The World Of Tube Processing
The World Of Tube Processing
The conventional method of tube cutting can no longer cope with the high demand for tube designed products, which are increasingly being utilised across various industries. This article discusses why laser tube cutting makes sense now more than ever. Article by TRUMPF.
Because of their diverse shapes and materials, tubes and profiles can be used with great flexibility—from fitness equipment to furniture to agricultural machinery.
Conventional tube fabricators use a variety of methods like sawing, lathe cutting, rotary cutting, supported shear cutting and milling to cut tubes from long lengths into shorter pieces for variable parts and welded together for the final fabrication. No single method is optimal for cutting the broad range of tubular materials and shapes produced by this industry.
The demand for tube designed products are getting increasingly common across various industries and the conventional method of tube cutting can no longer cope with the high demand. Therefore, new and faster methods of tube cutting must be implemented, hence the introduction of the laser tube cutting machine.
Designers have been working with tube designs for a long time and more and more people are taking advantage of the benefits of laser-cut tubes and profiles. The current demand is growing faster than the production capacity.
The most important areas of applications are:
- machine and device construction
- furniture and shop construction
- agricultural machines
- automotive industry
- scaffolding and platform construction
- sports and fitness equipment
Why Laser Tube Cutting Makes Sense
With a laser beam you can even cut complex contours effortlessly. With only one tool, the laser, you can process various material types, wall thicknesses and profile geometries.
The laser cutting of tubes offers you new tube design possibilities that would not have been possible with conventional methods. Because of this, production steps are also reduced. Using the laser, you simplify welding fixtures and therefore lower the welding costs. Positioning aids with tabs and holes make component assembly easier and coding aids prevent assembly errors. Be they standard connections or demanding designs, using laser cutting will help you discover new design possibilities.
Your advantages include product cost reduction; new product design; process simplification; lower organizational effort; shorter response times; simplification and optimization of parts; and reduction of downstream working steps.
Innovative Design Possibilities
The following are just a few of the design possibilities enabled by laser cutting of tubes:
- Simple connections – Inserts and attachments
Thanks to laser tube cutting, you can attach tubes and profiles with great ease using inserts or attachments. In doing so, you benefit from diverse design possibilities – from inserts with through-flow functions right to attachments for load-bearing constructions.
- Plug Connections
Plug connections are made with the help of positioning and coding aids. Benefit from the many advantages that positioning and coding bring.
Meanwhile, plug connections for round tubes take on a positioning and coding function. The result: The parts are aligned exactly against each other and the transfer of forces at the contact surface of connection is optimal.
- Tube – Blank Connections
Tube-blank connections enable the quick and easy joining of blanks and tubes. The individually designed tabs provide the possibility of a fastening point and can also have a coding function. Scribing of the material is often no longer necessary.
Technology Package for Tapping: Finished Parts from the Machine
With technology package for tapping, it is possible to get finished parts from the machine, without any movement to further processing steps.
In here, additional machining process such as flow drilling, thread forming or cutting, and twist drilling can be done with high positionings accuracy.
This machine features a numerically controlled spindle, an 8-way tool changer, and a standard clamping system for the tools. In particular, the flow-drilling process increases the material thickness for the thread—helping users save on material, weight and costs.
Customer advantages include greater flexibility and complete processing on the machine; handling of heavy tubes as part of thread incorporation; minimised intralogistics and material transport; no further production step for tapping—the finished part comes from the machine; and error avoidance in positioning or accuracy. It is also possible to increase the material thickness with the flow drilling tool. The method and thread sizes depend on the material and tube geometry.
Conclusion
Laser tube cutting and the innovative tube designs save you time and money. It helps users cut holes or do complex contours and longer tubes in one working step. In addition to that, steps like storing, handling, and tool change are no longer needed, while at the same time reducing downstream work such as deburring, welding, or assembly.
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