Case brief
Real export case study of a customized CNC tube punching and flanging machine for equal and reducing stainless steel branch outlet forming including tooling development sample testing and delivery to Russia.
category
client
AYC Industries
start date
Jan 20, 2022
end date
Aug 2, 2022
budget
$ 3.0 Million
REAL EXPORT PROJECT
How We Developed a Custom CNC Tube Punching and Flanging Machine for a Russian Customer
A customized tube forming project involving CNC positioning, hydraulic punching,
internal flanging, dedicated tooling and real tube sample testing for equal and
reducing branch outlet production.
Project Overview
| Project Type | Customized Tube Processing Machinery |
| Destination | Russia |
| Application | Equal and Reducing Branch Outlet Forming |
| Main Tube Range | Approx. 42.4 mm to 115 mm |
| Branch Outlet Range | Approx. 21.3 mm to 60.3 mm |
| Maximum Wall Thickness | Up to 3.05 mm |
| Project Status | Manufactured and Exported |
Case Brief
A Russian industrial customer approached us with a highly specific tube forming
requirement. The goal was not simply to punch holes in stainless steel tubes,
but to create accurately formed equal and reducing branch outlets directly from
the main tube.
The application involved several combinations of main tube diameters, wall
thicknesses and branch outlet sizes. A conventional tube punching machine alone
could not meet the requirement because the outlet needed to be formed outward
from inside the tube with a smooth and consistent flange.
After technical evaluation, tooling development and sample testing, we supplied
a customized CNC tube punching and flanging machine together with dedicated
tooling for the customer’s production requirements.
The Technical Challenge
This project was considerably more complex than conventional tube punching.
The customer’s typical production requirements included main tubes such as
42.4 mm and 60.3 mm outside diameter with different wall thicknesses and several
branch outlet sizes.
Typical project combinations included:
Main tube 42.4 x 2 mm
Branch outlets 21.3 mm 26.9 mm 33.7 mm and 42.4 mm
Main tube 60.3 mm with different wall thicknesses
Branch outlets including 48.3 mm and 60.3 mm
The process required an accurately controlled opening in the tube wall followed
by internal forming. A dedicated tool works from inside the main tube and forms
the material outward to create the required branch collar.
Why Tooling Could Not Be Confirmed From Dimensions Alone
One of the most important technical issues was material formability.
If the initial opening is too small, a higher branch collar can normally be
formed, but the risk of cracking increases. If the opening is too large, the
material is easier to form, but the final flange height may become insufficient.
Therefore, nominal tube diameter and wall thickness alone were not enough to
finalize the tooling.
Material grade, hardness, elongation, tube manufacturing condition and actual
dimensional tolerance can all influence the final forming result.
Our Solution
The final solution was a customized CNC tube punching and flanging system using
servo controlled positioning, hydraulic forming and interchangeable tooling.
Servo feeding allowed programmed outlet positions to be processed along the
tube. The hydraulic forming mechanism performed the punching and branch collar
forming operations, while different tooling sets were used for different tube
and outlet combinations.
Tube Diameter Range
Wall Thickness
Branch Outlet Range
The machine was configured for workpieces up to approximately 7000 mm in length.
Under the specified operating conditions, servo positioning accuracy could reach
approximately plus or minus 0.05 mm.
Typical processing time was approximately 30 to 40 seconds per outlet depending
on tube material, outlet diameter and forming requirements.
Why We Requested Actual Tube Samples
Rather than confirming the tooling only from technical drawings, we requested
actual production tube samples from the customer before final tooling validation.
Two tubes with the same nominal diameter and wall thickness can behave
differently during flanging if their material condition, hardness or elongation
differs.
Actual sample testing allowed the tooling geometry and forming parameters to be
adjusted according to the customer’s real production material.
For customized tube forming equipment, testing the customer’s actual material
is often more reliable than making a performance promise based only on nominal
dimensions.
Project Execution
The project developed through multiple technical and commercial stages,
beginning with application analysis and detailed discussions about tube sizes,
outlet combinations, material condition and required production results.
Different machine concepts were evaluated before the final solution was
confirmed. Customized tooling was then developed for the selected tube and
branch combinations.
The manufacturing team completed machine production, tooling preparation and
testing before the equipment was prepared for export to Russia.
The Result
The completed system provided the customer with one CNC controlled platform for
producing multiple equal and reducing branch outlet configurations by changing
tooling and production parameters.
More importantly, the project established a practical engineering approach that
remains useful for similar customized applications today:
before selecting the machine.
What Should Be Confirmed for a Similar Project
For tube punching and branch forming projects, specifying only the tube diameter
is not sufficient. A proper technical evaluation should also include:
Main tube diameter and wall thickness
Material grade and material condition
Branch outlet diameter
Equal diameter or reducing outlet configuration
Required flange height
Minimum hole spacing
Maximum workpiece length
Expected production rate
Actual tube samples where forming quality is critical
Planning a Similar Tube Branch Forming Project?
If you need to produce equal or reducing branch outlets on stainless steel
or carbon steel tubes, send us your tube drawing and production requirements.
Please provide the main tube diameter, wall thickness, material grade,
branch outlet diameter, required flange height, hole quantity and spacing,
maximum tube length and expected production capacity.
CNSTEELMACHINE can help evaluate the forming process before recommending
a standard or customized machine solution.
Related Equipment:
CNC Tube Punching and Flanging Machine
