Tubeandpipejournal202203 DL

An official publication of
Engineering
the future of
hydraulic tubing
MARCH 2022 Bending for the EV market
End forming with servo technology
Rotary Cutting Machine Buyers’ Guide©
Wynn Kearns, Indiana Tube Corp.
Cover_MAR22TPJ.indd 1 2/23/22 2:54 PM

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contents MARCH 2022
Vol. 32 No. 2
DEPARTMENTS
6 Editor’s Angle
8 Calendar of Events
9 Product Highlights
14 Industry News
16 Product News
EXECUTIVE PERSPECTIVES
36 Defining your organization with
an organizational chart
An organizational chart isn’t just a
18
frill or an extra; it can help a harried
business owner define and delegate,
and it gives everyone else a good sense
Cover photo: Wynn Kearns, Indiana Tube Corp. of roles, duties, and career paths.
BUSINESS BRIEF
Cover story END FORMING 38 Seeking solutions to supply chain
24 End forming on demand— snags
18 Trends in hydraulic tube anytime, anywhere Quite a few manufacturers with long,
production during times of Servo technology isn’t an end, but tangled supply chains were left scram-
shortages, Part II a means to achieve greater preci- bling as shortages emerged and prices
sion, control, and efficiency in metal skyrocketed. Since then, many man-
U.S. manufacturers have long re- ufacturers have begun taking steps
lied heavily on foreign suppliers forming processes.
to reduce long supply chains; some
for hydraulic pressure line tubing government initiatives also will help,
products, and the market is ripe for METALLURGY
28
such as the Employee Retention Credit.
change. This change can come in Best practices to prevent brittle
the form of two SAE specifications, fracture in carbon steel
J356 and J356A, for straight lengths TUBE & PIPE MARKET UPDATE
Some carbon steels formerly con-
and coils, respectively. 40 Growth slows, Federal Reserve to
sidered resistant to stress corro-
deal with inflation
sion cracking have been shown to
be susceptible to it in recent years. After the wild ride of the last several
financial quarters, the U.S. economy
FEATURES
The culprits are elements added to
reduce heat-treating temperatures seems to be slowing rapidly while in-
and times. flation is a growing concern. Upsides
are the price of steel (falling) and drill-
INSPECTION
10
ing activity (increasing).
Bringing the technical details BENDING TECHNOLOGY
of remote visual inspection
into focus 32 How the electric vehicle trend
is driving changes in tube
bending technology
42 In the Know
46 Forming & Fabricating® Rotary
Although many inspection methods Cutting Machine Buyers’ Guide©
can get beneath the surface of a Electric vehicles make more use of
pipe, remote visual inspection with aluminum and composites than do 50 Advertisers Index
a videoscope remains a critical part conventional vehicles, which is driv-
of a regular inspection schedule. ing tube bender technology in new
Modern lens technology can take directions to accommodate these
the hassle out of this process. materials.
4 The Tube & Pipe Journal_MARCH 2022
TOC_MAR22TPJ.indd 4 2/23/22 2:46 PM

Atlas Tube offers more sizes of HSS than
anyone in the world, all produced right
here in America to ensure faster delivery.
TOC_MAR22TPJ.indd 5
21-ZI-4868_ad_Life Reinforced - Atlas Tube_Availability Reinforced_Tube & Pipe Journal Magazine_8.25x10.875_v1.indd 1 2/22/22
1/20/22 4:52
2:39 PM
PM
Editor’s Angle
Politics, petroleum, pipeline, and a
perennial pain in the posterior
R
ussia has been making headlines of progress through Europe and be-
(again), engaging in saber rat- yond. However, after just a few decades
tling (again), trotting out a short of Bolshevik rule and continuous at-
list of unreasonable demands (again), tempts at planning and controlling the
and trying to wear down the members Russian economy, its industry was in
of the North Atlantic Treaty Organiza- a sorry state. Without the Lend-Lease
tion (again) by talking in circles (again) policy, it’s a certainty that the Russian
Read more from Eric Lundin at with no real intention of making any army would not have been a formida-
www.thefabricator.com/
progress (again). In an unusual twist, a ble force during WWII.
author/eric-lundin
pipeline also is in the headlines. Of course, it has some clout. Russia
The headline stories concern the successfully tested a thermonuclear
military buildup along the Russian device on August 29, 1949, and it has
border with Ukraine and the fear this been a geopolitical heavyweight since
sort of thing stokes. Of course, the then. It’s one of just nine countries
Russian army looks big and threatening, known to have nuclear weapons, the
but from an industrial standpoint, others being the U.S., France, China,
Russia is a pipsqueak. Although the U.K., Pakistan, India, Israel, and North
nation is vast, spanning 11 time Korea.
zones, it’s extremely unproductive. Its It also plays a large role in the world’s
From an industrial population of 144 million is responsible economic matters because it’s blessed
standpoint, Russia is for a gross domestic product that is a
mere $1.5 trillion. Here’s a comparison:
with substantial amounts of natural
resources, notably petroleum and nat-
a pipsqueak. The U.S. has a population that is 2.3 ural gas. Much of the fuel imported by
times that of Russia and a GDP that is Europe, about 35% to 40% of the pe-
14 times larger. troleum and natural gas, comes from
Forget about the U.S. for a minute Russian sources. Pipe projects like Nord
and let’s just look at some of the indi- Stream 1 (completed in 2011) and Nord
vidual states. California has an econ- Stream 2 (completed in 2021) seemed
omy twice the size of Russia’s at $3.1 like good ideas until Putin realized that
trillion. Texas and New York are also he could create a crisis to strengthen
hefty at $1.8 trillion and 1.7 trillion, re- his failing political grip at home and,
spectively. When fourth-placed Florida at the same time, indirectly threaten
is teamed up with 10th-placed New the stability of these energy supplies,
Jersey, their combined economies kick thereby sending our Western European
some serious Commie tail, with a com- friends into a tizzy and maybe driving
bined GDP of $1.7 trillion. the prices up a bit.
Has it always been like this? No. The And hopefully that’s all this will turn
Russian economy grew and modern- out to be.
ized as the flood of breakthroughs of
the Industrial Revolution sent waves
6 The Tube & Pipe Journal _MARCH 2022
Editor_MAR22TPJ.indd 6 2/22/22 5:28 PM

Editor_MAR22TPJ.indd 7 2/22/22 5:28 PM
Event Calendar
American Coatings Show FMA’s certified
April 5-7—Indianapolis
American Coatings Assn. education centers
202-462-6272 FMA Certified Education Centers
american-coatings-show.com (CEC) are community and tech-nical
colleges, trade schools, and universi-
Pipe & Tube Memphis/ ties that specialize in training adults
World-class Roll Forming for careers in the metal forming, fab-
Workshop ricating, processing, and machining
April 11-13—Memphis, Tenn. sectors. They offer coursework for
Fabricators & Manufacturers Assn. local students year-round and serve
Please check with the event organizer
888-394-4362 as host locations for many types
for cancellations or date changes. of FMA professional development
www.fmamfg.org
Virtual: Visual Management programs as requested. A council of
& 5S Improvements FABTECH Mexico members convene six times a year
to plan and execute special pro-
March 30 May 3-5—Monterrey, Mexico grams on worker training for educa-
Manufacturers Alliance FABTECH Event Partners tors and human resource managers
763-533-8239 888-394-4362 from companies of all sizes.
www.mfrall.com mexico.fabtechexpo.com
To learn more about FMA’s CEC pro-
Industrial Finishing Safety Tube (Düsseldorf) gram and view a list of the current
Seminar June 20-24—Düsseldorf, member schools, visit www.fmamfg.
org/membership/schools.
April 5-6—Elgin, Ill. Germany
Chemical Coaters Assn. Intl. Messe Düsseldorf North America To discover how your local commu-
859-356-1030 312-781-5180 nity or technical college can become
www.ccaiweb.com/event/safety22 https://mdna.com a CEC member, call 888-394-4362.
Publication Staff Graphic Designers Amy Hudson

Jennifer Paulson, Mary Mincemoyer, amyh@thefabricator.com
President & CEO, Margaret Clark 815-227-8237
FMA Communications Inc.
Media Coordinator Michael Scott
Edward Youdell Rose Merlino
FMA Communications Inc. michaels@thefabricator.com
2135 Point Blvd., Elgin, IL 60123 Vice President
815-399-8700
Director of Circulation 815-227-8271
www.tubepipejournal.net of Publishing and Events Kim Bottomley
Andy Flando Classified Advertising
Circulation Manager
tube & pipe association Editor-in-Chief Brenda Wilson
Jerry Gunderson
jerryg@fmanet.org
intl. advisory board Dan Davis, dand@thefabricator.com Data Processing Specialist 815-227-8257
Chairman Kelly Palmer
Senior Editor
Michael Strand, T & H Lemont
Tim Heston, timh@thefabricator.com Data Verification Specialist Statement of Policy
First Vice Chairman Rhonda Fletcher The Tube & Pipe Journal’s objective is to disseminate new
and complete information relating to the producing and
Phil Meinczinger, Magnetic Analysis Corp. The Tube & Pipe Journal Editor
Senior Fulfillment Specialist fabricating of metal tube and pipe. The main editorial text
Second Vice Chairman Eric Lundin, ericl@thefabricator.com Anna Peacock consists of articles and news releases designed to assist
owners, managers, manufacturing engineers, supervisors,
Christopher Smith, CooperStandard STAMPING Journal Editor Web Designer and foremen in the evaluation of new methods and tech-
niques. The policy of the publisher is to be nonpartisan,
Immediate Past Chair Kate Bachman, Sherry Young favoring no one product or company. The representations
Rick Olson, Roll Machining kateb@thefabricator.com of facts and opinions expressed in the articles are those
Technologies & Solutions advertising sales of the author and are not necessarily endorsed by the
The WELDER Editor Associate Publisher
publisher and this journal. By including information on
Directors new products, new literature, and industry news, etc.,
Amanda Carlson, Jim Gorzek this impartiality is strived for and extends to the mention
John Anton, Modern Tube
amandac@thefabricator.com jimg@thefabricator.com of trade names. Unless product identification makes
Don Gibeaut, Ajax TOCCO reference unavoidable, the generic name is used when
Contributing Editor 815-227-8269 feasible. We acknowledge that on occasion there may be
Brian Havlovic, Kawasaki Motors oversights or errors. The editors regret such oversights and
Amy Nickel, amyn@thefabricator.com Senior Account Representatives re-emphasize their policy to be impartial at all times. The
Frank Joy, GE/Global Nuclear Fuel Sean Smith publisher reserves the right to refuse advertising it deems
Joe Kiger, Allied Tube & Conduit Digital Editor seans@thefabricator.com inappropriate for publication in The Tube & Pipe Journal’s,
Craig Kyle, George Mitchell Gareth Sleger, 815-227-8265 including ads for classes of products and services not
considered of significant interest to the readership.
Lee Merritt, CooperStandard
gsleger@thefabricator.com
Mike Lacny The Tube & Pipe Journal’s is a trademark of FMA Commu-
nications Inc. All rights reserved. Standard Rate & Data
Lisa Wertzbaugher, Senior Copy Editor mikel@thefabricator.com Service lists our advertising rates in Section 88. Consult
Wertzbaugher Consulting Teresa Chartos 815-227-8264 SRDS or our current ratecard for full rates and data.
8 The Tube & Pipe Journal _MARCH 2022
Calendar_MAR22TPJ.indd 8 2/23/22 2:47 PM

product highlights
Left-hand configuration added to tube bender series

also all include right-hand configuration. Now fabricators
processing tubes or pipes with diameters of up to 6 in. can
choose the bending direction they use most: right- or left-
handed.
With multiple tool stack capability, the benders can produce
fixed and variable radii in a single setup. The all-electric
operation eliminates the need for hose and piping associated
with hydraulic systems. These 9- or 10-axis systems are
available with manual or automatic loading, with the ability
to position the automatic loader to the left or right of the
machine. Additionally, a special loading cycle is available for
BLM GROUP has announced the addition of left-hand heavy tube or multiball mandrels.
configuration capability to its Elect 102, 130, and 150 bender BLM GROUP USA
models, expanding this capability to the entire line, which www.blmgroup.com
Inline standard press tool requires no

scheduled maintenance
RIDGID, part of Emer-
son’s professional tools
portfolio, offers the RP
351 inline standard press
tool, which operates
with a brushless motor
requiring no scheduled Our New Blades + Sharpening Service will maximize
maintenance. The 8-lb. your production and reduce your downtime.
Designed specifically for Tube and Pipe Mills,
tool, featuring a SlimGrip
and Solid Steel Bar Cutting.
handle for balance and
control, makes connec-
MANUFACTURED TO FIT YOUR APPLICATION:
tions on carbon steel,
Rattunde > Sinico > Bewo > MTM > OTO > Nakata > Kusakabe + Many More!
copper, PEX, and stain-
less steel pipe.
Features include 360-
degree swivel and LED
lights for access to tight spaces and a clear view in low- and no-
light applications. The tool is compatible with the company’s
line of standard series jaws and rings. The 18-V battery platform
includes chargers for on-the-go battery charging, including a
12-V car charger. 519-272-0921 tjantzi@newformtools.com
RIDGID WWW.NEWFORMTOOLS.COM
www.emerson.com
The Tube & Pipe Journal_MARCH 2022 9
Product Highlights_MAR22TPJ.indd 9 2/22/22 9:01 PM

Inspection
Bringing the technical details

of remote visual inspection
into focus
Understanding modern lens technology and options
Tech Spotlight_MAR22TPJ.indd 10 2/22/22 9:54 PM

By Charles Janecka Aperture Lens
M
aintaining the structural in- Light Sensor
tegrity of a piping system
requires regularly scheduled
inspections to monitor and track the
condition of the pipe, both externally
and internally. While some inspections Narrow Depth of Field
use technologies such as eddy currents (Focus is on subject, but
foreground and background
or ultrasonic waves to get beneath the are blurry)
surface, remote visual inspection (RVI)
of the surface continues to play a criti-
cal role in any inspection regime.
RVI is indispensable for evaluating
welds, checking for corrosion, inspect-
Good Depth of Field
ing blockages, and examining damage (Sharp focus includes the subject and
on the pipe ID. Getting a good view items in the foreground and background)
requires the most advantageous lens-
On a camera, depth of field depends on the lens’s aperture setting. If the aperture is large (top), the
ing system for the job, and often this points of light from the subject converge onto the camera’s sensor at a steep angle, creating a shallow
means using several lenses for a thor- depth of field. When using this setting, items close to the lens and far from it are out of focus. If the
ough inspection. aperture is small (bottom), the depth of field is deep, and more items in the view are rendered in focus.
For long-term traceability of inspec-

tion results, a good archive is necessary.
One particular variety of RVI system, the The FOV is an angle that delineates lens is pointing. The DOV is measured
videoscope, is well-suited to capturing, the extent of the image the lens can by angle (0 degrees or 90 degrees) or
storing, and archiving everything found capture. An FOV of 120 degrees is es- by direction (direct view or side view).
in an inspection. A videoscope is a ver- sentially a cone with a central angle of The easiest way to describe DOV is to
satile system equipped with an inter- 120 degrees. A lens with a 180-degree imagine the end of the insertion tube
face with a viewing screen and control FOV is wider still, able to capture a view as a human finger. A direct-viewing
system, out of which comes an inser- of everything directly in front of the lens (0 degrees) has the lens at the fin-
tion tube. The insertion tube is long and center of the lens to anything within gertip, whereas a side-viewing lens (90
thin (typically less than 0.5 in.) and con- a view of ±90 degrees of that center degrees) has the lens at the fingernail.
tains the camera and lens system. The point. In photography, a 180-degree
camera sends the video signal through lens is called a fisheye lens. Choosing the Right Tip
the insertion tube to the screen, where The DOF is simply the range of dis- RVIs typically rely on FOVs of 120 de-
the inspector views it. tances, measured from the end of the grees or more. The reason for this is that
When using conventional lenses, the lens, that are in focus. When using a the inspector usually does quite a bit
inspector usually has to change the camera to take still shots, the photogra- of searching when performing a visual
lens several times to carry out a single pher adjusts the size of the aperture in- inspection and, thus, wants to see as
inspection. Modern lenses are versatile side the lens to change the DOF. When much of the environment as possible at
in their viewing capabilities, enabling a the aperture is very small, the DOF is a any one time. The tradeoff comes in the
one-size-fits-all approach to visual pipe deep, and nearly everything in the cam- ability to see small features and details.
inspections. era’s view is in focus. When the f-stop is Changing to a lens with a wider FOV
large, the DOF is shallow; objects near allows the inspector to see more of the
Lens Metrics and far are blurred. This tends to draw inspection environment, but this makes
The three major considerations for an the viewer’s attention to the subject of the details of that environment smaller
RVI’s lens system are field of view (FOV), the image. The DOF is never a single on the screen, so they are more difficult
depth of field (DOF), and direction of number; it’s always a range. to see. In other words, as the FOV in-
view (DOV). The DOV is the angle at which the creases, magnification decreases.

matter of twisting the insertion tube retrieve the insert tube and then re-in-
In addition to inspecting to rotate the tip 360 degrees to inspect sert it. The second is finding the precise
the entire weld. location where the inspection left off.
welds, a side-viewing tip In addition to inspecting welds, a A lens with a selectable FOV, includ-
side-viewing tip is useful for inspecting ing an FOV greater than 180 degrees,
is useful for inspecting anything related to the pipe wall, such and designed with an extreme DOF
anything related to the as corrosion, cracks, and heat-affected can eliminate the need to change the
zones. A direct-viewing tip is used for focusing tip. A product from Olympus,
pipe wall everything else—analyzing blockages, a long-length scope called IPLEX GAir,
inspecting valves, examining fitting is one such item.
For the DOF, the only consideration is gaps, and any other items of interest The issue of needing a variety of FOVs
the distance from the lens to the item inline in the pipe. is resolved by starting with an FOV of
being inspected. This usually means 220 degrees. This FOV is so wide that
that the inspector needs at least two Eliminating Tip Changes the lens can see everything in front of
focusing tips—one for inspecting close Tip changes often are necessary it and some of the view behind it. This
items and another for distant items. throughout an inspection. For exam- allows the inspector to view the entire
The DOV is most closely linked to the ple, the inspector may need to switch circumference of the pipe at one time.
feature under inspection. For inspect- from inspecting a weld to inspecting a So, to inspect a circumferential weld,
ing a weld on a pipe wall, a side-view valve. As such, this requires switching the inspector doesn’t use a side-view-
tip works best. The inspector attaches from a side-viewing tip adapter to a ing tip and rotate the insertion tube
a side-view focusing tip and doesn’t direct-viewing tip adapter. This is prob- 360 degrees; he simply advances the
need to do anything to aim it. Inspect- lematic in lengthy piping systems. The insertion tube until he encounters the
ing a circumferential weld then is a first consideration is the time it takes to weld, and at this point he can see the
entire weld in one view.
If the inspector wants to use a dif-
Bending & Finishing Solutions ferent FOV, for example to close in on

a detail, he can use the interface to
Knowledge & Experience Working for You change it. Changing the FOV automati-
cally changes the magnification, zoom-
Angle Roll Benders ing in on the area of inspection.
• Multiple machine and control
configurations Changing the FOV results in some
• Touch screen control options
• Attachments for bending angle distortion, which is inevitable. It’s sim-
iron, serpentine shapes, coils ilar to the distortion caused at the pe-
• Up to 8” Sch. 40 Capacity
• Multiple safety device options riphery of an image when shooting a
photo with a wide-angle lens. In the
case of this videoscope, distortion isn’t
Surface Finishing Machines
• Suitable for Straight and Bent Work pieces a problem. The system implements dis-
• Variable up to 30 ft/min processing speed
• Auto Loading & Unloading Systems tortion corrections to compensate for
• Deburring, End Finishing, and Tube Notching
changing the FOV.
This lens also solves the matter of a
restrictive DOF. It focuses on a range
Horizontal Bending Presses of distances from 1 mm to infinity. The
• 22 - 150 Tons
• Manual or NC Control inspection target is always in focus, re-
• Multiple Tool Options
• Programmable Punch and Back Gauge gardless of its distance from the lens.
Available
Charles Janecka is an associate product

J&S Machine, Inc. Sales & Service
manager of remote visual inspection
equipment for Olympus IMS,
since 1998 48 Woerd Ave., Waltham, MA 02453,
www.olympus-ims.com.

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Tech Spotlight_MAR22TPJ.indd 13 2/23/22 9:57 AM

INDUSTRY NEWS
Tubos Colmena adds ESAB transitions HKS weld monitoring equipment
Thermatool HF welding to ESAB name, colors
technology ESAB Welding & Cutting Products, Annapolis
Junction, Md., has announced that all HKS
brand equipment, which includes the flag-
ship WeldQAS Quality Assurance System for
real-time monitoring and recording of arc
characteristics, has been rebranded as ESAB
products. The company acquired HKS in 2017.
The monitoring systems operate independent of welding equipment brand and
process, so anyone can use them.
Tubos Colmena, a manufacturer of People News

structural and mechanical tube and National Tube Supply, a supplier of standard and customized bar and tubular
pipe products in Colombia, has in- products, has hired Jim Conley as purchasing manager. He has more than two de-
vested in two Thermatool solid-state, cades of experience in commercial steel manufacturing and distribution, including
high-frequency (HF) welders to help working with mechanical tubing products.
improve operational performance and National Tube Supply has its headquarters in University Park, Ill., as well as facili-
reduce operating costs. ties in Baytown, Texas; Moreno Valley, Calif.; and Mississauga, Ont.
A HAZControl Technology (HCT) 300-
kW HF welder with selectable variable
frequency was commissioned in July, Okay Industries Inc., New Britain, Conn., a contract manufacturer of components
while a single-cabinet Compact 150- and subassemblies for global medical device OEMs, has promot-
kW HF welder was commissioned in ed Danielle Koonz to strategic accounts manager. She joined the
November. company in 2012, serving most recently as sales coordinator.
The HCT welder will enable the com- Koonz earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration
pany to get precise weld heat input from Southern Connecticut State University.
control and store and recall tube weld-
ing recipes. This feature helps optimize Minneapolis-based Trex Commercial, a provider of architectural railing systems,
process parameters such as power has appointed Michael Angelo Scalze and Kyle Jorgenson as regional sales rep-
(heat), frequency (HAZ width), vee resentatives for the Midwest.
length, and mill speed to deliver uni- Scalze joins the company with more than 20 years of experience working in
form and repeatable weld character- sales, estimating, and project management for companies in the
istics. HAZControl Technology allows industrial and commercial roofing sectors. He previously worked
tube and pipe producers to tailor their as national strategic sales director of guard rail safety at Dakota
products to the exact specifications re- Safety and in the commercial roofing sales and marketing division
quired by their customers, the compa- of Fischer Companies Inc. Scalze earned an architecture- and en-
ny reports. Scalze gineering-intensive degree from St. Paul College.
The Compact welder is equipped Jorgenson has spent the last five years as a territory account rep-
with electronic load matching for ret- resentative for Trex Commercial’s residential products division. He
rofitting and upgrading the second started his career as a sales intern with Boise Cascade. Jorgenson
mill where a Thermatool vacuum tube holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from the Uni-
welder had been in operation for over Jorgenson versity of Wisconsin-Stout.
40 years.
Industry_MAR22TPJ.indd 14 2/22/22 4:43 PM

INDUSTRY NEWS
Lock Joint Tube to expand in Tube 2022 postponed to June
Texas Messe Düsseldorf is postponing wire The current high incidence of infec-
Lock Joint Tube, a manufacturer of me- (International Wire and Cable Trade tion and the rapidly spreading omicron
chanical-grade steel tubing based in Fair) and Tube (International Tube and variant have made it necessary to post-
South Bend, Ind., with locations in Ohio, Pipe Trade Fair) to June 20-24, 2022, at pone the event, originally scheduled for
Texas, and Tennessee, has announced the fairgrounds in Düsseldorf, Germany. May 9-13.
plans to expand its presence in Texas.
The new facility will add 37,500 sq. ft.
and build upon the company’s capabil- The Leading Innovator of Sustainable
ities in the solar sector.
The company provides different sizes Tube and Pipe Fabrication Solutions
and shapes of hot-rolled, cold-rolled,
aluminized, and galvanized steel tub- NEW! Industry 4.0 ready
The HVAC world is changing.
ing to fabricators, distributors, and HFC Refrigerants is on the way
OEMs in the solar, automotive, office out and R744 is on the way in.
furniture, health care, exercise, and dis- This means you’re dealing with:
play fixture industries. • A new refrigerant
• Higher operating pressures
• Sturdier pipe
Unison announces
One thing that won’t change is the
collaborations with Phillips dependability and reliability of
Federal, Moore Machine Tools T-Drill tools. They are more than
Tube and pipe bending machine tough enough to cut and form
manufacturer Unison Ltd. has signed the new copper alloy.
an exclusive distributor agreement
with Phillips Federal, Hanover, Md.,
the principal service provider and
manufacturing partner to the U.S.
federal government.
The agreement means that all fed-
eral government requirements for
tube bending, pipe bending, and end
forming machines received by Phillips
Federal will be built by Unison Ltd. in
the U.K. and supplied by Unison Tube,
its Danville, Va.-based North American
division.
In addition, the Unison Tube division
has teamed up with Moore Machine
Tools of West Jordan, Utah, a distrib-
utor of Nukon 2D, 3D, and fiber laser T-DRILL Industries Inc.
tube cutting machines, to offer those 770-925-0520 or 800-554-2730
products to Unison customers in North sales@t-drill.com
t-drill.com
America.
Industry_MAR22TPJ.indd 15 2/22/22 4:43 PM

PRODUCT NEWS
Automation-ready, below- improvements, enhanced point cloud Black oxide finishes iron, steel,
the-hook grab handles steel, meshing for scanned data, and powerful stainless
aluminum coil feature-extraction capabilities, the TRU TEMP 2nd GEN
Airpes has led the company states. mid-temperature
collaborative de- The software integrates with the black oxide from
sign of a grab for company’s Absolute Scanner AS1 and Birchwood Tech-
handling steel or Absolute laser trackers and portable nologies is a re-en-
aluminum coils measuring arms, as well as other me- gineered finish
in semiautomatic trology devices in the marketplace. based on the original Tru Temp XL. The
and fully auto- The software offers a new delete new black oxide finishes a wider variety
mated electric noise function to rapidly delete outlier of ferrous metals, including iron, steel,
overhead traveling crane applications. data in point clouds, added measure- tool steels, and most stainless steels,
The automation-ready grab, designed ment triggers, and more data import and generates a darker, cleaner finish.
for lifting 25- to 60-ton coils, can be and export options. It also allows users The magnetite finish is nondimen-
adapted to suit user requirements. to create cross-sections of a point cloud sional at 1 micron thick and suitable for
Compatible with any crane in the without the need for a CAD model. machined components, nonmachined
steel and aluminum sectors, it can be Hexagon Manufacturing Intelligence components, powdered metals, MIM
installed as a retrofit or part of a new www.hexagonmi.com parts, tooling, gears, and sucker rods.
build. The system meets Crane Manu- Birchwood Technologies Inc.
facturers Association of America duty Simulation tool introduces www.birchwoodtechnologies.com
classification D, E, or F. CMAA Class F, for students to welding
example, covers continuous severe ser- Portable magnetic drill offers
vice cranes, capable of handling loads capacity to 11⁄2 in. dia.
approaching rated capacity through- Hougen Mfg. has
out their life. In semiautomatic appli- released the new
cations, some features assist the op- HMD900 portable
erator but allow more manual control; magnetic drill for
fully automated cranes, suitable for general fabrica-
demanding environments like metals, Miller Electric Mfg. LLC has launched the tion. It includes a
200 are programmed to the repeat lifting MobileArc Augmented Reality Welding hidden motor cord
PA- process without manual input. System, a welding simulation tool de- design that incor-
signed to attract, engage, and introduce porates the cord into the drill’s motor
Airpes
www.airpes.com students to welding through a hands- casing and housing for safety and re-
on augmented reality experience. duced maintenance.
Software presents new The realistic, portable system offers The arbor system uses a 5/8-in. slot
in. features for portable easy setup and a simple user interface drive for rigidity, hole accuracy, spring
in. measurement, analysis to allow students to work independent- slug ejection, and quicker use of acces-
Hexagon’s Manufacturing Intelligence ly. Real-time feedback is provided on sories such as drill chucks and counter-
division has launched the latest user technique to help correct errors, sinks. A safety switch built into the base
version of Inspire inspection software, reinforce proper welding practices, and of the magnet shuts the motor off if the
designed to handle a variety of accelerate skill advancement before magnet disengages from the work sur-
metrology applications with the ease live arc welding. face.
of use of a hand-held tablet or iPad. Miller Electric Mfg. LLC Hougen Mfg.
This version includes additional GD&T www.millerwelds.com www.hougen.com
Product_MAR22TPJ.indd 16 2/22/22 10:27 PM

PRODUCT NEWS
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Product_MAR22TPJ.indd 17 2/23/22 11:52 AM

Tube & Pipe Engineering
Trends in hydraulic tube production
during times of shortages, Part II
Specifying a niche hydraulic product, combined with using an
alternative end flare, can bring production back to the U.S.
Wynn Kearns, Indiana Tube Corp.
By Wynn Kearns 
T
Editor’s note: This article is the second in a two-part series about wo types of welded hydraulic tubing specified by the
the market for and production of small-diameter fluid-carrying Society of Automotive Engineers—SAE-J525 and SAE-
lines for high-pressure applications. Part I, which appeared in the J356A—share a common origin, and so do their written
January/February 2022 issue, discussed the state of domestic sup- specifications. Flat steel strip is slit to width and formed into a
ply of conventional products for these applications, which is scant. tube by roll forming. After the strip edges are polished by fin
Part II discusses two unconventional products for this market. roll tooling, the tube is heated by high-frequency electric re-
Hydraulic Tube Part 2_MAR22TPJ.indd 18 2/23/22 2:49 PM

sistance welding and forged between
Postwelding Tube Manufacturing Processes
pressure rolls to make the weld seam.
J525 J356A
After welding, the OD flash is removed
by a fixed tool, typically made of tung- Welded Tube Size 0.750 x 0.045 in. (19.05 x 1.14 mm) 0.750 x 0.035 in. (19.05 x 0.89 mm)
sten carbide. The ID flash is removed by Heat Treatment Normalized and annealed Not required
a fixed tool or controlled to a designed Chemical Step Pickling/phosphating Not required
maximum height. End Pointing 8 to 12 in. (200 to 300 mm) Not required
This description of the welding pro- Rough Draw 0.500 x 0.042 in. (12.70 x 1.07 mm) Cold sizing inline
cess is generic, and many small process
Heat Treatment Normalized and annealed Annealing inline
differences exist in actual manufactur-
Finish Size Draw 0.375 x 0.035 in. (9.53 x 0.89 mm) 0.375 x 0.035 in./(9.53 x 0.89 mm)
ing (see Figure 1). Nonetheless, the
Chemical Step Alkaline wash/rust preventive Rust preventive inline
two have many mechanical character-
istics in common. Reduction, Area 62% 53%
Reduction, Wall Thickness 22% 0%
Tension, Compression, and Finishing Remove points as scrap/straighten Performed online
Burst Failure Yield Expectation 80% 90%
Tubing failures, and failure modes in Finished Tube 0.375 x 0.035 in. (9.53 x 0.89 mm)
general, can be classified under tensile
loads or compressive loads. In most Figure 1
SAE-J525 material is produced in batches, an intensely capital- and labor-intensive undertaking. A
materials, failure under tension occurs similar tube product, made to SAE-J356A, is processed entirely on a tube mill outfitted with inline
at a lower stress value than in compres- annealing, so it’s a much more efficient process.
sion. That is, most materials are much
stronger in compression than tension. tical application relates to the actual thinner than a comparable tube spec-
Concrete is one example. It’s quite wall thickness. On J356A, the ID weld ified as J356A.
strong in compression, but unless it’s flash is controlled to a maximum di- This may actually create a lower burst
cast with an internal network of rein- mension, based on tube diameter, as pressure scenario for J525 as compared
forcing bar (rebar), it pulls apart quite outlined in the specification. For J525, to J356A.
easily. For this reason, steel is tested a product with the flash removed, the
under tensile load to determine its ul- flash scarfing process often will under- ID Flash Removal and ID
timate tensile strength (UTS). All three cut the ID intentionally about 0.002 in., Flash Control
hydraulic tubing specifications have a resulting in localized wall thinning at Depending on the tube’s end use, the ID
similar requirement: a UTS of 310 MPa the weld zone. Although the wall thick- flash needs to be removed or flattened
(45,000 PSI). ness is filled out by later cold working, (or smoothed) to eliminate the poten-
Because pressure tubing requires an residual stress and grain orientation tial leak path, chiefly for a single-wall
ability to withstand hydraulic pressure, may differ from the parent material, flare end form. While it’s commonly ac-
a separate calculation and a destruc- and the wall thickness may be slightly cepted that J525 has a smooth ID and
tive test, a burst test, may be required. therefore has no potential for a leak
A calculation can determine the theo- path, this is a misconception. A J525
retical ultimate burst pressure, which tube can develop ID striations from im-
takes into account the wall thickness, proper cold working, resulting in a leak
the material’s UTS, and the OD. Since path at the connection.
the J525 tube and J356A tube can have Flash removal starts by shearing (or
the same dimension, the only variable scarfing) the weld bead from the ID
is the UTS. Providing a common tensile wall. The scarfing tool, which is fixed to
value, 50,000 PSI, the predicted burst a mandrel that is supported by rollers,
pressure on 0.500- by 0.049-in. tube is Figure 2 sits inside the tube just past the weld-
the same for both products: 10,908 PSI. The ID scarfing tool (not shown) is supported ing station. While the scarfing tool is re-
by rollers that ride along tube’s ID. Good roller
Although the calculations predict design reduces the amount of weld spatter that
moving the weld bead, the rollers inad-
identical results, one difference in prac- is rolled into the tube wall. Nelson Tool Corp. vertently roll over bits of weld spatter,
Hydraulic Tube Part 2_MAR22TPJ.indd 19 2/23/22 4:06 PM

forcing them into the surface of the tube’s ID (see Figure 2). Common Flare Types
This is a problem for lightly processed tubing such as skived
or honed tubing.
Removing the flash from the tube’s interior isn’t easy. The
scarfing process turns the flash into a long, tangled length
of razor-sharp steel. Although removing it is a requirement,
removal is usually a manual and imperfect process. Lengths
of tube containing strands of scarf occasionally leave the
tubemaker’s premises and get shipped to the customer.
For smaller tubing, such as fluid lines in diameters of less
than 20 mm, ID flash removal usually isn’t all that important
because these diameters have no additional ID finishing Single Bubble Double
steps. The only caveat is that the end user just needs to
consider whether the agreed flash control height will create
a problem.
Best practices for ID flash control start with precise strip
conditioning, slitting, and welding practices. In fact, raw ma-
terial characteristics for J356A must be more stringent than
J525 because J356A is more restrictive in grain size, oxide in-
clusions, and other steelmaking parameters because of the 45' & 37' Single DIN “Mushroom” 45' & 37' Double
SAE J533 SAE J1290 SAE J533
cold sizing process involved.
Finally, ID scarfing typically requires a coolant. Most sys- Figure 4
tems use the same mill coolant as for the roll tooling, but The single-wall flare, while perfectly suitable for many applications,
requires an exceptionally smooth ID. Even this doesn’t guarantee a
this can be problematic. Despite filtering and skimming, mill leakproof fitting, a common misconception. Bubble and double-wall
coolant generally contains no small amount of metal fines, flares use the OD as the sealing mechanism.
tramp greases and oils, and other contaminants. As a result,
J525 tube requires a wash cycle in a hot alkaline bath or other
equivalent cleaning step. Postwelding Processes
Condensers, automotive systems, and other such J525 tubing is normalized after welding, which is followed by
systems need clean tubing, and sufficient cleaning can be a cold-working (drawing) operation. After cold working, the
accomplished on the mill. J356A comes off the mill with a tubing is normalized again to meet all mechanical property
clean ID, controlled moisture content, and minimal residue. requirements.
Finally it is a common practice to charge each tube with The normalizing, drawing, and second normalizing steps
an inert gas to prevent corrosion and seal the end before require transporting the tube to the furnace, the draw bench,
shipment. and the furnace again. These steps entail other separate
substeps, such as pointing (before
drawing), pickling, and straightening,
depending on the specifics of the oper-
ation. These steps are expensive, gob-
bling up untold resources in time, labor,
and cash. A cold-drawn tube is associat-
ed with a 20% scrap loss in production.
J356A tubing gets a normalizing step
after welding while it is still on the mill.
The tube doesn’t touch the ground,
progressing from the initial forming
step to a finished tube in one uninter-
Figure 3
Photomicrographs show the difference between a steel surface with a weakened decarburization rupted series of stages on the mill. An
layer (left) and one with undisturbed material at the surface (right). W.G. Montgomery Ltd. as-welded tube like J356A is associated
Hydraulic Tube Part 2_MAR22TPJ.indd 20 2/23/22 11:21 AM

Nut
Fitting
Tube
Tube Sleeve
O-ring
Figure 5
The O-ring face seal uses more componentry than other end forms, but it’s more versatile. Because
it uses an elastomer seal, it can provide a leakproof connection when used on any hydraulic tube
type. Diagram: Air-Way Corp. Photo: Tru-Line Manufacturing.
with a 10% scrap loss in production. All J356 tubing is processed in batch- draulic fluid from point A to point B,
other things being equal, this means es, which requires annealing in roller through a variety of twists and turns
that J356A tube can be produced at a hearth furnaces, but it doesn’t end along the way, while flaring is the key
lower cost than J525. there. A variant, J356A, is processed to providing a method for making an
entirely on a mill using inline induction, end connection.
Normalizing, Decarburization, which is a much faster heating process In a chicken-and-the-egg scenario,
Pickling, and Hydrogen than for a roller hearth furnace. This re- drawn tubing—which therefore has
Embrittlement duces the anneal time, which shrinks a smooth ID—was developed for sin-
While the two products perform in a the opportunity window for decarbu- gle-wall flare connections, or perhaps
similar manner, they are not identical rization from minutes (or even hours) the reverse occurred. In this connec-
from a metallurgical standpoint. tion style, the inside surface of the tube
Cold-drawing J525 tubing requires a seals against a seat on a male fitting.
normalizing pretreatment twice, after In a chicken-and-the-egg To make a leakproof metal-to-met-
welding and after drawing. The normal- al seal, the tube’s surface finish must
izing temperatures (1,650° F or 900° C) scenario, drawn tubing— be as smooth as possible. This fitting
lead to surface oxides, which usually are
removed after annealing by a mineral
which therefore has a originated in the 1920s for use in the
U.S. Army’s nascent aerial division, the
acid, typically sulfuric acid or hydrochlo- smooth ID—was developed Air Corps. The fitting later became the
ric acid. Acid pickling has a large envi- standard 37-degree flare in common
ronmental impact in terms of air emis- for single-flare use today.
sions and a metal-rich waste stream. Other flares work for many situations,
Further, normalizing temperatures connections, or perhaps such as the bubble and double-wall
in the reducing atmosphere of a roller
hearth furnace can deplete the carbon
the reverse occurred. flares (see Figure 4).
Since the COVID-19 period began, the
at the steel’s surface. This process, de- supply of drawn tubing with a smooth
carburization, leaves behind a surface to seconds. This provides J356A with a ID has dropped substantially. The ma-
layer that has a much lower strength uniform anneal, absent of oxides or a terial that is available tends to have
than the original material (see Figure decarburization rind. much longer lead times than in the
3). This can be especially critical for thin- past. This change in the supply chain
walled tubing. If the wall thickness is ID Flash and Tube Connections can be resolved by re-engineering the
0.030 in., even a slight decarburization Tubing made for use in hydraulic lines end connection. For example, a request
layer at 0.003 in. thick reduces the effec- must be ductile enough for the req- for quote that calls for single-wall flare
tive wall by 10%. This weakened tube uisite bending, flaring, and forming. and specifies J525 is a candidate for a
can fail in service from load or vibration. Bending is necessary to get the hy- substitute, a double-wall flare. This end

connection can use any of the hydrau- tion. A competing product—even one This gap can be filled, perhaps at
lic tubing types. This opens the door of that is markedly less expensive and is lower total cost, by considering estab-
opportunity to use J356A. shown to fulfill all of the requirements lished but niche types of steel tubing.
In addition to the flare type connec- of the original product—can have a To select the proper product for the ap-
tions, the O-ring face seal (see Figure difficult time getting a foothold in the plication, a little research is necessary
5) is in common use, especially for market if it’s looked upon with suspi- to determine fluid compatibility, op-
high-pressure systems. Not only does cion. This is often case when a purchas- erating pressure, mechanical loading,
this connection type tend to leak less ing agent or a specifying engineer con- and connection type.
than a single-wall flare because it uses siders an unconventional substitute for A close look at the specifications
an elastomeric seal, but it’s more versa- an incumbent product. Few want to shows that J356A can be a true J525
tile—it can be formed on the ends of take a perceived risk. equivalent. It’s available at a lower cost
any of the common hydraulic tubing In some cases, a change might be through a proven supply chain in spite
types. This sets up tube fabricators for a not only warranted but necessary. The of the pandemic. If dealing with the end
broader supply chain choice and better COVID-19 pandemic has caused an form issues is less taxing than procuring
long-term economics. unexpected shift in the availability of J525, this could help OEMs resolve the
certain types and sizes of bulk tubing logistical challenges in the COVID-19
A Market Under Pressure for steel fluid lines. The product areas era and well into the future.
The history of industry is full of exam- affected are tube fabrication applica-
ples of conventional products that get tions for automotive, appliance, heavy Wynn H. Kearns is a regional sales
representative for Indiana Tube Corp.,
established so thoroughly that they equipment, and any others that use 2100 Lexington Road, Evansville,
develop a momentum, which makes it high-pressure lines, especially for fluid IN 47720, 812-424-9028, wkearns@
difficult for the market to change direc- power. indianatube.com, www.indianatube.com.
Keep Your Tube Shop

Running at its Best
Measure Bent Tubes in Seconds

Direct Feedback to CNC Benders
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info@accurexmeasure.com | 800-535-5798
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End Forming
End forming on demand—

anytime, anywhere
Electric, electronic technologies allow mobile,
versatile approaches to challenging end forming applications
End Forming_MAR22TPJ.indd 24 2/22/22 11:04 PM

By Eric Lundin
T
echnology is anything but static, at a variety of tightly regulated speeds exactly what the customers need to do
and nowhere is this more evi- or turns a specified number of revolu- and find the most efficient way to do it.
dent than in the electronics field. tions and comes to a stop, providing “Servo technology is a source of in-
In 1965 Gordon Moore, an engineer much more control than a common novation in that it’s an opportunity to
working for Fairchild Semiconductor, electric motor. Typical is a closed-loop take a fresh look at our machines and
noticed that the number of transistors feedback system. The controller pro- their functions,” Eramo said.
on a typical integrated circuit (IC) chip vides a command, or commands, for Advantages of a servo system over
doubled about every year, and this the motor; sensors measure the mo- a hydraulic system include cleanness,
trend continues. The features and ca- tor’s speed or track its revolutions and quieter operation, and potentially re-
pacities of computers, digital cameras, feed this information back to the con- duced operating costs depending
mobile phones, and automobiles just a troller; and the controller compares the upon the end user’s duty cycle. It also
decade ago don’t compare with those intended output to the actual output. provides more capabilities than hy-
of today, and connectivity now makes The controller then makes any nec- draulic technology.
nearly everything more useful and con- essary adjustments, providing an ex- Nobody questions whether a hy-
venient than ever before. treme level of precision. draulic power system will leak; it’s a
The electronics revolution made its These and related technologies have matter of when. Leaking systems aren’t
way into the metal fabricating industry enabled equipment builders to develop clean, and they create slipping hazards.
decades ago when CNC arrived. Before machines that are more accurate in what In terms of noise level, servo sizers have
computer controls, a machine’s actua- they do, more versatile in how they do been measured at 70 dBa versus a sim-
tor or carriage simply ran in one direc- it, and consume power more efficiently ilar hydraulic sizer at 80 dBa (recorded
tion until it encountered a limit switch, than conventional machines. with time-weighted average measure-
and then it retracted until it hit another ments). Finally, while hydraulic systems
limit switch. The machines were capa- Fluid Power and Servo Power generally run continuously, ready to
ble, but not versatile. On many machine types, implement- provide power at any moment, a servo
CNC changed all that, relying on pro- ing servomotors means dispensing system shuts down when not in use,
grammed instructions to dictate the with something else—usually a hy- providing power only on demand. The
distance an actuator or carriage would draulic system. This doesn’t mean that energy savings help to offset the capi-
travel. It took a rethinking of how ma- hydraulic power is on the way out; it tal investment, Eramo said.
chines worked, and the hiring of pro- simply means that equipment builders “In a test conducted by iES, when a
grammers to make them work, but have a choice. duty cycle made fewer than six parts
suddenly the outcome was a sweeping “Four years ago, all of our tube end per minute, the servo sizer consumed
change. Programmers exerted control forming machines and presses were less power,” Eramo said. “For higher
over a carriage’s travel speed and the hydraulic,” said Joe Eramo, president duty cycles, this advantage diminished.”
distance it moved, which was more ver- and owner of Innovative Engineered Eramo acknowledges that develop-
satile, reliable, and precise than using Solutions (iES, formerly R&B Machin- ing such a system isn’t easy. The engi-
limit switches. It ushered in a new era of ing), Wilmington, Ohio. “Today we have neering work must be more thorough
control and precision in manufacturing. six models that use servo technology.” when developing a process that uses
The same technology has updated It’s not necessarily a simple matter to servo technology.
electric motors. The simplest of motors, replace a hydraulic system, well known “The forces that are generated in
such as the motor in a power drill or the for providing reliable “cheap power,” metal forming operations are substan-
starter in an automobile, are designed but iES has used its expertise to devel- tial,” he said. “A well-designed system
to run at a certain speed or deliver a op servo-powered end formers, press- has to take into account the required
specified amount of torque without es, and a saw. forces for both correct and incorrect
much of a control system. A servomo- Merely replacing one power source setups, because a poor setup can cause
tor within a sophisticated system al- with another would be a missed op- the machine to crash and potentially
lows programming so the motor runs portunity, so iES works to understand damage a key machine component.”
End Forming_MAR22TPJ.indd 25 2/23/22 10:56 AM

Nobody wants downtime, especially press dies while controlling the three that a servo-powered machine is a di-
when it’s a ball screw, gear box, or some main forming factors: press velocity, rect replacement. Two considerations
other component associated with a position, and tonnage. The result is a are cost and speed. A servo system,
long lead time and a high cost. part recipe that is errorproof, providing with its actuators, drives, and gearbox-
The programming and process con- a poka-yoke concept that facilitates the es, costs more than a hydraulic system
trol also have to be robust enough to forming of difficult-to-form parts. of similar capacity in terms of upfront
capture all of a servo system’s capabili- capital expense. As far as speed, the
ties. Programmers take into account the Not the Beginning of the End difference is noticeable, favoring hy-
many types of sensors and pneumatic Fluid power is a time-tested and ca- draulics. Still, these differences don’t
clamps typically found in multistage pable technology, and nobody claims stop some manufacturers from con-
verting to servo technology, even for
traditionally high-speed processes like
stamping.
Reliable, safe, and efficient tube expansion “One large manufacturer of outdoor
equipment has started to convert
with ExpanTek® Hydraulic Power Supplies and Tools.
some of their conventional stamping
hydraulic presses to servo units,” Eramo
Expand high-pressure tubes
said. “The company used to run their
used in: boilers, condensers,
evaporators, heat exchangers mechanical presses about five hours a
and other tube-to--n day, and even though they now need
applications. to run their presses longer to accom-
plish the same amount of work, they
• 30,000 PSI MAWP
realized advantages of the servo sys-
• Fast Cycle Times tem to be beneficial in terms of lower
acoustic emissions, improved process
• Water or Deionized Water control, and a cleaner manufacturing
Service Medium process with no hydraulic leaks.”
System Design Freedom. Whether
• Durable Construction the power choice is hydraulic or elec-
tric, OEMs are in search of creative ways
• Quiet Running to handle conventional forming appli-
cations. A case in point is a tube sizer
used to coin the ID and OD of material
in a set of custom engineered tools. A
Learn more about conventional sizing machine is built
our full line of into a steel frame, fixed or on casters,
hydraulic power
supplies and often in a cabinet. The power unit is lo-
hydro expansion cated in the lower half, with a machine
tools at: airmo.com
head or forming system in the upper
half. Most of the machine is guarded
for safe operation and limits access to
the tube insertion area. Typically, an
operator inserts the tube end into the
forming head and initiates the cycle
with a foot switch to make the desired
end form. As such, the operator brings
© 2022 Airmo Inc.
the tube to the machine.
“UNPARALLELED PERFORMANCE An iES concept turns that that notion
1-800-394-0016 airmo.com AND SAFETY UNDER PRESSURE!” ® inside out. A customer needed a way to
End Forming_MAR22TPJ.indd 26 2/23/22 10:56 AM

expand a series of tubes in a complex is on the way. Certainly, some are ab- tasks in the tube and pipe industry,
assembly inside a housing. Because the sent from manufacturing jobs because one involving boiler construction, to
tubes are recessed, located inside the of the pandemic, but it’s too soon to tell a robotic process. It involves fastening
assembly, they could not be fed into the how many of those displacements are large number of tubes to a metal sheet.
end former because of clearance issues temporary and how many are perma- Like the previous example, it relies on
with the housing. The iES engineering nent. Regardless of the reason or the inserting a die set into the tube end
team developed a modular system that specific number of absent employees, and expanding it to fasten it in place.
fixtures the assembly and uses several this is an opportunity for increased au- Unlike the previous manual oper-
mobile sizing heads on slides. After se- tomation. An opportunity for a closely ation used by the customer, the new
curing the assembly, the operator slides controlled process to be carried out by process is automated. To do so, iES re-
each sizing head into each port and ac- an employee who’s never absent. An lied extensively on mathematics, spe-
tivates all of them simultaneously. The opportunity for a robot or a cobot. cifically quaternion values. This appli-
cycle time is just a few seconds. The engineering staff at iES is cation, as it pertains to a vision system,
Automation, Automation, Auto- preparing for a future more reliant enables a robot to locate every target
mation. “We’re down 80 people,” Eramo on robots and cobots. Eramo cited in a vast array of bores. The end result
mentioned, noting that this seems to an article in the Wall Street Journal is a successfully assembled boiler that
be a consistent theme heard through- that reported record sales for robots doesn’t tax an equipment operator
out the industry. “I can’t tell you how for nonautomotive use in the U.S. with an extremely mundane task.
many times I’ve heard that a manufac- in Q3 2021 as just further evidence Editor Eric Lundin can be reached at
turer is down a significant number of supporting this point. ericl@thefabricator.com.
people.” In a recent integration project, iES Innovative Engineered Solutions,
Some have retired, and more of that converted one of the more routine www.iengineeredsolutions.com
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End Forming_MAR22TPJ.indd 27 2/23/22 2:29 PM

Metallurgy
Best practices to prevent

brittle fracture in carbon steel
Accepted chemistry ranges can leave steel prone to stress corrosion
cracking, even in moderate service environments
Metallurgy_MAR22TPJ.indd 28 2/22/22 11:24 PM

By Naddir M. Patel, P. Eng.
Editor’s note: This article is a follow-up to “Causes and cures for ductile spool component
failures” and “ASME reviews test requirements for pipes, fittings, flanges,” both of which
appear at TheFabricator.com.
T
raditional alloys have standard of various microallying elements used
roles in metal fabrication, wheth- in the manufacture of such flanges, fit-
er the metals are stainless steels tings, and pipe.
for medical devices or marine products;
any of the generations of high-perfor- Included or Exempted?
mance steels developed over the last Until recently, neither ASME nor ASTM
couple of decades for the automotive required impact testing to confirm
industry; or metals such as alumi- ductile behavior for many carbon steel
num and titanium, which have high items used at temperatures as low as
strength-to-weight ratios and high cor- -20 degrees F. The decisions to exempt
rosion resistance, making them espe- certain products were based on the
cially fitting for aerospace, refinery, and historic properties of the materials. For
chemical processing applications. example, carbon steel products such as
So it is with some carbon steel al- A105 flanges, A234-WPB fittings, and
loys, especially those that have specific A106 grade B carbon steel pipe with a
amounts of carbon and manganese. wall thickness of ½ in. (25 mm) or less,
Some of these, depending on the when used at a minimum design metal
quantities of alloying elements, are temperature (MDMT) of -20 degrees F,
well-suited to use in making flanges, have been exempt from impact testing
fittings, and pipe for chemical process- because of their traditional role in such
ing plants and refineries. All have one applications.
characteristic in common: The materi- However, historic acceptance and
als used in these applications must be traditional applications don’t necessar-
ductile enough to resist brittle fracture ily hold up forever. Some materials that
and stress corrosion cracking (SCC). fall under curve B of the 2017 revision
Standards organizations such as the of ASME VIII-1, UCS-66 (see Figure 1),
American Society of Manufacturing En- have a recent documented history of
gineers (ASME) and ASTM Intl. (formerly failures due to brittle fracture at tem-
known as the American Society of Test- peratures higher than -20 degrees F,
ing and Materials) provide guidance and in many cases at warm tempera-
in this matter. Two relevant industry tures. Therefore, they are considered to
codes—ASME Boiler and Pressure Ves- be at risk of brittle fracture at ambient
sel Code (BPVD) Section VIII, Division 1 temperatures, mainly during startup,
and ASME B31.3, Process Piping—con- shutdown, hydrostatic testing, and rap-
sider carbon steels (any ferrous mate- id depressurization (autorefrigeration).
rial having 0.29% to 0.54% carbon and The practice of making deliberate
0.60% to 1.65% manganese) to be duc- additions of trace elements during
tile enough for service in hot climates, the manufacture of medium-carbon
mild zones, and areas in which the tem- steels, which contain 0.18% to 0.23%
perature gets as low as -20 degrees F. carbon, is possibly intended to reduce
However, recent failures at ambient heat-treatment temperature and pro-
temperatures have led to closer scru- cessing time. In use over the last few
tiny regarding the amounts and ratios decades, this technique has had an
Metallurgy_MAR22TPJ.indd 29 2/23/22 11:00 AM

• A/SA-105 forged flanges supplied in the as-forged
140
condition.
120 A
• SA-216 grades WCB and WCC if normalized and tempered
100 B
Minimum Design Metal Temperature
or water‐quenched and tempered.

80
C • SA-217 grade WC6 if normalized and tempered or water‐
60
40
D quenched and tempered.
Degrees F
20
These steels can be reinstated to curve B (-20 degrees F
0 MDMT) through additional processing such as normalizing
-20 and quenching, listed in the notes of illustration UCS-66.
-40 In the 2019 publication of ASME BPVC VIII-I, illustration
-60 UCS-66, curve B materials (rated for an MDMT of -20 degrees
-80
0.0 0.5 1.0 1.5 2.0 2.5 3.0 3.5 4.0 4.5 5.0 5.5 6.0
F) include the following:
Thickness (In.) • SA-105 forged flanges produced to fine grain practice
A B C D
and normalized, normalized and tempered, or quenched and
tempered after forging.
Figure 1 • SA-216 grade WCA if normalized and tempered or water‐
This chart, which approximates ASME UCS-66 and appears here for
quenched and tempered.
illustrative purposes only, shows four temperature functions for impact
testing. If an alloy is listed as belonging to curve C, its thickness is 3.5 in., • SA-216 grades WCB and WCC for thicknesses not exceed-
and the MDMT is 60, it is above the curve and does not need an impact ing 2 in. (50 mm), if produced to fine grain practice and water‐
test. If a similar item has an MDMT of 40, it is below the curve and does
need an impact test. quenched and tempered.
Therefore, if impact testing isn’t a possibility, the manufac-
turer must use a chemistry that is more restrictive than the
unintended consequence: brittle cracking of A105 grade chemistry allowed by the control limits listed in individual
flanges, A234-WPB fittings, and A106-B carbon steel pipes. material ASTM/ASME specifications to prevent brittle fracture
This phenomenon has been known to occur at ambient tem- and SCC (see Figure 2).
peratures. The following notes provide additional background:
This problem becomes acute when materials that are • Piping system product manufacturers have focused on
prone to SCC are deployed in certain service conditions. Per the amounts of sulfur, phosphorus, manganese, and carbon,
National Association of Corrosion Engineers (NACE) MR0103, per the relevant specifications, but the ratios of calcium
improper design, processing (cutting, bending, welding), to sulfur and manganese to carbon are also critical. The
installation, or handling can cause resistant materials to optimum calcium-to-sulfur ratio is approximately 2-1. The
become susceptible to SCC. Stress concentrations in local optimum manganese-to-carbon ratio greater than 5-1.
notches, such as corrosion pits, make the welds vulnerable • Per API 571-2020, “microalloying elements like vanadi-
to SCC. Residual tensile stresses from welding also have been um, niobium (formerly columbium, Cb), boron, and titanium
known to initiate cracking without external stresses. Welds in certain ranges, as well as sulfur, phosphorous, and man-
that haven’t been stress-relieved and components that have ganese above their residual limits, can cause low toughness.”
been cold-worked are particularly vulnerable. Failure to meet In these cases, microalloying means B<5 PPM; Nb, Ti, and
heat-treatment, mechanical, or chemical requirements of the V<0.02% each; S<0.002%.; and P<0.01%.
specifications can be verified only through metallurgical ex- Also per API 571-2020, “using fully killed, fine grain steel
amination. Imperfections on machined surfaces of welded with austenite grain size finer than 6 (McQuaid-Ehn Method)
flanges can be detected only through volumetric nonde- will achieve the desired toughness in many situations.”
structive evaluation. • At a minimum, heat analyses should conform to the appli-
The EU recognized this issue and requires impact testing cable heat analysis limits listed in Table 1 of ASME SA-20/20M.
at the relevant MDMT. ASME acknowledged this issue in the • Per The Welding Institute, Cambridge, U.K., rolled inclu-
2019 edition of specification ASME BPVC VIII-I when it reas- sions in steel provide planes of weakness which may result
signed these carbon steels to curve A of the impact test ex- in cracking problems due to weld shrinkage strains (lamellar
emption curves shown in illustration UCS-66. tearing), or hydrogen accumulation at the interfaces, which
In the 2019 version, curve A materials (rated for an MDMT can lead to hydrogen-induced cracking. Calcium additions
of 18 degrees F) include the following: strengthen sulfide inclusions, reducing the extent of their

deformation during rolling. This ensures
Element(s) Weight % Reference
property uniformity of the steel.
Carbon (C) ~ 0.18 • Aluminum content greater than 0.02%,
Carbon Equivalent (CE) ~ 0.38 or an acid-soluble aluminum content great-
Manganese/Carbon (Mn/C) >5
er than 0.015% per ASME SA-20, 8.3.2.1 and
8.3.2.2.
Phosphorous (P) < 0.010 NACE 8X194
Without these precautions, carbon steel
Sulfur (S) < 0.002 NACE 8X194 pressure components are likely to be vul-
Calcium/Sulfur (Ca/S) ~2 TWI Global nerable to brittle fracture during hydrotest-
ing or during operation, even when operat-
Silicon (Si) > 0.15 API 571-2020
ed at 60 degrees F or below.
Aluminum (Al) > 0.02 ASME SA-20
Because the chemical composition of
Vanadium (V) < 0.02 NACE SP 0472-020 the steel has been found to be the primary
Niobium (Nb) < 0.02 NACE SP 0472-020 cause of SCC failures, incorporating these
best practices will go a long way in reducing
Titanium (Ti) < 0.02 NACE SP 0472-020
this failure mode, and likely eliminating it, in
Boron (B) < 0.0005 (5 PPM) NACE SP 0472-020
piping circuits as described in ASME B31.3,
Vanadium + Niobium (V + Nb) < 0.03 B31.1, B31.12, and similar specifications.
Niobium + Vanadium + Titanium (Nb + V + Ti) < 0.12
Naddir M. Patel, P. Eng, is metallurgical
Figure 2 subject-matter expert for Sinclair Oil
To prevent stress corrosion cracking in carbon steel, best practices include using these control Corp., 100 Lincoln Ave., Sinclair, WY 82334,
limits for the steel’s chemistry. naddirpatel@gmail.com, www.sinclairoil.com.

Bending Technology
How the electric vehicle trend is driving

changes in bending technology
Greater versatility and efficiency are key components in this small
but growing manufacturing application
Modern benders for high-volume manufacturers, such as Schwarze-Robitec’s

CNC 80 E TB MR, are well-suited to the requirements of fabricators in the
automotive supply chain. Attributes such as short cycle times and high
resource efficiency are critical, and many manufacturers rely on options
such as weld seam detection, built-in cutoff, and a robotic interface.
Bending_MAR22TPJ.indd 32 2/22/22 11:26 PM

By Bert Zorn
E
lectric vehicles (EVs) are nothing also increases the range, which is cru- bending challenge in that the compo-
new. In the early 1900s electric-, cial for EVs. This trend also leads to a nents have layers of insulation that can-
steam-, and gasoline-powered change in requirements for tube bend- not be damaged during bending.
vehicles were available, and EV tech- ing, with a growing need for compact
nology was more than just a niche. yet high-performance components, Flexible Configurations
Although gasoline-powered engines especially thin-walled tubes made The shift toward electric mobility is
won that round, battery technology from high-strength materials. But light- leading to a change in tube bender
has returned and it’s here to stay. Many weight materials such as aluminum design. The traditional standard tube
cities throughout the world have an- and carbon fiber-reinforced plastic bending machine with predefined
nounced future bans on the use of are usually more expensive and more performance parameters is giving way
vehicles powered by fossil fuels, and challenging to process than conven- to product-specific special machines
many countries have announced inten- tional steel. Associated with this trend that can be customized according to
tions to ban the sale of such vehicles, is a substantial increase in the use of the fabricator’s needs. Bending perfor-
so alternative powertrains will domi- shapes other than round. Lightweight mance, geometric measurements such
nate the auto industry. It’s just a matter construction increasingly requires as bending radius and tube length, tool
of time. complex, asymmetrical shapes with di- installation space, and software are
Sales data shows that autos based on verse cross sections. aligned to conform more closely with
alternative fuels have been making in- the fabricator’s specific processes and
the traditional standard tube
roads for years. In the U.S. in 2020 the product requirements.
passenger car market for EVs, plug-in bending machine with predefined This shift is already ongoing and will
hybrid vehicles (PHEVs), fuel cell ve- performance parameters is intensify. To bring these projects to fru-
hicles, and hybrids other than PHEVs ition, systems suppliers need the nec-
was 7% of the total, according to the
giving way to product-specific essary expertise in bending technolo-
Environmental Protection Agency. This special machines that can be gy and the requisite knowledge and
market barely existed 20 years ago. The customized according to the experience in tool and process design
figures provided by Germany’s Federal and must incorporate this knowledge
Motor Transport Authority speak for fabricator’s needs. at the beginning, at the machine design
themselves: Among all newly regis- A common automotive manufactur- stage. Complex tool shapes are needed
tered vehicles in Germany in the period ing practice is to bend round tubes and to produce aluminum profiles with var-
from January to November 2021, the bring them to the final shape through ious cross sections, for instance. The de-
share of those with alternative power- hydroforming. This is suitable for steel velopment and optimal design of such
trains amounted to almost 35%. The alloys, but it can be problematic when tools thus becomes increasingly im-
share of newly registered vehicles with working with other materials. For exam- portant. Furthermore, bending carbon
purely electric drives was around 11% ple, carbon fiber-reinforced plastic can- fiber-reinforced plastic requires a mech-
in this period. The increase of new EVs not be bent when it is cold. Complicat- anism to apply a small amount of heat.
in Germany becomes particularly clear ing the matter is aluminum’s tendency
when looking at passenger cars. In that to harden as it ages. This means that an Process Efficiency and Short
segment, the EV share in all newly reg- aluminum tube or profile is difficult or Cycle Times
istered passenger cars was 6.7% for the impossible to bend just a few months The growing cost pressure sweeping
entire year 2020. This share rose sub- after it is manufactured. Furthermore, if across the automotive industry is also
stantially, to more than 25%, from Jan- the desired cross section is not round, being felt throughout the entire supply
uary to November 2021. it is much harder to adhere to the pre- chain. Short cycle times and extreme
This shift brings big changes to auto- defined tolerances, especially when us- precision are more important now than
motive manufacturers and their entire ing aluminum. Finally, the substitution ever before. Companies aiming to re-
supply chains. Lightweight construc- of aluminum profiles and rods for tradi- main competitive need to use resources
tion is a major theme—the lighter the tional copper cables to carry electrical efficiently. This not only includes time
vehicle, the less energy it needs. This current is a growing trend and a new and material resources, but also human

A fully automated tube bending cell incorporates
upstream and downstream processes, combining
fast, error-free processing, repeatability, and safety.
While such integration can benefit any fabricator, it’s
especially attractive for fabricators in the emerging yet
competitive field of electric vehicle production.
resources, specifically the employees bend systems, or fabricating otherwise troller that continuously and automat-
who are central in the manufacturing complex tube systems. A machine built ically monitors the interaction of axes
industry. In this field, user-friendly and to handle sophisticated bends can re- to coordinate their movements, the
reliable processes are a key factor in duce cycle time; for high-volume pro- programming effort yields substantial
boosting cost-effectiveness. ducers, even a few seconds saved per benefits, reducing cycle time by 20% to
Tube fabricators and OEMs that component can have a huge, positive 40% depending on the component and
handle tube fabrication in-house are impact on production efficiency. the desired tube geometry.
likely to respond to the relentless cost Another key component is the inter-
pressure and other stresses by seeking action between operator and machine. Automation and Process
high-performance machines tailored The technology has to support users Integration
precisely to their needs. A modern wherever it can. For example, the inte- In view of the shift toward alternative
bender must use a multilevel technolo- gration of bend die retraction—a case in powertrains, automation is more rele-
gy strategy that includes features such which the bend die and swing arm op- vant than ever. Manufacturers of tube
as customizable multiradius bending erate separately—allows the machine bending machines need to focus on
tools, which facilitate simple and pre- to adjust and position a variety of tube extensive automation and the ability
cise bending with very short lengths geometries during the bending pro- to integrate work processes that go be-
of tube between bends. Such devel- cess. Another programming and control yond bending. This is not just the case
opments in bending technology shine concept begins to stage the axes for the for tube bending in large-scale series
when fabricating tubular components next bend while the current bend is still production, but also increasingly for
with several radii, making bend-in- in progress. While this requires a con- very low-volume series production.

In fully automated tube processing,
the various stages of the process must
Bending & Finishing Solutions
Knowledge & Experience Working for You
be reliable, error-free, repeatable, and
fast, ensuring that bending results are
consistent in quality. Upstream and
downstream processing steps must be
• ½” to 10” Capacity
integrated into such a bending cell, in-
• All-Electric & Hybrid
corporating cleaning, bending, assem-
• Shear Cutting & Traveling
bly, end forming, and measurement.
Work with: Saw Cutting
Handling devices such as robots and
additional components such as tube • Robots
loaders/unloaders must be integrated • CMM’s
as well. The primary task is to deter- • Office Networks
mine which processes are the perfect • Automated Cells
fit for the application in question. For
example, depending on the fabricator’s
requirements, a belt-loading magazine,
chain magazine, lifting conveyor, or
loose material conveyor might be the
right system for the tube feeder. Some
bender manufacturers make integra-
J&S Machine, Inc.
tion as easy as possible by providing a
proprietary control system that works
in conjunction with the OEM’s enter-
prise resource planning system.
Even though each additional step
makes the process chain longer, the
user does not have to experience any
delays, as cycle times generally remain
the same. The big difference in the in- For additional information, please contact Foster Printing Service
creased complexity of such an auto- at Mossberg & Company Inc.,
mated system is in the stringent con- the official reprint provider for The Tube & Pipe Journal.
trol requirements needed to integrate
bending cells into existing production Reprints are ideal for:
chains and company networks. For this • New Product Announcements
reason, tube bending machines should • Sales Aid For Your Field Force
be Industry 4.0-ready. • PR Materials & Media Kits
Overall, integration is paramount. It’s • Direct Mail Enclosures
critical that OEMs work with machine • Customer & Prospect Communications/Presentations
manufacturers that have deep experi- • Trade Shows/Promotional Events
ence in developing machines that are • Conferences & Speaking Engagements
compatible with the various subsys- • Recruitment & Training Packages
tems in a fully automated manufactur- Give yourself a competitive advantage
ing process. with reprints. Call us today!
Custom reprint products of articles and
Bert Zorn is managing director for features from The Tube & Pipe Journal
Schwarze-Robitec GmbH, Olpener Straße create powerful marketing tools that
460 – 474, Cologne, Germany 51109, serve as instantly credible endorsements.
49-221-89008-0, sales@schwarze-
robitec.com, www.schwarze-robitec.com.
Call Lisa Payne at 219.561.2036 or Email LPayne@mossbergco.com

EXECUTIVE PERSPECTIVES
Defining your organization

with an organizational chart
This critical document helps the staff
as much as it helps the owner
Read more from Lisa Wertzbaugher

at www.thefabricator.com/
lisa-wertzbaugher.
By Lisa Wertzbaugher
W
hether you are the owner simply don’t see the activity as critical to visionary activities. Supporting em-
of the company, a midlevel company performance. Well, it is. ployees effectively in a management
manager, or starting your For many reasons, a company with a role takes significant time and effort,
first day on the job, one document that clearly defined org chart is more pro- and the owner can’t do both, often
relates across all positions is the organi- ductive than one without one. The effort neglecting the latter. Laying out an or-
zational chart. This document provides spent on creating such a chart is mini- ganizational structure with clear chan-
many functions and is not that difficult mal compared to many other strategic nels of responsibility provides a tactical
to put together, but surprisingly, many initiatives—sales projections, annual framework so the owner can deal with
businesses don’t have one. In fact, out budgets, and strategic planning—but strategic issues.
of the last 10 clients I’ve worked with, the return is well worth it. Another benefit is that, while the org
three of them had an obsolete org chart clearly assigns responsibilities to
chart and seven had nothing at all. One Increasing Productivity each role, it can reveal gaps and over-
had 75 employees, which is large for a The most obvious benefit of an organi- lap, neither of which have any place in
proprietorship. zational chart is that it defines the re- a well-organized workplace. The more
As small, privately owned businesses porting structure of the company and, clearly the work can be defined and di-
grow, the thought of assigning titles critically, who is responsible for various vided, the more productive the compa-
seems trivial and can feel uncomfort- jobs that need to be done. Too often in ny becomes.
able. I’ve met several owners of large, small and midsize businesses, the re- Some roles may have a hybrid func-
multimillion-dollar companies who still porting structure is unclear. The default tion until there is enough work to add
shy away from calling themselves “pres- is that every employee reports to the staff. This is fine, but it shouldn’t be a
ident.” Some owners and managers owner. Even in a very small business, secret; annotate this on the organiza-
worry about recruiters getting access this is not effective. The owner’s focus tional chart. For example, marketing ac-
to employee information, and others is on growth, long-term strategy, and tivities often are assigned to a sales lead
Executive Perspectives_MAR22TPJ.indd 36 2/22/22 11:54 PM

until the company has enough revenue Titles and Roles their time. That is their primary function
to justify hiring a marketing coordina- Title and role definition can be the most and, therefore, primary title.
tor. If this is so, say so on the chart. difficult part of this exercise. There are Also, bear in mind that titles can be
many options, but don’t let this prevent modified over time if needed. It’s not as
Outlining Career Progression you from getting started. Start with ba- critical to know if someone is a marketing
Business owners and managers often sic, commonly used titles, such as man- manager or marketing director as it is to
overlook the importance of giving ager, director, vice president, coordina- know who’s in charge of marketing.
employees a road map for career pro- tor, and supervisor. If one person has Lisa Wertzbaugher, founder of
gression. After one of my clients and I more than one role, title that person Wertzbaugher Consulting, can be reached
developed an org chart, the executives with the one that consumes most of at wertzbaugherconsult@gmail.com.
were shocked by the reaction from
some of the staff: They were grateful to
finally understand where they fit into
the organization and see pathways to SAVE 20–24 June join
the best:
THE
2022
progress in their careers.
Düsseldorf
Unfortunately, not having an org NEW Germany
chart led managers to make assump- DATE www.tube.de
tions about who was and wasn’t in- join the best — welcome to the world’s leading trade fair for the tube and pipe industry! This
terested in promotion opportunities. event is a must for everyone who wants to find out all about industry innovations, future trends and
learn about machinery and equipment, tube and pipe products, accessories and trade. This is the
Simply having a document encourages meeting place for the international sector, the specialists and world market leaders. Discover new
ways of sustainability: follow the ecoTrails to the exhibitors particularly dedicated to sustainable
conversations about this critical topic. technologies and process chains. More at www.tube-tradefair.com/ecometals.
A firmly established date in your calendar —
Future Planning a visit to Tube 2022 in Düsseldorf!
Just as an org chart can uncover hidden

gaps, it can also be used to determine
gaps that are likely to emerge as the
company grows so they can be filled.
That is to say, I always encourage com-
panies to put roles on the org chart
they need now, and roles they will need
five years out as the business grows.
Identify future roles on the chart, and
then divide the tasks for that position
among existing employees.
If you don’t have enough staff, you
International Tube and Pipe Trade Fair
may need to consider outsourcing
some functions. Every org chart I’ve
ever worked on has roles that are de-
fined as outsourced positions. Infor-
mation technology and accounting
are commonly farmed out. My own
role as a consultant is another exam-
ple of this—when they hire me, they
are clearly outsourcing some tasks, and
Plants and Pipe and Tube Bending and Tube Manu- Tube Profiles Plastic Tubes
this needs to be defined. At some point Equipment Processing
Technology
Forming
Technology
facturing and
Distribution
Accessories
it will make sense to add a full-time po-

sition instead of paying a professional For show information: Messe Düsseldorf North America
Tel. (312) 781-5180 _ info@mdna.com
consultant, but for now, my role should www.mdna.com
For hotel and travel arrangements: TTI Travel, Inc.
_
Tel. (866) 674-3476 info@ttitravel.net
appear on the chart.
tub2202_NEW_Anz_117,5x184,2_2c_US.indd 1 24.01.22 17:23
Executive Perspectives_MAR22TPJ.indd 37 2/22/22 11:54 PM

BUSINESS BRIEF
Seeking solutions to
supply chain snags
Time will help, but action is necessary to get
manufacturing back on track
Visit www.alliantgroup.com
for more information.
By Rick White
T
wo years into the pandemic, and global supply chains Shipping companies have also increased rates, some as
continue to sputter. The disruptions caused by choked much as 500%. Maersk, the largest shipping company in the
ports and rising prices for raw materials show no signs world, is breaking profit records but predicts that supply chain
of abating, and many analysts think it could be years before issues will continue into next year.
these issues are fully resolved. This means that time alone
will not solve these problems. Supply chain issues have many Where to Focus Next
causes, and bold, decisive actions are needed to address Supply chain management has never been as critical as it is
them. now. Fabricators traditionally looked at supply chain manage-
The pandemic has exposed the vulnerabilities of many orga- ment as a cost reduction measure, but the current widespread
nizations, particularly those that depend on producers across shortages mean that getting a better supply of goods, even at
the Pacific Ocean for raw materials, semifinished goods, and higher prices, is now a matter of sheer survival for many busi-
finished products. The pandemic has left these highly intricate nesses. The goal now is to focus on three key aspects of supply
and interconnected global supply chains in upheaval. A short- chain management that need to be prioritized.
age of one commodity leads to shortages of others, creating • Improving Resilience. Planning for disruption is now
a snowball effect that contributes to broad-based problems more important than ever. That may mean establishing con-
such as inflation and a slowdown in production. nections with other vendors, stockpiling necessary materials
and components, or forming alliances with other companies.
Turmoil on the Docks • Reducing Dependence on China. More than 200 For-
Some actions have already been taken. For example, the Biden tune Global 500 firms have a presence in Wuhan, the industrial
administration recognized problems in procuring steel and re- province of China where the COVID-19 outbreak originated.
cently announced an end to tariffs on steel from Japan, which These companies, their direct and secondary suppliers, and
is the fifth-largest steel exporter to the U.S. But increasing the entire global supply chain faced disruptions when China
imports alone will not make these problems go away. Labor went into lockdown.
shortages, particularly on the West Coast, are exacerbating The pandemic also has shown that China’s role as the
already clogged ports. Unemployment has dropped to 4%, “world’s factory” comes with the risk that even a small disrup-
and there are not enough crane operators, truckers, and ware- tion will have a ripple effect on global supply chains. There is
house workers to move goods out of ports. now a movement to invest more heavily in reshoring and in-
Business Brief_MAR22TPJ.indd 38 2/22/22 11:57 PM

creasing production domestically to reduce the dependence on
foreign raw materials. April 20, 2022
• Building Reserves of Capital. Manufacturers need to ensure 11:00 a.m. Eastern
they have enough cash on hand to deal with price fluctuations. (10:00 a.m. Central)
Many in the industry are taking advantage of federal refund pro-
grams that reduce the cost of taxes and provide cash to stock their
A Path to a Better HF Weld—Part 2:
reserves. The biggest and most effective such program is the Em- Toward a Method for
ployee Retention Credit. High Frequency Weld Heat Input
Consider how automakers are dealing with microprocessor
shortages. The auto industry took a beating in 2020 as chipmak-
ers redirected their supply to electronic goods producers. When
demand for cars picked up, there were not enough chips to go
around, forcing automakers to slash production. Shocked by the High frequency (HF) welding is
shortage, some car manufacturers formed strategic agreements a thermomechanical solid state
joining process that relies on precise
with chipmakers. Others started stockpiling batteries, chips, and
weld heat input during welding advanced and emerging ferrous and
other key parts as a backup for future deliveries. non-ferrous materials. A review of Weld Heat Input calculated for
U.S. Commerce Secretary Gina M. Raimondo recently described common welding processes is provided for context, as well as a
the persistent chip shortages as an “alarming” threat to American model for mechanical forming and control of the strip edges being
continuously welded. The method to design an algorithm for the
industry. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) also has cited this
simultaneous process of heating and forging to create a consistently
as a threat. Citing supply chain woes, the IMF reduced its global high-quality continuous HF Weld is developed. In the previous work,
economic growth forecast from 4.9% down to 4.4%. we discussed the fundamentals of High Frequency welding and
learned key process parameters. We learned how mill setup affects
Employee Retention Credit (ERC) weld quality and how to achieve a better weld by optimization of HF
weld process variables. In this second installment, we will focus on
The ERC is a key tool that helps manufacturers deal with supply HF Weld Heat Input. In HF welding, heat input can be defined as
chain problems. It allows companies to receive lump sum cash re- temperature distribution rate per unit time at the strip edges prior
funds. Its goal is to provide companies with the means to recruit to continuous solid-state forge welding. Several process variables
such as welder power and frequency, raw material chemistry, and
new employees or retain the ones they already have, build new
weld area geometric setup parameters can influence HF Weld Heat
relationships with American suppliers and vendors, and increase Input requirements. This presentation focuses on process variables
liquidity to shield against market volatility. and data to derive precise HF Weld Heat Input.
Manufacturers that have faced supply chain disruptions usually
qualify for the ERC, as do companies affected by: YOU’LL HEAR FROM:
• Reduced hours of operation. Olexandra (Sasha) Tupalo
Materials Engineer, Thermatool Corp.
• Full or partial shutdowns.
• Interrupted operations. Sasha has received her Bachelor of Science
from Prydniprovsk State Academy of Civil Engi-
• Inability to access equipment.
neering and Architecture (PSACEA) in Materials
• Limited capacity to operate. Engineering. Furthering her study, she received
• Inability to work with vendors. her Master of Science in Materials Science and Engineering at the
• Reduced services or goods offered. Worcester Polytechnic Institute. Sasha joined Thermatool Corp
where she manages Thermatool Labs and is deeply involved in
• Disrupted hours due to COVID-19 precautions. scientific research involving induction solid-state welding, heating
Revenue loss caused by these common business disruptions is process development, and quality assessment for tube and pipe
another qualifying factor for ERC. For example, a manufacturing producers around the world. She is a member of numerous scien-
tific and technical committees such as ASM, ASTM (A01, E04 and
firm that experienced partial shutdowns and a reduction in out-
E28), TMS and WAG (Welding Advisory Group) at AISI. Her work
put received $765,892 in credits for Q1 2021. includes delivering dozens of training classes relating to induction
Manufacturers facing supply chain issues should make sure welding, heating and quenching technologies. In 2019, Sasha was
they are taking full advantage of the ERC as one of their first and recognized by Heat Treat Today’s 40 Under 40: Class of 2019.
most important steps to improve their supply chain profile.
This free webinar is brought to you by:
Former Congressman Rick White (R-Wash.) served on the House
Commerce Committee and is a member of the Strategic Advisory
Board for alliantgroup lp, 844-898-3280, www.alliantgroup.com.
Register today at
www.thefabricator.com/webcast
Business Brief_MAR22TPJ.indd 39 ThermatoolWebcastHTApril22FAB.indd 1 2/22/222/1/22

11:5712:56
PMPM
tube & pipe market update
Growth slows, Federal
Reserve to deal with
inflation
Silver linings are the falling cost of steel,
increased drilling activity
Visit https://prestonpipe.com for more information.
By rick preckel AND paul vivian, phd Domestic Pipe, Tube, and Steel Mill News
U. S. Steel announced that it will build its new $3 billion,
Manufacturing Performance 3-million-ton electric arc furnace (EAF) steel mill in Osceola,
The durable goods manufacturing index decreased by 0.3% Ark., near the company’s Big River Steel plant in northeast Ar-
in December from November, according to the U.S. Federal kansas. The two mills combined will form what U. S. Steel de-
Reserve. This follows a 0.7% monthly improvement in No- scribes as a 6.3-million-ton “megamill” capable of advanced,
vember. In December the undulating automotive sector sustainable steel production. The company says the mill will
flipped back to a decline of 1.3% from a 1.7% gain in the pri- be the first in the U.S. to use endless casting and rolling tech-
or month. Other pipe- and tube-consuming sectors showed nology, which will bring significant energy, efficiency, and
mixed performance, with fabricated metal products, aero- capability enhancements to its operations. U. S. Steel expects
space and miscellaneous transportation, and miscellaneous the mill to be fully operational in 2024.
manufacturing all showing losses, while appliances, machin- Nucor Steel announced that it will build its new $2.7 billion,
ery, and furniture posted improvements. Primary metals out- 3-million-ton EAF steel mill beside the Ohio River in Mason
put shrank by 0.2% from month-earlier levels. County, W. Va. Like U. S. Steel, the Charlotte, N.C.-based firm
The January Manufacturing Report On Business®, as pub- has placed an emphasis on sustainability. The mill will include
lished by the Institute for Supply Management® (ISM®), indi-
cated that the Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI®) was 57.6%,
representing a decrease of 1.2 percentage points from the
Preston’s Research
The primary pipe and tube category that Preston analyzes
December level of 58.8%. The New Orders Index registered
that is of interest to The Tube & Pipe Journal readership is
57.9%, down 3.1 percentage points from the December level mechanical tubing. This category includes conduit, off-
of 61.0%. The Production Index reading was 57.8%, reflect- the-welder tubes with wall thickness less than 0.156 in.,
ing a decrease of 1.6 percentage points from the December hot-finished seamless, cold-drawn seamless, and drawn-
level. The Backlog of Orders Index was 56.4% which was 6.4 over-mandrel products.
percentage points lower than the December reading of 62.8%. According to Preston’s data, the sum of all pipe and tube
The Employment Index in January was 54.4%, which was up shipments from domestic mills in 2019 approximated
0.6 percentage points from the December level. The Supplier the amount of steel used in the automotive sector, a
Deliveries Index and the Inventories Index both improved but clear indication of the significant contributions pipe and
fell by 0.3 and 1.4 percentage points, respectively, indicating tube products make to the steel economy.
continued, but slightly improved, supply chain challenges. Founded in 1982, Preston Publishing Co. is a market
research and consulting firm that provides steel tube and
Pipe- and tube-related manufacturing industries that reported
pipe market data, statistics, and analysis in the monthly
growth in January—in order—are miscellaneous manufactur-
Preston Pipe & Tube Report. Additional services include
ing; machinery, electrical equipment, appliances, transporta-
other monthly reports, custom research, consulting,
tion equipment, and fabricated metal products. For more in- expert witness services, and speaking engagements.
formation, visit www.ismrob.org.
Tube Pipe Market_MAR22TPJ.indd 40 2/22/22 11:59 PM

a tandem cold mill and two galvanizing lines, including an ad- from a peak of 257 in September. Prices have continued to
vanced automotive line and a construction-grade line. It will fall, and the index is estimated at below 200 as of this writing.
be capable of producing 84-in. sheet products. Construction is Editor’s Note: In the charts that accompany this column, the
expected to take two years. mechanical tube price index is a blend of import and domestic
Tenaris noted recently that it would be adding 250 jobs at prices.
its Hickman, Ark., production facility. Luca Zonotti, the com- Rick Preckel can be reached at rpreckel@prestonpipe.com;
pany’s U.S. president, said the facility will add capacity and Paul Vivian can be reached at pvivian@prestonpipe.com.
volume steadily over the next few months. Tenaris also an-
nounced that it would be restarting its heat-treat operation Hot-rolled Band and
at its Pennsylvania plant.
Mechanical Tube Price Indices
July 2004Tube=1 Price Indices
Shipping and Imports Hot Rolled Band & Mech
Source: SteelBenchmarker,
Base Period, JulyPreston
2004 = 1 Publishing Co.
Overall pipe and tube shipments for the sectors of the market Source: SteelBenchmarker, Preston Publishing
that we cover increased in December from November by 3.00

2.50
about 4.1%. December shipments were about 31.4% above 2.00
year-ago volumes. December energy product shipments 1.50
1.00
increased by 12.6% and by 48.0% from month and year ago 0.50
levels, respectively. This was due to increased drilling for oil
Feb-21
Jul-21
Nov-21
Sep-21
Feb-20
Jul-20
Nov-20
Sep-20
Jan-21
Oct-21
Jan-20
Mar-21
May-21
Jun-21
Apr-21
Aug-21
Dec-19
Mar-20
May-20
Jun-20
Oct-20
Apr-20
Aug-20
Dec-20
and natural gas and continued weak line pipe shipments.
HRB Price Index
Industrial and construction product shipments decreased by HRB Price Index
Mechanical Tube Price Index Carbon ERW 0.065" - 0.156"
2.3% for the month but were 19.8% above year ago levels. Mechanical Tube Price Index, Carbon, ERW, 0.065 - 0.156 in.
Mechanical Tube Price Index Carbon SMLS 0"- 4 1/2"
Mechanical Tube Price Index, Carbon, Seamless, Up to 4½ in.
Pipe and tube imports increased in December 2021 from
November by 11.6% and were 69.9% higher than in December
2020. Domestic pipe and tube shipments in December 2021
decreased by 0.7% from November but were 13.1% above Mechanical Tube Volume Index
year-ago levels. Imported pipe and tube market share of JulyTube
Mechanical 2004 =1 Index
Volume
supply remains close to 40%, which is up from around 30% Source:Base
Preston Publishing
Period, July 2004 = 1 Co.
Source: Preston Publishing
at the beginning of the year. 1.00
December shipments of mechanical tubing products were 0.90
down by 5.6% from November but higher by 54.9% from 0.80
December 2020. 0.70
0.60
Outlook 0.50
According to a CNN article published on February 1, 2022, 0.40

Nov-20
Nov-21
Jan-20
May-20
Jun-20
Jul-20
Jan-21
May-21
Jun-21
Jul-21
Aug-21
Sep-21
Oct-21
Dec-19
Feb-20
Mar-20
Apr-20
Aug-20
Sep-20
Oct-20
Dec-20
Feb-21
Mar-21
Apr-21
while U.S. GDP growth was strong in Q4 at a 6.9% annual rate,

inventory restocking provided 4.9 percentage points of that
growth. Further, inventory restocking accounted for nearly all
of the 2.3% GDP growth posted in Q3. With inventories more
or less where they should be, according to Mark Zandi, chief HSS Volume Index
economist at Moody’s Analytics, the Atlanta Fed’s GDPNow HSS Volume
January Index
2010 =1
Base Period, January 2010 = 1
gauge is currently tracking a Q1 GDP gain of just 0.1%. In addi- Source: Preston
Source: PrestonPublishing
Publishing Co.
tion, the U.S. Federal Reserve has strongly signaled that it will 1.70
begin raising interest rates in March to combat high inflation. 1.60
Oil and gas prices continue at strong levels and drilling ac- 1.50
tivity is responding, boosting sales of related pipe and tube 1.40
products.
1.30
Flat-rolled steel 1.20

Jan-20
Jun-20
Jan-21
Jul-20
Sep-20
Oct-20
Nov-20
Dec-20
Feb-21
Mar-21
Jun-21
Jul-21
Sep-21
Oct-21
Nov-21
Dec-19
Feb-20
Mar-20
May-21
May-20
Apr-21
Aug-21
Apr-20
Aug-20
According to data from the SteelBenchmarker, the index for

base hot-rolled band prices declined to 234 in December
Tube Pipe Market_MAR22TPJ.indd 41 2/22/22 11:59 PM

News and information from the Fabricators
& Manufacturers Association, International ®
in the ADVANCING METAL FABRICATION TOGETHERTM
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Conference
June 7, 2022 | Plymouth, Mich. Publishing Co, provides in-depth shares some of his insight for 2022 including a de-
analysis on the tube and pipe market. mand driver review, supply update, and more.
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42 The Tube & Pipe Journal_MARCH 2022 fmamfg.org
In the Know_MAR22TPJ.indd 42 2/23/22 12:02 AM

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In the Know_MAR22TPJ.indd 43 2/23/22 9:58 AM

technology focus
SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION
A PATH TO A BETTER HIGH FREQUENCY WELD

By Mick Nallen
High Frequency (HF) welding is proven to be a reliable, fast, Weld Heat Input—Is a result of the Joule Heating Effect,
and cost-efficient way of manufacturing tube and pipe. As Skin Effect, Proximity Effect, and Thermal Conduction (see
the industry grows so does the technology behind high fre- reference 1). All of these electromagnetic phenomena are
quency welding. HF welding can achieve the best quality going to be influenced
welds, but a lot of parameters must be precisely controlled. by the tube or pipe mate- Welding Heat Input
Fortunately, Thermatool has the technology to ensure the rial properties; however, Required Formula
best weld quality. you can take advantage 0.06
Hi = A * V * s
of these phenomena by
The success of the welding operation depends on a lot of key adjusting weld power Hi – heat input required in
process parameters such as power, frequency, vee length, and frequency. The stan- ampere volts min/mm
vee angle and the material being welded. While power is the dard, simple equation for A – welding current A in Amps
means of putting the heat into the work piece, frequency V – Arc voltage in volts
weld heat input for fusion
control is the tool to control the distribution of heat (power). s – welding speed in mm/min
welding applications (i.e.
Weld Power—Every High Frequency (HF) Induction Welder TIG) is very basic. For High
output power is measured in kilowatts (kW) to an induction Frequency Induction Welding, the Weld Heat Input formula
coil surrounding a closed continuously roll formed tube or is more complicated – with additions to the formula that in-
pipe. The power output needs to be set accurately, not too clude power, frequency, vee angle, vee length, and impeder
high, not too low – to make a high-quality weld. From day to performance. The primary method used to calculate HF Weld
day, run to run, Thermatool HF Welders put out selected pow- heat input is based on process data recorded over time. The
er (kW) with very high accuracy and precision, and hold each relationship between voltage and current (amperes) is Ohm’s
setting stable to within 1% of the process set point. law V=IR. In other words, voltage is equal to current multi-
plied by resistance. Resistance is determined by the geom-
Weld Frequency—High Frequency (HF) Induction Welder etry and material of the tube or pipe being welded. Always
output power also has an AC sine wave frequency measured remember, current does the heating work. Mill speed adds in
in kilohertz (kHz) or cycles per second. The Welding Frequen- the time component, in direct relation to the fusion welding
cy selected for a specified power output also needs to be set heat input calculation.
accurately, not too high, not too low – to make a consistent-
ly high-quality weld. Thermatool HF Welders produce Weld Vee Angle—Recommended at 4 to 7 degrees and depen-
Power at a selected Frequency (kHz) with very high accuracy dent on use of welding frequencies over 200 kHz to take ad-
and precision, with Frequency stable to within 1% of the pro- vantage of proximity effect.
cess set point.
Thermatool Advertorial.indd 44 2/23/22 12:04 AM

Vee Length—Recommended at 1 times the diameter of the liver this capability—providing business stakeholders and
tube or pipe being produced, this number is highly variable operators the best competitive solution in the Tube and Pipe
depending of the weld box design used on the mill. The forge market today. There is no “best” frequency and power com-
weld roll diameter normally determines the weld Vee Length, bination since it is product, and even mill, specific. These are
and in general small diameter weld rolls always result in lower two controllable parameters that can be optimized to match
weld heat input values. the load and heating requirements of the strip being welded
at a specified speed. The only way to ensure optimization of
Forming Stability—The optimum forming method is paral- these two parameters is to be able to control them each in-
lel vee edges, edge geometry, and burr free edge condition dependently.
of roll formed material presented for closure in the High Fre-
quency Induction forge welding process. The diagram below shows the desirability of operating an HF
Welder Power Supply with high levels of accuracy and preci-
sion related directly to Power (kW) and Frequency (kHz).
Understanding HF Weld Heat Input

Strip edge presentation stability and repeatability is vital to
achieving a high-quality weld.
Selecting the Right Tool for the Job—Start with product

performance requirements and the materials to be welded.
When product quality is of paramount importance and cus-
tomers are specifying the latest high strength, micro-alloyed
materials—welding speed may not be the first priority. With
continually advancing steel chemistries and the develop-
ment of new alloys, process windows for high quality welds
can become quite small. It is important to remember that any
changes to the chemistry will require changes to your heat
input. Cost of scrap and the high yields necessary to remain
competitive become imperatives in this circumstance.
The Influence of Power Supply Accuracy and Precision in Understanding HF Weld Heat Input
Relation to Weld Heat Input—In the HF Welding context, Do not be fooled into believing that the best HF Welding
accuracy means the ability to reproduce or return to a giv- power supplies are all about transistors of one style or anoth-
en power and frequency set-point. An accurate output power but take the time to understand if the HF Weld Heat Input
er (kW) control is required to duplicate even the most basic is under control. Know what matters when selecting the right
HF Welding processes. Only Thermatool HF Welders control tool for the job—Thermatool.
output frequency according to a setpoint, providing the only
accurate frequency control available in the world. Precision Reference 1 - Aspects of Precise Heat Input Control for High
is another matter, and as shown below, with high accuracy Frequency Welding, Thermatool Corp.
and low precision – process control is only somewhat reliable. US Patent No.: 7,683,288
To achieve high statistical quality levels, the HF Weld process US Patent No.: 9,924,567
should deliver both high accuracy and high precision. Ther- US Patent No.: 10,405,378
matool HAZControl™ Technology HF Induction welders de- and other US and International patents pending
Thermatool Advertorial.indd 45 2/23/22 12:04 AM

2022 Forming & Fabricating® Rotary Cutting Machine buyers' guide
©
Machine, Process, and Capabilities Workpiece Shape, Dimensions, and Weight
in Mild Steel, 90 Degress (No Bevel)

Chuck Rotation (Degrees or RPM)
Maximum Weight (Lbs. per Ft.)

Automatic Loader/Unloader
Number of Controlled Axes
Maximum Thickness (In.)

Produce Dissimilar Parts
Maximum Weight (Lbs.)

Parts Sorter (S, O, NO)
Maximum Length (Ft.)

Process (B, L, O, P, W)
Minimum Length (In.)

Maximum Nozzle Tilt
Shapes (R, S, Re, A)

or Bevel (Degrees)
Maximum OD (In.)
Minimum OD (In.)
Programmable to
See Legend
See Legend
See Legend
See Legend
(S,O, NO)
Model
3D FAB LIGHT INC., Oakland, CA
FabLight L 5 360 0 0 3 4.5 6 50 .125
AMADA AMERICA INC., Buena Park, CA
FOM2RI 3015 L 3 360 .75 8.66 236.2 441 .875
AJAN ELEKTRONIK SERVIS SAN VE TIC LTD SD, Cigli - Izmir, Turkey
Plasma P 3 360 45 NO 4 NO A 2 72 0 120 4
BLM GROUP USA, Novi, MI
LT5 Fiber L 5 360 S 4 S A .5 4.75 .1 15 300 .250
LT14 LT24 L 15+ 360 45 S 4 S 2 24 .1 60 1,590 .625
LT722-LTFiber L 9 360 45 S 4 S A .5 6 .1 24 300 .375
LT8 L 13 360 45 S 4 S A .5 8.625 .1 28 700 .625
LC5 Tube & Sheet Laser L 360 S 4 O A .5 4.75 21 180 .1875
BEND-TECH LLC, Osceola, WI
Dragon A400 P 4 S 4 A .5 6 400
BYSTRONIC INC., Hoffman Estates, IL
ByTube Star 130 2D Fiber L 6 360 90 S 4 NO A .375 5.00 8.2 28 11.4 .500
FL 170 3D Fiber L 21 360 45 S 4 NO A .500 6.60 11.5 28 16.8 .375
FL 300 3D L 29 360 45 S 4 S A .750 12 11.5 41 40.3 .750
FLEX MACHINE TOOLS INC., Wapakoneta, OH
FlexCNC TRD Vertical

3, 4 360 R 1 12 10 80
Machining Center
G.B.C. INDUSTRIAL TOOLS S.P.A., Cazzago San Martino, Brescia, Italy
HYCUBE 24
B 360 R 12 24 2
Cut and Bevel
MCA Split-frame
B 360 R 36
(Cut, bevel, face, counterbore)
GOLDEN LASER / NC MEC USA, Buford, GA
P3060 L 4 360 N/A S S .787 11.8 26 330
Process: B=Blade, L=Laser, O=Oxyfuel, P=Plasma, W=Waterjet

Loader and Parts Sorter: S=Standard, O=Optional, NO=Not Offered
Shapes: R=Round, S=Square, Re=Rectangular, A=Any
This information is provided by the manufacturers. ©Copyright 2022 by FMA Communications Inc. Reproduction in full or in part without written permission of the publisher
is prohibited. Buyers’ guides are a part of the Forming & Fabricating Industry Directory. Go to www.thefabricator.com/directory to add your free company listing.
Rotary Cutting BG_MAR22TPJ.indd 46 2/23/22 10:08 AM

2022 Forming & Fabricating® Rotary Cutting Machine buyers’ guide
©






Maximum Nozzle Tilt

or Bevel (Degrees)
Maximum OD (In.)
Minimum OD (In.)
Programmable to
See Legend
See Legend
See Legend
See Legend
(S,O, NO)
Model
GUANGZHOU HYMSON LASER TECHNOLOGY CO. LTD., Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
HP6018D L S A .787 7 13.25
HGG PROFILING EQUIPMENT, Charleston, SC
SPC250-2t O,P 5 450 +/-70 O R 1.125 10 2 45 4,000
SPC600-4t O,P 5 450 +/-70 O R 2.0 24 2 45 8,000
SPC800-6t O,P 5 450 +/-70 O R 2.0 32 2 45 12,000
SPC1000-6t O,P 5 450 +/-70 O R 2.36 40 2 45 12,000
SPC-1200RB O,P 6 450 +/-70 O O R 2 48 24 60 16,000
HAN’S LASER TECHNOLOGY CO. LTD., Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
P6018D L 7 100 O 4 O A .78 7.1 98.4 2.1 220 .6
HAUTAU TUBE CUTOFF SYSTEMS, Brookville, IN
RC15 Lathe B 3 1,100 45 S 4 O R .25 1.5 .50 24 500 5 .5
RC30 Lathe B 3 650 45 S 4 O R .50 3.0 .75 60 1,000 10 .5
RC50 Lathe B 3 510 45 S 4 O R .75 5 .50 60 2,000 10 1
RC60 Lathe B 3 510 45 S 4 O R 1.5 7 .75 60 2,000 15 1.25
RC80 Lathe B 3 450 45 S 4 O R 3.5 9.1 .75 60 3,000 20 1.25
HORN MACHINE TOOLS INC., Madera, CA
FLT200-6A L 4 100 0 S NO A .75 8 30
FLT200-6S L 4 100 0 .75 8 30
JESSE CO., Tacoma, WA
500 SHC-R P, O 8 360 45 O 4 O R 2 20 20 6,100 1.00
700 SHC-R P, O 8 360 45 O 4 O R 3 28 26 11,300 1.00
900 SHC-R P, O 8 360 45 O 4 O R 4 36 26 14,600 1.00
KERN LASER SYSTEMS, Wadena, MN
HSE L 3 360 NO NO R .25 4.8 3 36 100 .1875
MICRO L 3 360 NO NO R .25 4.8 3 30 100 .1875
FiberCELL L 3 360 NO NO R .25 4.8 3 36 100 .250
LaserCELL L 3 360 NO NO R .25 4.8 3 36 100 .1875
OptiFlex L 3 360 NO NO R .25 4.8 3 64 100 .1875

2022 Forming & Fabricating® Rotary Cutting Machine buyers' guide
©






Maximum Nozzle Tilt

or Bevel (Degrees)
Maximum OD (In.)
Minimum OD (In.)
Programmable to
See Legend
See Legend
See Legend
See Legend
(S,O, NO)
Model
LVD NORTH AMERICA, Akron, NY
TL 8525-FL L 9 60 45 S 2 9.8 4.6 27.8 748 26.9 .75
TL 2665-FL L 11 120 S O A .75 6.5 10 26 400 22 .375
TL 2450-FL L 12 150 S O A .375 5 6 24 190 10 .250
MAZAK OPTONICS CORP., Elgin, IL
FT-150 FIBER L 6 360 45 S S .47 6 98.43 26.25 397 16.8 .25
FG-220 DDL L 6 360 135 S S .79 8.66 136 26.2 727 .87
3D FABRI GEAR 220 III L 6 360 135 S S .79 8.66 136 26.2 727 .87
3D FABRI GEAR 400 III L 6 360 135 S S .79 16 136 26.2 1,300 .87
SpaceGear U44 L 6 360 135 S S A .79 6.3 4 4 143 .87
NC MEC USA INC. / YAWEI, Buford, GA
YTL-6018 L 3 360 N/A S S .375 7 N/A 24 265
PETER PRINZING GMBH, Lonsee, Germany
Custom Machines B 360 4 1.57 126 .393
PROFILE CUTTING SYSTEMS USA, Boulder Creek, CA
Multi-process Models HD,

EHD, MHB, BHB Flats and P, O 3, 5 360 45 3 48
Rounds
PROTEM, Evergreen, CO
TTNG Series, Cut and Bevel B 360 R 2 10.75
SEMYX LLC, Dalton, GA
Phantom 424 W 5 360 0-60 4 0 95 158 13.16 26,684 7
Infinity 4120 W 5 360 0-60 4 0 160 0 39.33 7
TRANSFLUID, Schmallenberg, Germany
RTO 628 B 4 S R 1.102
RTO 2080 B 4 S R 3.150
TRUMPF INC., Farmington, CT
TruLaser Tube 3000 Fiber L 3 360 45 S 4 S .5 6.7 4.75 26 325 12.4 .312
TruLaser Tube 5000 Fiber L 5 360 45 S 4 S A .5 6.7 4.75 26 390 15 .4
TruLaser Tube 7000 Fiber L 5 360 45 S 4 S .5 10 4.75 30 900 30 .55

2022 Forming & Fabricating® Rotary Cutting Machine buyers’ guide
©






Maximum Nozzle Tilt

or Bevel (Degrees)
Maximum OD (In.)
Minimum OD (In.)
Programmable to
See Legend
See Legend
See Legend
See Legend
(S,O, NO)
Model
TUBE FORM SOLUTIONS, Elkhart, IN
Soco SLT 152 L .008 6 9.75 .25
WATERJET USA LLC, Geneva, IL
Classica CL510 W To spec. 360 90 4 To spec. To spec. To spec. To spec. To spec. To spec. To spec.
Suprema DX510 W To spec. 360 90 4 To spec. To spec. To spec. To spec. To spec. To spec. To spec.
Prima LT510 W To spec. 360 90 4 To spec. To spec. To spec. To spec. To spec. To spec. To spec.
Pratica FB510 W To spec. 360 90 4 To spec. To spec. To spec. To spec. To spec. To spec. To spec.
RAM RAM510 W To spec. 360 90 4 To spec. To spec. To spec. To spec. To spec. To spec. To spec.
WINTON MACHINE CO., Suwanee, GA
CTL 25L PA O
Model 25A Wet Abrasive O
CTL 23PA Chipless B 1 900 R .250 .875 1 83.25
CTL 30 PA Chipless B 1 900 4 R .250 1.125 1 83.25
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advertise in
The Tube & Pipe Journal?
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Rotary Cutting BG_MAR22TPJ.indd 49 2/23/22 2:41 PM

ADVERTISERS Index
Accurex Measurement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
www.tubemeasure.com
Airmo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
www.airmo.com
Amob Maquinas E Ferramentas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

www.amob.pt
Asmag USA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
www.asmagusa.com
Chiao Sheng Machinery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

www.tubebender.com.tw
Fabricators & Manufacturers Association, Intl. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

www.fmamfg.org
FABTECH . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
www.fabtechexpo.com
FMA Communications Canada . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

www.fma-communications.com
Innovative Tube Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52

www.tube-equipment.com
J & S Machine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12,35

www.jsmachine.com
Kent Corporation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
www.kentcorporation.com
Messe Dusseldorf North America . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37

www.tube-southeastasia.com
New - Form Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

www.newformtools.com
Scotchman Industries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
www.scotchman.com
T - Drill Industries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
www.t-drill.com
Thermatool . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17,39,44,45
www.thermatool.com
TRUMPF . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
info@us.trumpf.com
Tube Line Technologies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .51

www.tube-linetechnologies.com
Zekelman Industries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
www.atlastube.com
The Tube & Pipe Journal® (ISSN 1091-2479) is published monthly except Jan/Feb, Apr/May, Jul/Aug and Oct/Nov when it is published by-monthly by FMA Communications
Inc. 2135 Point Blvd., Elgin, IL 60123. The Tube & Pipe Journal is circulated free upon request to those who qualify and who are involved in the tube and pipe industries.
Subscription to all others is $55.00 per year. Foreign subscription is $85.00 per year. Periodicals Postage Paid at Elgin, IL, and additional mailing offices. Postmaster: Send
address changes to The Tube & Pipe Journal, 2135 Point Blvd., Elgin, IL 60123, 815-399-8700, FAX 815-484-7700.
Copyright 2022 by FMA Communications Inc. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited.
Index.indd 50 2/23/22 10:58 AM

Experienced
Tube Forming
Professionals
Over 50 years of experience in the tube forming industry
We employ state-of-the-art techniques to develop

precision tooling, machines, and components that
meet our customers’ ever-changing needs.
We develop long-lasting relationships by serving our
customers with forethought, reliability, and integrity.
Engineering | Machines & Tooling | Application Support

340 Via El Centro, Oceanside, CA 92058
Phone Number: (951) 331-1396
www.tube-linetechnologies.com
Our Success is Based on YOUR Satisfaction!
Index.indd 51 2/23/22 12:21 AM

P U T T ING OV ER
2 5 0 Y E A R S E XPE R IENCE
BU I L DING TUB E & P IP E BENDERS
T O W OR K F OR Y OU
INNOVATIVE TUBE EQUIPMENT CORPORATION 1.866.574.TUBE (882 3)

A U S T IN , T X / C HI C A GO , I L / SA N DI EGO, C A WWW.TUBE-EQUIPMENT.COM
Index.indd 52 2/23/22 12:22 AM

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An official publication of

Wynn Kearns, Indiana Tube Corp.

Cover_MAR22TPJ.indd 1 2/23/22 2:54 PM

One roll set for entire product range

Reproducible settings with recipe administration

Reduced investment into rolls

Not yet fully convinced? Contact us!

Cover_MAR22TPJ.indd 3 2/22/22 4:49 PM

Cover story END FORMING 38 Seeking solutions to supply chain

24 End forming on demand— snags

4 The Tube & Pipe Journal_MARCH 2022

TOC_MAR22TPJ.indd 4 2/23/22 2:46 PM

6 The Tube & Pipe Journal _MARCH 2022

Editor_MAR22TPJ.indd 6 2/22/22 5:28 PM

Publication Staff Graphic Designers Amy Hudson

8 The Tube & Pipe Journal _MARCH 2022

Calendar_MAR22TPJ.indd 8 2/23/22 2:47 PM

Left-hand configuration added to tube bender series

Inline standard press tool requires no

The Tube & Pipe Journal_MARCH 2022 9

Product Highlights_MAR22TPJ.indd 9 2/22/22 9:01 PM

Bringing the technical details

10 The Tube & Pipe Journal_MARCH 2022

Tech Spotlight_MAR22TPJ.indd 10 2/22/22 9:54 PM

For long-term traceability of inspec-

The Tube & Pipe Journal_MARCH 2022 11

Tech Spotlight_MAR22TPJ.indd 11 2/22/22 9:55 PM

Bending & Finishing Solutions ferent FOV, for example to close in on

Charles Janecka is an associate product

12 The Tube & Pipe Journal_MARCH 2022

Tech Spotlight_MAR22TPJ.indd 12 2/23/22 2:36 PM

Eric Lundin Mark Prasek Daniel L Ventura

Nelson D Abbey Michael Strand Stan Green

Co-located with World-Class Roll Forming Workshop!

Tech Spotlight_MAR22TPJ.indd 13 2/23/22 9:57 AM

Tubos Colmena, a manufacturer of People News

14 The Tube & Pipe Journal_MARCH 2022

Industry_MAR22TPJ.indd 14 2/22/22 4:43 PM

The Tube & Pipe Journal_MARCH 2022 15

Industry_MAR22TPJ.indd 15 2/22/22 4:43 PM

16 The Tube & Pipe Journal_MARCH 2022

Product_MAR22TPJ.indd 16 2/22/22 10:27 PM

Strengthening glove helps

Small Footprint, Reliable Output!

The Tube & Pipe Journal_MARCH 2022 17

Product_MAR22TPJ.indd 17 2/23/22 11:52 AM

Wynn Kearns, Indiana Tube Corp.

18 The Tube & Pipe Journal_MARCH 2022

Hydraulic Tube Part 2_MAR22TPJ.indd 18 2/23/22 2:49 PM

The Tube & Pipe Journal_MARCH 2022 19

Hydraulic Tube Part 2_MAR22TPJ.indd 19 2/23/22 4:06 PM

20 The Tube & Pipe Journal_MARCH 2022

Hydraulic Tube Part 2_MAR22TPJ.indd 20 2/23/22 11:21 AM

The Tube & Pipe Journal_MARCH 2022 21

Hydraulic Tube Part 2_MAR22TPJ.indd 21 2/23/22 11:33 AM

Keep Your Tube Shop

Measure Bent Tubes in Seconds

22 The Tube & Pipe Journal_MARCH 2022

Hydraulic Tube Part 2_MAR22TPJ.indd 22 2/23/22 11:21 AM

• Network with fellow industry professionals and

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