TPT March 2007

S tainless S teel T ubing: M anufacturing & M achinery

Advanced procedure assures narrow tolerances on SS thin-walled tube

G Rau GmbH & Co KG, Germany, is a leading specialist for innovative metal solutions and a preferred supplier to various fields including electrical engineering, the automotive supply industry and measurement and control engineering. The company’s subsidiary Euroflex, founded in 1993, is a European market leader in semi-finished products in the field of medical engineering. The company is specialised in the production of high precision semi- finished products made from precious metals, stainless steel, special alloys and composite materials as well as in the production of parts and assemblies. Stainless steel tubes are available in grades including 1.4301 304, 1.4571 316 Ti, and 1.4441 316 LVM (for surgical implants). They can be supplied with a seamless or welded finish together with common austenitic alloys. These tubes are manufactured with an OD range from 0.50-12mm and a wall thickness range of 0.04-0.3mm, depending on the ratio of outer diameter to wall thickness. In special circumstances, the company can even supply tube with an OD up to 20mm, and wall thickness of >0.3mm.

Tecnofar can adhere to a range of dimensional tolerances, with a stainless steel tube range of 0.3 to 76mm and wall thickness from 0.10 to 3.5mm. These tubes are produced using stainless steels provided and guaranteed by leading steel mills. ISO 9001:2000 accredited (by Italcert), the company has been certified by RINA for its welding system and heat treatment for the production range of OD 6-19mm and wall thickness of 0.40 to 1.10mm. › The redrawn precision tubes are available in both bar and coil form

› G Rau manufactures large, thin-walled tubes with very narrow tolerances

The tolerance requirements for stainless steel tubes are continually increasing. As most seamless stainless steel precision tubes are manufactured by the drawing process, there are natural limits to the attainable dimensional accuracy. This becomes especially apparent when tubes are manufactured with larger outer diameters relative to the wall thickness. For about five years there has been an increased demand for large thin-walled stainless steel tube with narrow tolerances. Consequently, G Rau has developed a new procedure that enables the production of large, thin-walled tubes with very narrow tolerances on wall and outer diameter. This product is available with an OD range of 0.5mm-8mm = ±0.02mm and 8mm- 12mm = ±0.03mm, and a wall thickness of ±5 per cent standard (minimum of ±0.01mm). These stainless steel tubes are available in soft, hard or special strength conditions, and usually in lengths of 3-4m or fixed lengths according to user specification.

Tecnofar SpA – Italy Fax : +39 0342 684500 Email : info@tecnofar.it Website : www.tecnofar.it

Range of production machinery for SS tube Established in 1976, Ho Chang Machinery Co Ltd is a manufacturer of whole-plant machinery and equipment for the production of stainless steel tube and pipe. The company designs and manufactures a range including heat-treatment machines, sizing machines, straightening machines, polishing machines, chamfering machines, and hydrostatic test machines. All equipment, important parts and rolls utilise computer 3D analogue design and CNC unit processing. The company’s main products are complete sets of production line equipment for welded stainless steel industrial pipe and mechanical tube, which are in conformity with ASTM standard of A312, A554, and A249. The products are widely applied in the industries of petroleum, gas, petrochemical, paper-making, sanitation, and machinery. They are used and supported by customers in Canada, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Thailand and China. The company can also undertake the design and manufacture of rolls, in addition to the construction of a whole plant. Machinery specifications include complete sets of tube making equipment (HC-AP-40- 130). The production range of this equipment is pipe OD 21.34-406.4mm (thickness: SCH5S-40S), and tube OD 15.9-114.3mm (thickness: 0.6-3.0mm). The material types include AISI-304, 304L, 316, and 316L.

G Rau – Germany Fax : +49 7231 208 7366

Ho Chang Machinery Co Ltd – Taiwan Fax : +886 4 8730618 Email : hochang9@ms35.hinet.net

Email : b.ahlers@rau-pforzheim.de Website : www.rau-pforzheim.de

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M arch /A pril 2007