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Recycling overspray dust, related byproducts from thermal spray remetallizing operations
The welding done in a tube or pipe mill ruins the galvanic or aluminum coating intended to keep the product corrosion-free, so remetallizing the weld seam is a common practice. Remetallizing creates a large amount of metal dust, which usually is...
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Stretching, reducing on a tube or pipe mill
The forge-welding process is one of the most efficient methods of making tube and pipe from 1/2 to 24 in. diameter, but it’s not limited to this range. An ERW mill’s capability can be expanded by adding a cold-stretch-reducing section,...
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High-performance, high-speed happiness
After realizing he was spending too much time traveling, risk management consultant Hank Padilla decided to take a dramatic career detour. He did some vocational coursework and opened a fabrication shop, serving the local area (Littleton, Colo.)...
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Tube, pipe producer executes 3-phase improvement plan
In the aftermath of the financial crisis of 2008, Trinity Products devised a trinity of improvements: worker knowledge and skills, equipment upgrades, and management training. Assisted by Lincoln Electric in selecting equipment and developing its...
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Fabricator rides new wave of interest in hydroforming
Founded in 2003, American Hydoformers Inc. arrived on the scene a little too late to catch the first big wave of interest in hydroforming. A few automobile manufacturers had been oversold on the technology and were cautious to continue to convert...
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Tube producer beats the heat with portable cooling units
Many industrial processes generate quite a bit of heat, so keeping workers cool is a top priority. Wheatland Tube Co., Wheatland, Pa., added portable cooling units to lower the temperatures in its galvanizing and cutting areas. This initiative...
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Quality control for tube, pipe producers
Years ago tube and pipe producers relied mainly on eddy current testing and ultrasonic testing for detecting short- and long-duration weld faults, respectively. These testing systems are still useful and in many cases required, but the spread of...
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Taming two weld beads
The essential tube and pipe production processes on a weld mill haven't changed much since the 1920s. Some new processes are available, such as laser welding, and the line speeds are faster, but much else hasn't changed. One factor that has...
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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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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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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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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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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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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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