Tube Laser

Tube laser cutting technology has opened a new area of design and engineering. Designers are re-thinking how traditional machined parts can be made by using off-the-shelf tubing, instead of machining parts out of solid chunks of metal. Using off-the-self tubing and other steel profiles improves efficiency and saves money.

Weld fit up is a breeze now with precise chamfers, saddle cuts, bevels, and fish mouth coping. We specialize in providing pre-cut steel “kits” to our customers, ready for fit up and welding.  Providing pre-cut and beveled kits, frees up floor space and manpower, enabling you to get much more product out the door.

Our tube lasers are the perfect machines for cutting dimensional profiles in the sidewalls and end profiles of both round and square steel tubing.

 We have over 12 years experience in 3D design that is needed for the cutting operations on the tube laser.  Our latest addition is the LT8.

It’s BIG… High volume bundle capable tube loaders – Capacity- up to 6″ square tube, and 8.875″ round tube. The tube laser can cut up to 5/8″ wall thickness (carbon steel and limited to 23.5 pounds per lineal foot) – 27′ lengths – Production quantity loads (see note below on capacities)

▪ Laser cut chamfering, beveling for perfect weld fit-up on end forms

▪ Large capacity bundle loader – up to 27 foot long tubes. Laser head cuts up to 8.875″ diameter tube & 5/8″ wall thickness on smaller diameter tubing.

Pricing / Quoting

Because of the high programming and setup time, tube laser cutting tends to be more of a high volume type machine, where we load full bundles of tubing and robotic arms feed the stock to the chuck.

Since the tube laser cuts in 3D, we require 3D CAD models to quote jobs – unless it’s just a super simple cut .

We need these files in order to get a run time on the machine. Therefore, we will need them to quote the job. We accept all common files types – Solidworks – AutoCad exported in .iges/.igs or .stp/.step formats.

We also need our customers to export the dimensioned drawing to a PDF, so that we can confirm dimensions. The PDF requirement is because of various scaling issues going from one format to another and even one version of the software to another.

Please email your files to info@oceanfabricators.com

Capacity Note: Although the above are limits of the chuck capacity and the wall thicknesses that the laser can cut. – we are also limited to 23.5 pounds per lineal foot, mainly because of the robotic bundle loading mechanisms. You can find the per lineal foot weight of any tubing by doing a Google search and looking at the charts from various tubing suppliers.

Some Examples of our Laser Tube Cutting Limitations are:

Round Tube & Pipe Laser Cut

▪ 4″ Round Tubing at 1/2″ Wall Thickness = YES

▪ 6″ Round Tubing at 3/8″ Wall thickness = YES

▪ 6″ Schedule 40 pipe = YES

▪ 6″ Schedule 80 pipe = NO

▪ 8″ Round Tubing at 1/4″ Wall Thickness = YES

▪ 8″ Schedule 40 Pipe = NO

Square Tube Laser Cut

▪ 4″ Square Tubing at 1/2″ Wall Thickness = YES

▪ 6″ Square Tubing at 1/4″ Wall Thickness = YES

▪ 6″ Square Tubing at 3/8″ Wall thickness = NO

Rectangle Tube Laser Cut

▪ 5″ x 3″ Rectangle Tube at 1/2″ Wall Thickness = YES

▪ 6″ x 3″ Rectangle Tubing at 3/8″ Wall thickness = YES

▪ 6′ x 3″ Rectangle Tubing at 1/2″ Wall thickness = NO

 

Holding precise tolerances on complex laser cuts yields precision components ready for assembly and welding. Laser tube cutting machines produce very accurate, and complex shapes on round, square, triangular, rectangular, and oval tubular materials – up to +-.005

Designers can specify any end form and hole geometry – no other process can duplicate the accuracy and efficiency of the tube laser – saving you money. The precise fit up of weldments and assembled components eliminates many secondary operations.