tubedrawing

Tubedrawing is a manufacturing process used to produce long, uniform tubes by drawing material through a forming region under controlled heating and tension. The term can describe several related methods across different materials, including glass, plastics, and metals, but the common goal is to create hollow cylindrical products with precise inner and outer diameters and wall thickness.

In glass and ceramics, tubedrawing typically involves heating a glass preform or starting tube in a furnace and pulling it to extend length while shaping it through dies or mandrels. The process can produce fine capillaries, microtubes, and laboratory tubing with tight tolerances and smooth surfaces. In plastics, tube drawing often follows extrusion, where a cooled tube is reheated and drawn to reduce diameter and equalize wall thickness, producing long, flexible tubing for medical, chemical, or industrial use.

In metals, tubedrawing refers to drawing a tube through dies, frequently with an internal mandrel to control wall thickness and concentricity. This seamless-tube manufacturing method is used for hydraulic and pneumatic tubing, fuel lines, and structural components, offering high dimensional accuracy and good surface finish.

Key parameters in tubedrawing include draw speed, temperature profile, die geometry, and mandrel support. Control over these factors determines wall thickness uniformity, roundness, surface quality, and straightness. Quality control typically involves dimensional measurements, non-destructive testing, and inspection of concentricity and surface defects.

Tubedrawing is valued for producing continuous lengths of high-quality tubes with tight tolerances, suitable for scientific applications (such as capillary and microfluidic tubing), optical components, and industrial tubing. Variants and equipment are tailored to the material and final application, from laboratory glasswork to industrial metal-forming lines.