Specialty Tubing: Square, Round, Rectangular, Hex & Special Shapes

* All Products are produced to order. No Stock Products.

View Specialty Tubing CAD prints and Standard Size Charts here: Open Seam, Open Buttseam & Tubing w/ Gap | Lock Seam Tubing | Flanged & Finned Seamed Tubing | Hemmed Seam Tubing | Split Seam & Butt Seam Tubing | Round Tubing Segments, Curved Strips & Tape | Special Shape Tubing

• Open Seam, Open Butt Seam & Tubing with Gap
• Lock Seam, Lockseam & Lock Joint
• Flanged Seam & Finned Seam
• Hemmed Seam
• Split Seam & Butt Seam Tubing
• Round Corrugated, Flexible Duct, & Spiral
• Round Tubing Segments
• Special Shaped Tubing
• Partial Chart of Standard Lock Seam, Open & Split Seam Tubing Sizes

Roll Formed Metal Tubes & Tubing are produced for complex and highly specialized end uses. It is not your “run of the mill”, standard grade tubing. In some cases this tubing is produced for cost savings such as:

• Prefinishing that is less expensive than Post Finishing.
• Thinner wall that is available normally
• Inline: Holes, Slots, Perforating, Embossing, End Fabricating, Cut-to-Length, and other in-line fabrications, that prevent expensive secondary fabrications
• Open Seam, Hemmed, Flanged & Finned Seams, that give the tubing dimensional features that would require expensive secondary work to accomplish
• In-Line operations such as: insertion of molding, and materials, double-sided tape applicating, Cladding of one material over another. In other instances Roll Formed Tubing is the best and sometimes only method to achieve a desired functional design result
• Special Sizes and diameters, that are tooled for or can be tooled for, that are not commonly available
• Special and unusual Hollow Shapes and tubing
• Specific designated openings or gaps, with or without hems, fins or flanges, on Open Seam Tubing needed for: slide areas, compression fitting, tracks, guides, inserts & insert holders, covering, etc.

Our Roll Formed Tubing is produced on a roll forming machine similar to a tube mill. It is not produced with a rolled stamping method for short lengths or on a three roll bender for larger diameter structural pipe, or stove pipe, etc. Our accurate, finished, Cut-to-Lengths are generally over 12” long but can be as short as 4”. We can also produce them up to 40 feet long, though requirements are almost always shorter than that. Lock Seam Tubing is typically not more than .024” thick or thinner than .012” unless a special need is required which usually requires new tooling. Lock Seam doesn`t have equal strength and torque bearing capability as the same thickness in welded seam, seamless, drawn, or extruded, tubing and is not meant to hold pressurized liquid or vapor. Open Seam, Split, Flanged, Finned, & Hemmed Seam falls within our full range of thickness capability of .003” through .125” thickness. Round Corrugated and Duct style tubing is generally in the thinner ranges but can go up to .075” thick.

Materials used are: Steel, Stainless, Aluminum, Brass, Bronze Alloys, Tempered, Clad, Perforated, Woven Wire, Expanded, Copper, & Galvanized. Prefinishes available which are so important to make our type of tubing an option are: PrePainted, PrePolished, PreAnodized, PrePlated, PreLaquered, Strippable-PVC Coated, PreLaminated Vinyl, Galvanized-(G30, G60, G90, G210, Bonderized, Electro), Aluminized, Galvanneal, Galvalume, Zinc DiChromate, TFS(Tin Free Steel), Tin Plate.

• Open Seam, & Openseam Tubes: This style of tube is common in Round, Square and Rectangular form and available in Special Shaped Tubing, as well. In it's Rectangular Tubing and Square Tubing form it is also considered as C-Channels, Cees, Box Channels, & Purlins. It is easily Prefinished and is commonly Prefabricated inline with holes, Slots, Perforating, End Fabricating, Cut-to-length, etc. Maximum side height or Diameter is 5" down to a minimum of about .125" side height or diameter. Maximum width of a square Open Seam Tube would be 5" and Rectangular and Special Shaped Tubing at 19" maximum width. Tolerances on diameter and sizes of +/- .015 & .032 are common with +/-.010 and even +/-.005 possible. There is Existing Tooling for most Standard Sizes, and many non-standard sizes, however, tooling modifications or new tooling may be required. For the most economical Clean Cuts without prenotching a specific opening or gap is required to allow for an insert in the Cutoff Die that will enable the clean cut. Common uses are for Tracks, Slides, Guides, Inserts, Holders, Supports, Brackets, Railings & Rails, Covers & Cladding, Framing, Posts, Poles, & Standards, Troughs, Channels, Wireways, Connectors, Compression Fitting & Splicing Tubes(Round), Bushings, Sleeves.
  
  
• Lockseam, Lock Seam, & Lock Joint Tubes: This style of tubing is most common in Round, Square, and Hex. It is almost always Prefinished. Because of it`s thin wall capability and prefinishing, it is a very useful style of tubing to lower cost in a design where possible. It is readily inline fabricated with: Holes, End Fabricating, Cut-to-Length, Perforating, Embossing, Etc. End Fabricating Inline with the flying cutoff die includes:
  • Crimp cutting to give a slightly smaller fit into an opening(ie;plastic orifice) without snagging on end cut burrs or end flare, etc,
  • Swaging to allow one end to fit into an end of another tube at various depths, Staking for ground penetration, *Extruded Holes,
  • Ends cut Dimple-Free when Prepunching is employed. Inline Application of double sided tape, Insertion of molds, wire and other insert materials into grooves on the tube is also provided when necessary.

Lockseam ends are normally cut with a small tapered dimple (Point of the blade impression as it penetrates) for highest speed production. With high volumes a prepunch operation can be added for a slightly slower, just slightly more expensive production of inline Dimple-Free cutting. With low volumes, secondary fabricating of Dedimpling can be provided or a hand dedimpling plug can be produced for the customer . For clean larger Roll Edge End Deburring more than inline crimp cutting, secondary roll edge deburring can also be provided. Other secondary fabricating is also available on tubing, needed. If customers prefer, secondary End Cutting Machinery can be sold to them to cut down random lengths to actual, however most tubing is provided cut to finished length. Tolerances on Diameter and size are typically +/-.010 through .015, however +/-.005 is possible in special cases.

Common uses of Lock Seam Tubes are:

• Reinforcements & Stiffeners,
• Poles,
• Posts,
• Towel Bars,
• Shower Rods,
• Curtain & Drapery Rails,
• Perforated, Expanded Metal & Wire Cloth Filter Tubes,
• Flagpoles,
• Toy & Houseware Handles & Legs,
• Shade, Map & Screen Rollers,
• Lighter Duty Rack Framing,
• Car Top Rack Rails,
• Yard Ornament and Outdoor Torch & Bird Feeder Poles,
• Indoor & Outdoor Clothes Dryers,
• Indoor Lamp Tubing & Poles,
• Easel Legs,
• Coat and Garment Hangers,
• Snack Tray Legs,
• Mop, Broom, and electrical Appliance Handles, and an infinite amount of other applications.

Flanged & Finned Seam Tubes: Flanged Seam can refer to Inner and Outer flanges, while Finned Seam usually refers to outer flanges. The Flanges or Fins can be on one side or both sides of the seam. This tubing has all the same factors, tolerances, capabilities, and uses as the Open Seam Tubing. Inward Flanged Seam, in it`s Square and Rectangular form it can also be considered Framing and Strut Channels and is also used for structural applications as the addition of the flanges to the open seam tube makes it much stronger. Finned Seam and Outward Flanged Tubing finds special use when it has to fit along the edge of another product. In some cases customers weld the fins together before or after assembly. It is a good design for becoming a finished structural or decorative edge but it also serves as Framing, Tracks, Rails, Railings, Stiffeners, Guides, Slides, Channels, etc. Flanged seam tubing can also be decorative, lighter duty, and functional such as when used for sliding Curtain Tracks, Wood Cladding, etc. There is Existing Tooling for common sizes but new tooling may be required. Roll Die tooling modifications are usually not possible.

Hemmed Seam Tubes: Hemmed Seam Tubes are Open and Split Seam Tubes that need a protective burr free edge. It`s typical use is for Tracks, Slides, or as Rails that require some type of material to slide into it when it is assembled and are usually prefinished or decorative. The Hems also give an added Strength Characteristic. Existing Tooling to produce hems is available for many thicknesses, especially on the thinner side. Tolerances, Factors, Capabilities and uses can be the same as on Open Seam Tubing.

Splitseam & Split Seam Tubing: Splitseam Tubing is especially appealing when a welded seam or seamless tube (which we don`t supply) will work just as well but the size, diameter, and/or quantity, make purchasing it from a welded seam, drawn, extruded, or other seamless tube manufacturer near impossible. It`s important to remember that this tube will not have the strength, especially torque strength, of a welded seam or seamless tube but the thickness and temper can be increased to help compensate for this. When strength is not an issue it is a very inexpensive design to use with prefinished and decorative metal finishes. There is a large amount of Existing Splitseam Tooling, especially for Round sizes, and not as much for Square, Rectangular, and Special Hollow Profiles. Splitseam Round tubes are also used for Curtain & Drapery Rods, and as inner compression Bushings and Sleeves. These tubes do require a Prepunch Operation in order to be cut cleanly, otherwise they are supplied with a dimple cut similar to a lockseam tube, but perhaps increased dimple size. Clean cut usually requires new tooling charges unless quantities are high.

Round Corrugated, Flexible Duct, & Spiral Tubing: This unique style of tubing is not produced like any other tube. It is actually initially formed as a Profile or Moulding Shape in the straight form, then Bent Inline into Ring Form. The Edges of the Profile or Moulding Ring are then Locked together inline. What comes out is a Flexible or Corrugated Tube or Pipe. This is not Welded seam tubing from a three roll spiral bending machine. The technology though widely unknown has been around for over a hundred years when it was used for making culvert pipe. Now it is used especially for HVAC Ducting, Electrical applications, and other uses. It`s produced in Stainless, Aluminum, Copper, & Galvanized. The lighter wall thickness ranges are most common but heavy duty applications can be up to .075” thick.

Our style tubing is also telescoped within each other. The inner and outer tube can be the same style. In some cases the outer tube may be a Square or Rectangular Lockseam Tube and the inner tube may be an Open Seam Tube who`s opening may exactly butt up to the seam edges on the inside of the lockseam tube. Lockseam Tubing may also be used as an inner and outer tube with the inner tube grooved to accept the seam of the outer tube. Some common examples of this are Shade Rollers, and Paint Roller Handles. We`ve even had an application for handles used by alter boys for fixtures to extinguish candles. There are certain Diameters of Lockseam tubes that have Existing Tooling. When Something other than standard diameters are needed, full tooling charges may be required. When full tooling is required for Open Seam or Splitseam the costs are much less than lockseam as not as much tooling is necessary to produce Open & Split Seam Tubes, compared to tooling needed for Lockseam tubes. Inline, Holes, End Fabricating and other fabricating capabilities are the same as indicated under each tube style. Prefinishing of outer tubes can be more decorative than inner tubes as the inner tube will have friction placed upon the finish by rubbing together with the inside of the outer tube. Special Prefinishes with lubricity, but not as decorative, can be used on the inner tube when necessary. See Tolerances, Capabilities, Capacities and other factors under the tubing style you wish to use for telescoping and remember it won`t have the qualities of seamless or welded seam tubing.

To see more of our products please see our catalog information.