Tubing OD

Tubing VS. Piping, What’s The Difference?

Is it a Pipe or a Tube? We get this question all the time, and sadly it usually comes when a customer orders “pipe” when what they really want is “tubing.” What is the difference between pipe and tubing? To put it simply, all pipe is tubing,...

More Tight Radius Bends

Here above we have an example of a larger OD tight-radius-bends. This one is a 4.750 OD tube bent on a 13″ center-line radius. You will notice that the right side of the bend has an extended tangent and the accuracy of the bend is measured by the inside wall...

Tube Cutting

Depending on the wall thickness and tolerance (length and squareness) we can saw cut, core cut (blade), or lathe cut tubing to length. [TABLE] Blade cuts are very square and have a soft feather edge (no sawdust). The feather edge is a result of heat generated from the...

Tight Radius Offset Bend

Tight –radius bends are a problem to all tube benders. On a tight radius, we can run into excessive flattening, cracking of the outside wall, or buckling in the inside wall (most commonly). The problem is intensified in transparent, thermoplastics benders, for we do...

Hoop Skirt

Mandy McGarrigle, an emerging young fashion designer, requested a clear plastic hoop as an accessory in a fashion show. She needed a 1″ OD tube with a thin wall bent upon a 12.625″ center radius. We are used to providing prototypes and we went to work on...

Mitering And Bending 8″ Tubing For Display

A well-known entertainment company contacted us about a special project. They wanted a large OD tube to move along the sides and corners of an amusement building. But, their print called for an 8″ OD tube on a 24″ radius. This required a...

Tight Radius Mitered Pipe Bends

We recently had quite a challenge from Metraflex regarding a transparent tight-radius 4” pipe 90° bend. They required a transparent 4” Sch 40 long-radius elbow to observe a metal fin in a fluid system. The pipe bend needed to maintain a tight tolerance for ovality as...

Giant Bends For Spiral

Recently we received a request for some “giant elbows, about a 15 ft. radius to load material up a silo. This was hard for me to comprehend— for these bends would be not only huge but bent three-dimensionally. When the prints and drawings came in this seemed...

Tight Radius Small U-bend

We recently had an inquiry for a tight-radius Ubend. This 1″ OD bend x .125w in CAB (butyrate) has a tight center-line radius of 2.5″ with uneven tangents. Not only do we have to design the proper heater for this bend, and select the proper packing...

Matching a Carrier with a Sleeve in Pneumatic Systems

Sometimes we just have to be creative when we get calls from damsels in distress. We received a call from such a damsel who needed to replace a worn-out PVC tube and a more worn-out HDPE carrier. Busada pneumatic tubing consists of three major parts; the tube, the...

Largest Graduated Cylinder

Pudge is modeling a rather large graduated cylinder here. This 10″ OD CAB Butyrate tube is welded to a butyrate base. It will be used to not only measure various liquids but to monitor pressure ratings for water-tight components. And while I’m on this,...

Fruit Chute

Recently we were given the challenge to produce a tight radius bend to replace a metal fruit chute (peaches). The bend needed a 6″ ID and a tight 12″ radius. We were able to accomplish this by flaring a 5″ ID tube to 6.5″ ID and bending the...

Flame Polishing Provista Plastic Tubing

Provista (PETG) tubing, when properly extruded and polished is superior to cast acrylic in every way. When flame polished, it is spectacular for clarity. The picture above shows how a Provista tube shines when flame polished. This 6″ OD tube, FDA approved and...

Just Another Bend

We make bends. We make helices, U bends, offset snake bends and all in between. This week we had a challenge. We were to make a large diameter 6.525″ ID Bend on a 69″ Center-Line-Radius with a tolerance of +-0.5Deg, and 8″ tangents. If that was not...

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