What is Honed Tube

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Honed Tube

Honed tube is well known as the best material to manufacture hydraulic cylinders. This is because honed tubes are the most critical materials for hydraulic cylinders. Honing is essentially a bore sizing and surface preparation process.

Honingcraft is one of the largest honed tube suppliers in South Africa, stocking cold-drawn seamless hydraulic steel tubes. Their stock is sourced from the best precision manufacturing steel suppliers locally and internationally.

At Honingcraft, the process goes deeper than just honing – so to speak. Hone Tube is also the brand that Honingcraft supplies.

THE HONINGCRAFT HONING PROCESS

The Honingcraft honing process involves an abrasive cutting process. Honing uses conventional or super abrasives to cut metal chips until the bore geometry is at the perfect specifications. By changing the grade of the abrasive, Honingcraft can create a surface finish that is optimal for a hydraulic cylinder.

To manufacture a tube with the perfect size and roundness of the bore, the honing tool needs to make multiple passes along the length of the bore. Honing produces what is widely referred to as a plateau finish.

There is much better wear resistance and sealing characteristics when using precision honing to finish inside bore surfaces and is, therefore, the preferred method for critical, high-performance applications like mining machinery.

BETTER STEEL, BETTER CYLINDERS

Only the highest quality steel is used for top-calibre honed tubes. The flexibility of steel makes it possible for the metal to be used in numerous areas, which in essence adds to its safety. Steel has a carbon content that makes it malleable and the perfect material for hydraulic cylinders.

Low quality steel can result in oil leaks or pressure loss and necessitates regular and disruptive cylinder changes. Honingcraft only uses the best steel for your hydraulic cylinder projects and needs.

Honingcraft’s tubing is available in honed or unhoned variations. After cold drawing, the tubes are subjected to stress-relief heat treatment. Honingcraft offers two types of tube:

  • Ready for honing tubes: ID tolerance -0,2 mm -0,3 mm
  • Ready for burnishing tubes: ID tolerance -0,6 mm -0,9 mm

STEEL PIPE CLASSIFICATION

Steel pipes are classified into two types; Seamless steel pipes and welded steel pipes according to their manufacturing methods. The seamless steel pipe is made of high-quality carbon steel or alloy steel.

Construction Review Online explains “Seamless steel tubes are formed at one time during rolling. Welded steel pipes need to be welded after rolling, generally with spiral welding and straight welding. The performance of the seamless tube is better, and of course, the price is higher”

COLD DRAWN VERSUS HOT ROLLED

Cold-formed steels allow local buckling of the cross-section. This ensures the post-buckling bearing capacity can be fully utilised. Hot rolled steels, however, do not allow local buckling of the cross-section.

“Cold drawn steel is processed at room temperature. This is accomplished by hammering down hot rolled steel to fit through a die: a machine that turns and pulls the metal into its final elongated shape. The cross-section of this final shape can be round, square, rectangular, hexagonal, or octagonal, depending on the die. Cold drawn steel is ideal for long products, like shafting and structural parts, as well as consumer products that require an aesthetic finish” shares Brian Rothstein from Mead Metals Inc

THE HONINGCRAFT DIFFERENCE

Honingcraft’s variety of precision-free cutting steel makes them a preferred supplier for hydraulic manufacturers throughout Africa. These honing services ensure that every barrel is honed to the most acceptable tolerances of smoothness, concentricity and parallelism.

Unlike other suppliers, Honingcraft not only hones first then cuts to size, but they also provide the final hone to ensure geometrical precision and free of charge. Honingcraft also stocks their exclusive honed tube brand, known as Hone Tube.

When customers don’t it inconvenience to move cylinder barrels after welding takes place, Honingcraft offers Complete Barrels and Rods.

ALTERNATIVES TO HONING

Roller burnishing is a popular alternative to honing. It is a high production process that is considerably faster and more cost-efficient than honing. Here, the bore can be sized and finished in a single pass of a tool.

It is important to note that roller burnishing is very size specific and does not benefit companies who manufacture cylinders in various sizes and specifications. Roller burnished tubes also lack the “Plateau finish” necessary for manufacturing truly high-quality hydraulic cylinders that can deal with high pressure.

Improve efficiency and productivity without compromising safety, and minimise operational breakdowns. Choose Honingcraft for expert advice and solutions for quality honed tube.