TPi October 2011

The October issue

events calendar

Welcome to the latest issue of Tube Products International , which includes features on the FABTECH and Tubotech shows as well as special features on two important areas to us: mechanical and structural steel pipes and a slightly newer focus in the area of plastic tubes. Over the past few years plastic tubes have become increasingly important to the world of construction, sewer and water pipe modernising and infrastructure – and this is something we have been looking to reflect in the magazine – to the extent that we thought it deserved its own regular section. Steel tubing and stainless steel tubing – when compared to plastic tubing in terms of tensile strength – will often win out when you crunch the numbers, but not in the arena of material costs. For the same amount of money that it takes to process and create half a dozen pieces of steel or stainless steel tubing, you could probably create several hundred cut to length or flexible plastic tubes that would arguably have the same amount of durability for the intended process. Whether the finished product is blown, extruded or moulded, what matters is the overall strength of the tubing to be used, when compared to the stress of the operation. When placed within moving parts, used to pass water or other lubricants through the machinery, it may get pressed, crimped, bumped or slammed from time to time. Steel is extremely tough, but even that material can only take so much damage before it begins to give out. Plastic, on the other hand – especially if the wall thickness lends it tensile strength – can in the the correct circumstances take more damage before it even begins to show any signs of fatigue. Usually tubing and pipe, when used to transport corrosive fluids, water, oil, or grease, for example, may be treated to withstand the constant presence of those materials without the tubing or pipe degrading. However, if plastic tubing needs to be resistant to another substance, then that resistance can be made a part of it through the ‘recipe’ used to create it, sometimes making the extra cost less. Of course, all materials have their place and metal tubes

2011 4-6 October

Tubotech (Brazil) International Exhibition www.cipanet.com.br

14-17 November

FABTECH / AWS Welding Show International Exhibition www.fabtechexpo.com

15-18 November

TOLExpo (Paris) International Exhibition www.tolexpo.com

2012 26-30 March

Tube Düsseldorf International Exhibition www.tube.de

May

Tube Russia International Exhibition www.metallurgy-tube-russia.com

25-28 September

Tube China International Exhibition www.mdna.com EuroBlech (Germany) International Exhibition www.euroblech.com Tube India International Exhibition www.mdna.com

23-27 October

30 October – 1 November

2013 January

Tube Arabia International Exhibition www.mdna.com

For further information on any of the above events please contact INTRAS Limited UK office (address and contact details on page 4)

have been used for hundreds of years and in many cases simply nothing else will do, so that is extremely unlikey to change in the near future. Tubes and pipes made from copper and stainless steel – or plastic – will continue to be amajor focus in every corner of the world as well as in this magazine.

Rory McBride Editor

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TUBE PRODUCTS INTERNATIONAL October 2011

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