Making steel tubing - GIF

[Jon]

Making steel tubing.



Previously:

Steel post being perfectly crushed - GIFs
Making steel balls for large bearings - GIF
Cutting 8-inch steel with a torch - GIF
Ring rolling steel - GIF

[Frank S]

Sure beats how I have had to make square /rectangular sections out of round tubing by using a hammer.
I've seen some of these tubing forming machines that used a series of rollers as in roll forming they require less force but the process is essentially the same the final sizing sometimes is through a die just as shown but the tubing is almost pre-sized after passing through the roller series.

[MeJasonT]

got to ask - why?
the video shows a very inaccurate square tube being formed. I cant think of any reason why doing this would be a good idea. For example, to make construction steel you wouldn't get it certified so you would go and buy the right sized box section which would have known strengths and stresses. I'm going to be enlightened by the reply's, i'm sure there is a reason which i haven't come across yet. (looking forward to it Frank).

[Frank S]

got to ask - why?
the video shows a very inaccurate square tube being formed. I cant think of any reason why doing this would be a good idea. For example, to make construction steel you wouldn't get it certified so you would go and buy the right sized box section which would have known strengths and stresses. I'm going to be enlightened by the reply's, i'm sure there is a reason which i haven't come across yet. (looking forward to it Frank).

Almost all Hollow section tubing square or rectangular is cold drawn and is either sent through a series or rollers for shape then sized through a final die as in very high speed production or drawn through a single shaping and sizing die that starts out as a conical cylinder transitioning into the final shape as in Jon's post
The extreme larger and thicker sizes are sometimes passed through an induction heating ring to reduce the amount of force required to achieve the final shapes.
Some of the smaller and thinner sizes are made in a 1 step process starting out as strips and die formed before being seam welded the same as round welded tubing is made but I only know of this being done in square sizes
Hammering cylindrical tubing into square or rectangular shapes is mostly done for short lengths of architectural purposes usually having both the round and the desired shapes transitioned from one shape to the other as in balusters for railings or awning supports Hammering to a true size can be achieved by inserting a mandrel
When I had a hammer mill I made all sorts of shapes and sizes for decorative and sometimes structural items