Tube Fabrication - Birl’s Light Fab.

Characterized by high strength and durability, metal tubing is suitable for use in a wide range of industrial applications. Tube fabrication techniques can produce extremely accurate and complex cuts and bends to form round, square, rectangular, angle iron, channel, and oval tubular materials for the construction of products.

Let’s discuss tube fabrication, its key features, common applications, and the benefits of the process.

What is Tube Fabrication?

Tube fabrication is a process that forms metal pipes into shapes and angles. A subtractive manufacturing process, tube fabrication involves cutting, bending, and assembling flat metal tubes into desired parts and products. Die sets, a tube bender, mandrels, and lubricants exert force on a tube against a die equipped with a suitable radius to attain the intended bend.

Ideal for producing high-precision parts with high durability, tube fabrication is a common solution for end-use applications like chassis, enclosures, and brackets.

Key Features

Common tube fabrication processes include cutting, bending, assembly, engraving, rastering, and end forming. The key features of tube fabrication are:

Precision

A high degree of precision is required in tube fabrication to ensure that the finished product meets the required specifications. This is especially important for those applications in which tubes will be exposed to extreme stress or loads.

Efficiency

Especially when automated forming equipment is used, tube fabrication is a highly efficient process. This keeps costs and production time at a minimum.

Versatility

Because of the variety of tube materials and fabrication processes available, tube fabrication can be used to create a wide range of products.

We offer laser cutting for tubes with up to 3/16″ wall thickness for round tubes 1/2″ to 3″ in diameter and up to 2″ square tubes.

Applications of Tube Fabrication

Tube fabrication is used in the aerospace, automotive, electronics, design, energy, construction, food, and medical industries, among many others. Common applications for the process include the following:

Electrical components for wire
Plane components, such as exchangers
Vehicle components including frames, transmissions, headrests, seat adjustments, instrument panels, and steering wheels
Conveyor belts and exhaust systems
Handrails, staircases, and furniture
Medical devices like catheters and prostheses

Tube fabrication is an invaluable tool for manufacturers in numerous industries. It may be combined with robotic welding to develop a finished product.

Benefits of Tube Fabrication

Tube fabrication encompasses a wide array of applications, employing techniques like abrasive cutting, band saw cutting, cold sawing, laser cutting, lathe cutting, and shearing.

The range of techniques that can be used in the tube fabrication process presents many benefits for businesses across industries. The benefits of tube fabrication include the following:

High-precision parts manufacturing
High-capacity production capability
Ideal for custom-built designs
Modern finishes
Durability

The strength, weight, cost-effectiveness, and versatility of tube fabrication make it a suitable solution for the construction of many products.

Tube Fabrication Services from Birl’s Light Fab

Birl’s Light Fab offers custom tube fabrication and in-house CAD services. We have a certified process engineer on staff and are AutoCAD and SOLIDWORKS certified.