type, gauge, edge condition, tooling setup, and weld heat are just a few of the factors that quality control managers, mill supervisors, and...
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Buy it by the pound, sell it by the foot
If you're a tube or pipe producer, you're probably under constant pressure to cut costs. And you probably know that you can reduce your raw material costs by reducing the coil width, within reason, and the change will have little noticeable impact...
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Using FEM to compare tube forming processes
Finite element analysis (FEA) software developed specifically for roll forming can help tube producers determine the best forming process for tube (such as single-radius forming, edge forming, or partial-step forming). It also can help tube...
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Working with stainless on a budget
The high cost of stainless steel—especially the spikes caused by nickel surcharges—has caused many tube manufacturers' customers to look for alternative alloys. What can tube producers expect after switching from a 300-series stainless...
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Reducing conversion cost in a copper tube mill
Sorting through the myriad quality programs and manufacturing trends—total quality management, Six Sigma, lean manufacturing—can be a daunting challenge. Knowing which strategies to use and how to use them can deliver big results in a...
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Roll forming high-strength materials
The use of high-strength materials is growing, and roll forming engineers and tooling designers who want to form this material successfully need to arm themselves with knowledge about these materials, their capabilities, and the limitations....
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Tube drawing principles
Five tube drawing methods are sinking, rod drawing, floating plug drawing, tethered plug drawing, and fixed plug drawing. Choosing the right method or combination of methods for a particular application requires understanding the...
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Is your cold pilger mill maintenance on schedule?
Glen Stapleton relies on his experience in troubleshooting for more than 30 years to discuss the most pressing pilger mill maintenance issues—causes, cures, and tips to prevent breakdowns and get the machines up and running again when they...
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Aluminum pipe pioneer streamlines tube mill welding
When Hastings Irrigation Pipe Co., a manufacturer of aluminum pipe, needed to replace its decades-old welding power supplies, it looked for units that could weld a variety of thicknesses at fast welding speeds. What it found were power supplies...
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Flushing out four-letter words: rust, dirt, and wear part III
Dirt, rust, and wear, cost tube producers and fabricators millions of dollars annually, and they can be the bane of tube processes. Analyzing the criteria for selecting the lubricants can help you select the best lubricant extend tool life and...
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Opening the gate to efficiency
Since 1945 family-owned and -operated Tarter Gate has grown in staff and sales as it has changed the design of its products. To keep up with sales, continue growing the company, and absorb as many rising costs as possible — particularly in...
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Modern flying shear tube cutoff systems - Part II
This article, Part II of a two-part series, discusses the different types of die set accelerators found in flying shear tube cutoff systems. It presents an overview of earlier accelerator technologies still in use today—cam link, assisted lift...
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Modern flying shear tube cutoff systems
Modern flying shear tube cutoff systems comprise state-of-the-art mainframes, tools, and controllers. This article, Part I of a three-part series, discusses the different types of mainframes, their capabilities, and construction. It describes and...
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Introducing cold pilger mill technology
The cold mill pilgering process uses ring dies and a tapered mandrel to reduce tube cross sections by up to 90 percent. Because the process relies on large number of small forming steps, the result is tube or pipe that has nearly homogenous...
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How do you measure success?
Contrary to common opinion, a high production rate is not the key to success in making tube. Attempting to low-ball the price -- while cutting corners in maintenance and upgrades -- is a poor strategy in this industry. Columnist Bud Graham...
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The regrind process for tube mill tooling - Part II
Although most tube and pipe producers don't get too involved in the regrind process, it is crucial—reconditioning roll tooling can extend its useful life by 15 or 20 times. The regrind process reduces the producer's overall out-of-pocket...
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The regrind process for tube mill tooling
Although most tube and pipe producers don't get too involved in the regrind process, it is crucial—reconditioning roll tooling can extend its useful life by 15 or 20 times. The regrind process reduces the producer's overall out-of-pocket...
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Envelope, please!
Bud Graham revisits his January/February column on problems that plague tube mills (or nearly any manufacturing company, for that matter) and shares some reader feedback. Also, he provides the runners-up and winner of a caption contest for a photo...
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Troubleshooting Guide for Cleaners
Rust, wear, and dirt cost tube fabricators and producers millions of dollars annually, and they can be the bane of tube processes. Analyzing the criteria for selecting the lubricant, cleaner, and rust preventative can help provide maximum protection.
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Eliminating problems that cause flaws
Problematic material? Yes, bad coil is out there. It could be mislabeled; the yield strength could vary from one part of the coil to another; it might have damaged edges; and so on. In the second part of this two-part series, columnist Bud Graham...
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The regrind process for tube mill tooling - Part I
Although most tube and pipe producers don't get too involved in the regrind process, it is crucial—reconditioning roll tooling can extend its useful life by 15 or 20 times. The regrind process reduces the producer's overall out-of-pocket...
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Modern flying shear tube cutoff systems - Part I
Modern flying shear tube cutoff systems comprise state-of-the-art mainframes, tools, and controllers. This article, Part I of a two-part series, discusses the different types of mainframes, their capabilities, and construction. It describes and...
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Happy New Year!
How can we make 2006 better than 2005? One way is to adopt a few work-related new year's resolutions. The author lists five factors that hold the industry back--factors that everyone should resolve to overcome for a successful year.
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Cutoff die setup for dimple-free rounds
With the right equipment and proper setup, tube mills can produce dimple-free round tubing efficiently. A multistep process using a two shear blade makes a dimple-free cut, and an inline brush end finisher can be used to remove the ever-present...
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Relief ahead in 2006?
An overview of the pressures faced by the tube and pipe producing industry in 2005 and the author's views on how 2006 will be similar, but with a greater emphasis on energy costs, conservation, and availability. Ends with a few reminders about...
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Scarfing tube and pipe—cut to the quick
Weld bead scarfing (cutting, removing, and disposing) exposes mill operators to numerous hazards, including cuts and burns from the scarf. Part I of this article discusses the reasons scarf is removed from tube and the mill parameters that affect...
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Tube mill cutoff die setup for square and rectangular profiles
When properly selected and utilized, single-cut die sets can produce top-quality cut ends on square and rectangular tubing. This article discusses the criteria for selecting and using the die sets to achieve the best results.
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Tube and pipe loading
This article discusses the hazards associated with manually loading and unloading tube and pipe. It describes one company's solution to making the process less hazardous.
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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...
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Innovative die setup and maintenance methods for tube mill cutoff
Figure 1 Tube Mill Cutoff - Left to Right - Single Cut A comprehensive tooling plan that includes setting up and maintaining sufficient tools according to the original design manufacturer's (ODM) specifications is critical for...
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Measuring wall thickness in seamless tube, cast-iron pipe
Controlling the wall thickness during the manufacture of seamless steel tubes and cast-iron pipe is critical in meeting specifications and minimizing scrap. Ultrasonic measurements typically are performed on tube or pipe at room...
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