Tube: the laser machine for cutting metal tubes

What is the Tube system?

The Tube system is an automatic processing plant for metal tubes that delivers a finished tubular part, complete with every required cutting operation, in a single processing cycle. The result of Cutlite Penta's long, consolidated experience in cutting machines, it represents the future of laser technology applied to the cutting of metal tubes.

Why is it better than traditional methods?

Traditional methods require several passes to carry out, in sequence, the operations of cutting, deburring, drilling, facing, joining and special CNC machining. Tube instead concentrates all of these operations into a single cycle, always ensuring the speed, quality, precision, flexibility and reliability that laser technology makes possible.

The advantages of the Tube laser tube-cutting system

The system offers a range of concrete advantages:

• Automatically processes tubes with round, square and rectangular sections and open profiles.
• Cuts tubes in iron, mild steel, alloy steel, stainless steel, brass and copper.
• Manages different assist gases depending on the material and the cut-edge finish: usually oxygen and air for iron, nitrogen for stainless steel.
• The machine CNC manages every cutting operation set in the program and the unloading of finished parts.
• Great flexibility and high cutting performance, in both speed and quality, for use across many industrial sectors.
• Processes tubes of different section, material and thickness without costly dedicated tooling.

Which sectors use Tube?

A laser plant proves highly advantageous where high cut quality is required together with the ability to make prototypes or small and medium batches quickly, easily and economically, on a par with large runs. Some examples of sectors:

• Subcontracting and structural work: the versatility of processing tubes of different section, material and thickness without dedicated tooling is highly valued.
• Tube manufacturers and distributors: high productivity and a high degree of automation matter most to them.
• Industrial vehicles and agricultural machinery: they value long, complex machining carried out in a single machine cycle.

The benefits of laser cutting on metal tubes

Relying on laser cutting for metal tube processing brings a further set of benefits:

• Eliminates the deburring operations normally required with mechanical cutting.
• Sharply reduces the overall cycle time, the more so the more complex the part to be produced.
• Reduces stock requirements: there is only one machine to feed.
• Requires no tooling or dies.
• Lets you change cutting geometries very quickly, without designing, building and fitting rigid, dedicated tooling.
• Reduces production costs and times, even for smaller batches.
• Shortens the development time of new products, thanks to the flexibility of the laser tool.
• Improves part uniformity and reduces set-up times, for greater operating economy.
• Delivers excellent cutting results.
• Minimizes part distortion: no mechanical action on the part and the small laser spot bring benefits to the fit tolerances in the subsequent assembly stages.

Frequently asked questions about Tube

What is Tube?

Tube is the Cutlite Penta system for the automatic processing of metal tubes: in a single cycle it performs cutting, deburring, drilling, facing, joining and special CNC machining, delivering a finished tubular part.

Which tubes and materials does it process?

It processes tubes with round, square and rectangular sections and open profiles, in iron, mild steel, alloy steel, stainless steel, brass and copper.

Which assist gases does it use?

The machine manages different gases depending on the material and the edge finish: generally oxygen and air for iron, and nitrogen for stainless steel.

Which sectors is it suited to?

It is suited to subcontracting and structural work, to tube manufacturers and distributors, and to the industrial vehicle and agricultural machinery sectors.