Tube and pipe cutting techniques; advantages and limitations

 Pipe cutting and tube cutting are two crucial processes in the manufacturing of plastics and sheet metal. They are frequently used in applications such as producing refrigerant tubing, connecting flow transmission pipes, etc. However, since the pipes and tubes are composed of different materials, different line and pipe cutting equipment and tools may be necessary. 

There are four basic types of cutters.

Cutters of Fly-Knifes

Fly-knife cutters are helpful for swiftly and cleanly cutting smaller, softer tubes and profiles using one or more blade types in chopping or slicing action. The most basic fly-knife cutters use a blade placed on a flywheel, which generates cutting inertia—fly-knife knives process by an electric motor that delivers rotating force through planetary reduction gears.

Guillotine Cutters

Pipe cutting through extruded materials with a guillotine cutter is just what the name says. These cutters are often seen as being "in-between" fly-knife cutters and traveling-saw cutters (see below), cutting extrusions that would "jam up" revolving fly knives or saw blades.

Saw Blades

Larger pipes or extrusions consisting of relatively complex, thick, or brittle materials, such as rigid PVC, are cut using traveling-saw cutters. These are essentially powerful circular saws usable to cut polymers. Saw cutters are often installed on moving tables that move at the speed of the extrusion line to assure straight cuts of a continually flowing extruded product.

Planetary Slicers

Planetary cutters provide exceptionally high-quality cuts that are square, distortion-free, and particle-free on high-value rigid tube products used in medical, high-purity, or automated assembly applications. Planetary cutters, which resemble a plumber's pipe-cutting equipment, have a circular cutting wheel inside a spinning ring that surrounds the pipe.

Techniques for Cutting Pipes and Tubes

Here are a few pipes and tube cutting procedures often employed in metal or plastic production operations.

Shearing

You may use shearing or shear cutting to cut a tube or a pipe using two plates and two ID punches. Between the ID punches and scales, it is sheared to cut needed to cut the line. 

Cutting is a great way to use a lathe. It is a single point cutting instrument. The cutting occurs as the spindle spins, and the cutting tip meets the tube or pipe material. This method is appropriate for through cutting or grove cutting. One-to-two-hour setup time and tooling costs are drawbacks. For small runs, shearing is not cost-efficient.

Cold Saw Cutting

A revolving cold saw is helpful in cold saw pipe cutting. In most cases, industry workers fix the cold saw in the place where the blade revolves. The pipe or tube material is cut when it comes into direct contact with the edge of the cutting saw. This cutting method is only appropriate for perpendicular pipe and tube cutting. Because it leaves no heat-affected zones on the pipe and tube surfaces, this procedure is relatively standard. The blade of a cold saw is stationary and does not move. Cuts made with a cold saw are straight and free of burrs. 

Abrasive Cutting

The Pipe cutting procedure appropriate for metal pipes and tubes is abrasive cutting. The abrasive pipe cutting equipment cuts the metal using an abrasive saw in this approach. The rotary abrasive saw uses shear and friction forces to cut through a metal tube or pipe. Although an abrasive saw is simple to operate and needs little or no setup time, it cannot provide a square cut or tighter tolerances.

Laser Cutting

Laser cutting is a very efficient pipe and tube cutting technology. This procedure is best carried out using computer numeric control (CNC) equipment. The use of laser beams is to cut plastic or metal pipes or tubes in this method. When the laser beam hits the line or box, it heats the material, causing it to chop. This method is appropriate for angular cutting, form cutting, and Pipe cutting. When a large quantity of heat energy is concentrated in a small region, it produces narrow kerfs, tight tolerances, and a low number of hazardous airborne particles.

Band Saw Cutting

A band saw is an electronic cutting technology that employs a cutting tool that consists of a continuous band blade with teeth shapes. As the seamless band blade swings vertically or horizontally on two mounting wheels, the teeth shapes scrape against the pipe materials. Despite its numerous benefits and advantages, band saw cutting is not an effective method of cutting thin-walled items. On the other hand, the band saw cutting leaves a burr and doesn't meet the tightest tolerances possible.

Conclusion

When selecting the most acceptable technology for Pipe cutting & pipe bevelling, there are several aspects to consider. The material of the line or pipe, the squareness of the ends, the wall thickness, end-conditioning needs, and secondary process requirements are all significant elements that continually impact the cut

Content Sources :- ABSGroup