Our speciality has and always will be the manipulation of tubes. Thanks to the services we offer, it is possible for clients to fabricate all sorts of items. For example, you can use our solutions for the likes of furniture and barriers. One of our most popular techniques is that of tube swaging. Here, we make the interior a different shape or size while keeping the exterior circular.

304 and 304L steel

Fashioning tubes for the medical profession demands a high amount of attention to detail. It is the same for surface quality and material. Normally, one would create tubing for this industry using 304 and 304L welded stainless steel. Both of them are low carbon steels, usually having 0.08% and 0.03%. Both have good corrosion resistance.

Strip stock

One of the primary obstacles for medical tubing manufacturers is acquiring strip stock. This is the kind with a first rate edge condition. The tubing walls have a habit of being thin in the medical market. Because of this, edge condition and alignment are essential.

With weld mill operators, they are advised to keep the stock strip as protected and clean as they can. This involves correct and careful storage as well as handling everything with cotton gloves. This stops body oils from polluting the edges. If you require tube swaging, please let us know.

Welding strategies

As for the welding, it is common to employ one of three distinct strategies when working on 304 and 304L stainless steel.

• Up first, we have gas tungsten arc welding. Despite being the oldest of the popular techniques, it is still very popular.
• Secondly, there is plasma welding. This is a variation of the previous method.
• Finally, there is laser welding. This is the newest of these techniques.

Every option is similar in terms of basic design. The differences exist in their respective power supplies and weld heads. In addition, the three have a myriad of pros and cons.

Features to think about

There are some critical features to think about when you are choosing a mill process as well. This includes the power supply and cost of weld head, as well as the ease of use. Others would be the maintenance of electrodes and speed of operations.

Many weld mills use eddy current testing gear once the final pin pass happens. They do so to confirm the weld seam’s integrity.

There are also those who bring in a video camera that concentrates on the weld seam. They inspect the seam’s alignment in addition to the weld head electrode. This pair of welding aids permits the mill to create bigger continuous coils. It does this with a decent degree of confidence within the weld seam. This is at speeds that range from 20 to 30 feet per minute.

Come to us for tube swaging and more

At Multiform Tubes, we always jump at the chance to adapt tubing to create bespoke products. The advantages of working with us include smooth exterior finishes and short cycle times. There is plenty more to discover too.

If you would like to discuss tube swaging with us, feel free to get in touch. You can also ask us about all of the other services we offer.