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by Luke Wurban on Wed, Sep 18, 2019 @ 15:09 PM
Two essential items in building a fluid system are the Swagelok tube cutter and the Swagelok deburring tool. Swagelok's Tech Tip video explains how to properly cut and deburr tubing the first time, every time.
These two handheld tools are essential for preparing tubing for assembly
Two essential items in building a fluid system are the Swagelok tube cutter and the Swagelok deburring tool. It's important to use both of these hand tools properly, so here's a quick tutorial:
- Open up the cutter by turning the handle counterclockwise
- Insert the tubing on the rollers
- Turn the handle clockwise until the rollers, tubing and cutter all make contact
Be careful not to over-tighten, which will create a flat spot on the tubing and make it harder to cut.
Now all you have to do is get a good grip on the tubing (our Swagelok tube grip pads can assist) and rotate the cutter two or three times around the outside diameter of the tubing. Next, snug the handle and rotate the cutter again.
Keep repeating this process of snugging and rotating until the blade cuts all the way through the tubing. You'll be able to hear and feel when the job is done.
To demonstrate the process, we've created a short video:
Time to deburr
When the blade moves through the wall of the tubing, it leaves some burrs on both the inside diameter and the outside. Burrs are rough edges of metal on the inside or outside of tubing which could be detrimental to your fluid systems. Without a flush finish on your tubing, a proper seal may not occur, which could create leakage, lost product, or safety issues. Further, without deburring your tubing, small metal particles could contaminate your samples or damage expensive components.
To get rid of them, it's time to bring out the deburring tool. It's a cylindrical hand-sized tool with a metal cone coming up through the center. Simply put the end of the tubing down onto the metal cone, making sure that you keep the tubing vertical. That's because we want the burr shavings to fall down into the tool, away from the tubing.
Rotate the tool around the end of the tubing until all the burrs are removed from the inside diameter.
Next, flip the deburring tool over to deal with the tubing's outside diameter. Use the same rotating action, and again remember to keep the tubing vertical so that all the burr shavings fall away from it.
We offer a variety of training classes to help you and your employees develop, build, and maintain dependable fluid systems, and we are always glad to show people how to get the most out of Swagelok products and tools. Feel free to ask us with a call to 780-437-0640 or by contacting us through our website.
