1. No matter the material, measure the diameter of the pipe or tube to be cut to ensure that you use the right-size tube cutter for the job.

Many factors are involved in choosing a particular method or technology for cutting tube or pipe. The basic factors that affect the cut are the tube or pipe material, wall thickness, squareness of ends, end-conditioning requirements, and secondary process requirements.Other factors that play a role include production volume, cutting efficiency, overhead costs, and special requirements of the tube or pipe material.

1. Abrasive Cutting
Abrasive sawing is a basic, manual method of cutting-to-length product to the customer’s specification in any alloy.

2. Band Saw Cutting
Band saw cutting is a fully automatic process and the most common method for cutting rod, bar, pipe, and tubing. This process is excellent for large-volume cutting. Some band saws can handle large product bundles.

3. Cold Sawing
High-precision cold sawing is suitable for cutting smaller-diameter or thin-walled material that requires tight tolerances. A circular cold saw uses a wheel blade and cutting fluid, which usually is applied with a mist lubricator.

4. Laser Cutting
Despite the high capital cost, a laser cutting system provides a range of capabilities and associated advantages. Easily controlled with automation equipment (CNC), a laser allows an operator to cut, deburr, inspect, and even pack material while the laser runs continuously.

5. Lathe Cutting
Lathe cutting is ideal for thin-walled material, producing square cut ends with minimum burr. Multiple cross slides permit deburring orchamfering the OD of both ends during the lathe cutting process.

6. Shearing
A tube shear is a completely automatic, high-speed machine that uses two shearing plates and two ID punches under extreme pressure to cut tubing. The shearing action is the same for all sizes and wall thicknesses with maximum limits.