Tube and Pipe: Achieve Next-level Production
Tube and pipe fabrication equipment is incredibly intuitive, making it easy for your shop’s operators to boost cost-effectiveness and optimize material use. The post Tube and Pipe: Achieve Next-level Production appeared first on Fabricating & Metalworking.
The demands on metal tube and pipe fabricators are driven by shorter lead times and staying on top of evolving tech advancements, shifting markets, and industry standards and requirements. Whether using robotic processes, laser cutting, or cold saws in tube and pipe fabrication, advances and updates in the machinery support shops in taking the next steps forward, simplifying and streamlining operations with a range of applications and options.
New Fiber Tube Machine Designed for Large Diameters
Machitech Automation’s (Saint-Marc-des-Carrieres, QC, Canada) new Fiber TUBE XL Laser Cutting Machine has been specially designed for cutting industrial tube and tube profiles with power, precision and efficiency. The Fiber TUBE XL provides maximum performance, precision, and versatility for heavy-duty applications.
The machine has a 6-to-12 kW power capability, cutting tube up to 40’ in length with minimum 0.8” diameters to maximum 25” diameters. Core features include a 3D contour bevel head, adaptive clamping for all profiles, triple chuck system with zero tail cutting, a robust and versatile frame design, adaptive servo-driven supports, and more.
The Fiber TUBE XL bevel cutting head is designed to handle multi-axis movement, making it ideal for complex cuts on round, square, and rectangle profiles. Its slim profile allows access to previously hard-to-cut profiles. With adaptive clamping for all profiles, it automatically adjusts for round, square, rectangular, oval, and custom profiles. High-speed rotation and clamping, self-centering and pipe position detection are also available.
A 3-chuck design provides stability and precision to minimize vibration and to ensure perfect alignment, while reducing material waste and enabling zero tail cutting for a minimum of material waste. The Fiber TUBE XL features a durable and reinforced frame, providing the strength and performance necessary to process large tubes and profiles at high speed.
The machine also features a large screen smart controller, providing intelligent and intuitive control with easy operation. Lantek Flex3D nesting software combines advanced nesting, intelligent path optimization, and full 3D cutting capabilities with high-speed precision.
Band Saw Sets the Bar in High-volume Tube and Pipe Fab
AMADA MACHINERY AMERICA, INC.’s (La Mirada, CA) HKB6050CNC Horizontal Structural Bundle Cutting Band Saw continues to set the standard in high-volume tube and pipe fabrication. Designed for heavy-duty structural bundle cutting, the HKB6050CNC is trusted by fabricators for its reliability, precision, and efficiency in demanding production environments.
With a cutting capacity of 24”-x-20” (610 mm-x-500 mm), the band saw easily processes round, square, and rectangular tubing — either as single pieces or in large bundles. Its servo-driven feeding system and CNC controls enable accurate, repeatable cuts with minimal operator input, helping to reduce waste and increase output.
A hydraulic bundle clamping system stabilizes materials during cutting, minimizing vibration and ensuring clean, consistent finishes — especially important for thin-walled or coated tubes. Automatic indexing, programmable cut cycles, and a user-friendly interface allow fabricators to maximize throughput with reduced labor.
For optimal cutting performance, the Protector II HSS Bi-Metal Blade is recommended. Engineered for structural materials and bundle applications, the Protector II enhances blade life and improves cut quality, making it the ideal companion for the HKB6050CNC. Designed for precision and efficiency, these tools help boost productivity.
HSS vs. Wide Flange Comparison Tool
Atlas Tube (Chicago, IL), a division of Zekelman Industries, recently introduced its HSS Connections Hub
which empowers engineers and fabricators with complimentary tools and expert support to better leverage the advantages of Hollow Structural Sections (HSS).
The HSS Connections Hub features:
- Typical Details – Optimized HSS connection designs and downloadable fabrication friendly details in PDF, DWG, or RVT formats.
- Calculators – Replace outdated and highly customized spreadsheets with HSS connection calculations that update in real-time based on user inputs. Each calculator clearly outlines every step of the calculation with references to formulas, conditional checks, building codes, and AISC design standards.
- Expert Support – With more than 50 years of combined experience in the field, Atlas Tube’s expert engineers are here to bust HSS myths and answer any questions you may have to achieve a more open and clean design.
- Professional-grade Reports – Precise, branded reports can be submitted for project stakeholder approval, streamlining communication between engineers, fabricators and connection detailers.
When paired with Atlas Tube’s HSS vs. Wide Flange Comparison Tool and Axial Load Calculator, engineers and fabricators have one trusted source for all their HSS needs.
Miter Band Saw Optimized for Tube and Pipe Fabricators
Designed with the demands of pipe and tube fabrication in mind, the Behringer Saws, Inc. (Morgantown, PA) HBE320-523GA Automatic Miter Band Saw delivers unmatched precision, speed and versatility. Whether you’re cutting round, square or rectangular tubing, this advanced saw ensures clean, accurate miter cuts at virtually any angle — making it ideal for fabricators working in structural, process piping, and modular assembly applications.
The HBE320-523GA features NC-controlled miter adjustment and a precision feed gripper system that automates and streamlines the cutting process. With its robust servo-driven saw feed and exclusive Behringer cutting pressure control, it cuts tubing and profiles up to twice as fast as traditional saws in its class — all while maintaining tight tolerances and reducing material waste.
Engineered for reliability and efficiency, this saw is equipped with a powerful PC-based control system, offering seamless integration with upstream and downstream handling systems to optimize workflow and throughput. Its user-friendly interface minimizes setup time and training, so your team can stay focused on production.
Pipe Beveling Machine Handles Highly Alloyed Pipe Onsite
ESCO Tool’s (Holliston, MA) has introduced a robust pipe beveling machine for fabricating and repairing highly alloyed pipe on-site in harsh environments such as fracking pumping stations and similar applications. The ESCO Prepzilla MILLHOG® is an I.D. clamping pipe milling end prep tool that fits pipe from 1.5” I.D. to 8” O.D. using one mandrel and eight sets of clamps. Ideally suited for working with highly alloyed pipe onsite, including heat-resistant superalloys, this pipe beveling machine can bevel, face, and counter-bore simultaneously and requires no cutting fluids.
The Prepzilla MILLHOG features dual-opposed tapered roller bearings, direct-drive gears, a rigid blade lock system, and TiN coated T-15 tool steel cutter blades with a proprietary chip breaker that transfers heat away from the pipe surface. This beveller is offered with interchangeable pneumatic, electric and hydraulic motors.
New All-electric Tube Bender Added to Series
BLM GROUP USA (Novi, MI) announced the addition of a new tube bender to its E-TURN line of machines capable of right- and left-hand, in-process bending. The E-TURN63 machine has the capacity to bend tubes up to 2.5” (63 mm) in diameter. This all-electric tube bender has been designed to be versatile, efficient and easy to use, even when bending thick-walled tubes of high-strength materials.
Due to its increased bending torque and a frame structure designed to optimize mechanical strength, the E-TURN63 allows complex bends without the addition of intermediate welds. This makes the machine ideal for tube bending in industrial plants, plus the automotive, furniture, shipbuilding industries, and more. It can be used for bending tubes for stabilizer bars, exhaust pipes, frames and structural elements, and parts for heat exchangers, among other applications.
Building on its offering of customizable tube bending solutions, BLM GROUP has made the E-TURN63 available without a mandrel carriage — a configuration that provides high-bending capacity for thick rods and bars.
The E-TURN63 features a large 22” touch screen that simplifies programming for operators and helps ensure tube bending quality. The bender features VGPNext, a user-friendly CAD/CAM programming and 3D simulation software that allows contractors and OEMS to optimize production by easily locating parts, simulating bends and correcting any defects to achieve the best design.
Grind Parts at Any Angle
With its powerful performance, easy belt changes, and built-in dust collection, Scotchman Industries’ (Philip, S.D.) SG3 Grinder makes grinding a breeze. The SG3 is a 3” wide industrial belt grinder capable of allowing the user to grind parts at any angle and use the front or top side of the grinder. It has a unique built-in dust collection system that makes clean up very easy. This grinder will remove material rapidly without vibration. The contact wheel provides a safe consistent grinding area to work from. The working height is adjustable to accommodate your material. This grinder is equipped with a tool-free belt change making it easy to match the abrasive belt to your application.
Top-of-the-Line Tube Laser Now Produced in the United States
As part of its commitment to serving North American customers, TRUMPF Inc. (Farmington, CT) began in February producing tube laser cutting machines in the United States. Local production of the TruLaser Tube 7000, the company’s top-of-the-line tube laser cutting machine, marks a key milestone in the company’s ongoing, strategic multi-year “local for local” manufacturing plan. The TruLaser Tube 7000 is renowned for its fast and flexible tube processing capabilities, even on smaller contours, and its productivity advantage, particularly with thinner materials. This machine facilitates productive laser cutting of tubes and profiles used in various applications, including furniture, fitness equipment, automobiles, appliances, mechanical engineering, system construction and more.
Combining the high speeds of a solid-state laser with a broad range of processing capabilities, the TruLaser Tube 7000 can cut tubes and profiles with diameters of up to 10” and materials as thick as 0.625”. It also performs high-quality bevel cuts up to 45°. Additionally, a technology package for tapping enables processes such as twist drilling, thread cutting, flow drilling, and tapping directly on the machine, eliminating secondary operations and simplifying downstream processes. A spatter protection device ensures round tubes are cut without internal spatter, reducing the need for reworking.
TRUMPF’s tube laser machines are available with flexible automation solutions, allowing customers to cost-effectively manufacture small batch sizes. These systems are capable of fully automated operation and within a connected manufacturing environment.
Tube Processing with Extra Laser Power
Bystronic Inc.’s (Hoffman Estates, IL) ByTube Star 130 is a high-end tube laser with laser power up to 4 kilowatts, which delivers accuracy, is easy to use, and features a fully automatic setup with open profiles and ellipses that lead to more flexibility and higher quality in production.
The automated system keeps manual intervention to a minimum, making it particularly easy to get started in tube processing. At the same time, the machine covers an extremely wide range of requirements: Since 85% of the market potential lies in the small tube segment, the ByTube Star 130 is geared toward processing tubes with diameters from 10 mm-to-130 mm. The machine has a loading capacity of up to 17 kilograms per meter. With the 2D cutting head, 90% of all customer requirements can be met, as vertical cuts account for the largest market share. Available in three power levels, 2, 3 or 4 kilowatts, the fiber laser unit of the ByTube Star 130 features energy efficiency and consistent uniform cutting quality. With the BySoft Cell Control Tube software’s friendly user interface, beginners do not need extensive experience to start production.
Laser Tube Maximizes Profile Processing
HSG Laser’s (Addison, IL) new TS2 Laser Tube is a high-performance and high throughput tube profile processing system that minimizes labor costs. It streamlines tube fabrication for a range of manufacturing and production requirements by combining speed, intelligent automation, and precision tube cut processing with automated material handling. The TS2 processes tube profiles from materials including mild steel, aluminum, copper, brass, and galvanized materials.
The TS2 is equipped with 3 kW and 6 kW fiber laser options to cut fast and clean, reducing material waste while increasing overall productivity. It supports round tubes from 12 mm-to-273 mm (0.47”-to- 10.75”), cutting structural steel components to high-precision tubing. It easily adapts to any production requirement with efficiency and quality. By automating labor-intensive processes, fabricators reduce costs and accelerate production cycles, while maintaining high production speeds and consistent quality.
Powered by HSG’s DYNAMIC+ cutting technologies, every cut is accurate, efficient, and optimized for maximum performance. In addition, HSG 3D Cutting Technology expands production capabilities, enabling high-precision bevel cutting and complex tube processing. The need for manual finishing is reduced. With an optional bundle loader and stage loader, the TS2 system achieves automatic rapid loading in just 25 seconds. Smart unloading and sorting systems provide seamless part flow from cutting to storage, eliminating unnecessary handling and increasing overall throughput.
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