The dimensions of a tube's cross section are critical to specify when placing an order. The necessary dimensions are O.D. (or Outer Diameter), I.D. (or Interior Diameter), and Wall Thickness. Two of these three dimensions must be specified when placing an order. The third dimension is not required when specifying a tube cross section as it can be computed from the other two using the formula OD = ID + (2 x Wall). The figure below shows the cross sectional dimensions:

The cross sectional sizes we manufacture vary by tubing type. Generally speaking, for As Welded, Outer Diameter Conditioned, and Bead Hammered Tubing, O.D. size options are limited to specific increments, unless your order is of sufficient size to warrant the acquisition of special tooling. For wall thickness options, upper and lower thickness limits depend upon the OD of the tube, but any increment of 0.001 inch between the upper and lower limits can be produced.

Outer Diameter Conditioned tubing is available in the following sizes:

Bead hammered tubing is limited to tubing with an O.D. of 1/2 inch or larger in the following O.D. size increments:

For Cold Drawn Outer Diameter tubing, O.D. size can be specified in any increment of 0.001 inch starting from 1/8 inch up to 1.25 inches. For Welded & Drawn Over Mandrel tubing, the O.D. size can also be specified in any increment of 0.001 inch starting from 1/8 inch up to 1.125 inches. As with other tubing types, upper and lower limits for wall thickness of Cold Drawn Outer Diameter or Welded & Drawn tubing depend upon the O.D. of the tube, but any increment of 0.001 inch between the upper and lower limits can be produced. Please contact us to learn the wall thickness limit options for the specific O.D. for your tubing requirement.

Straight lengths of between 3/8 of an inch or 40 feet can be produced for any tubing type. Coiled tube (with an O.D. of no more than 1/2 inch) can be created with lengths of up to 500 feet. Longer coils are also possible for special applications. Please contact us for additional details.

Tolerances and specifications

For As Welded, Outer Diameter Conditioned, and Bead Hammered tubing, we typically offer O.D. tolerances of plus or minus 0.003 inches for tubing O.D. sizes up to 14 millimeters, and plus or minus 0.004 inches for sizes from 9/16 inch to 1-1/4 inches. Tighter tolerances can be provided for an additional charge. For Cold Drawn Outer Diameter tubing, we typically offer O.D. tolerances of plus or minus 0.002 inches, and for Welded & Drawn Over Mandrel tubing, we offer O.D. tolerances of plus or minus 0.0015 inches. For length, we typically offer tolerances of plus or minus 0.010 inches for lengths up to 12 inches, 0.020 for lengths between 12 inches and 24 inches, 0.030 inches for lengths between 24 and 60 inches, and 0.062 for straight lengths over 60 inches. Wall thickness tolerances are typically plus or minus 10%. Please contact us if you have special requirements that don't fit our standard tolerances, as we may be able to custom engineer a solution that meets your needs.

We manufacture As Welded, Outer Diameter Conditioned, and Bead Hammered tubing to ASTM standards A269, A554, A632, and/or A450, depending on the finishing options chosen. We can manufacture Cold Drawn Outer Diameter and Welded & Drawn tubing to ASTM A249, ASME SA249, ASTM A269, A554, A632, B515, ASME SB515, ASTM B516, ASME SB516, Mil T 8606, Mil T 8808 Type 2, Mil T 6845 Type 2, and AMS 5576.