PM aluminum pneumatic tubing by Festo can resist weld splatter

Festo PM tubing utilizes standard push connectors, green centre, for fast, lower-cost installs compared to laminated tubbing. The sleek aluminum tube requires minimum space.

Festo Canada scores another innovation breakthrough with PM aluminum pneumatic tubing for welding cells, which outperforms steel and laminated alternatives. This weld-splatter-resistant solution offers higher durability, flexibility, ease of installation, and cost savings. Perfect for new welding cells, PM tubing is a retrofit product that saves time and money.

One customer, Sodecia GTAX, is an early adopter of PM tubing and recommends it as an ideal solution.

More efficient pneumatic setup

PM aluminum tubing can be located closer than laminated tubing to the welding process, which creates a more efficient pneumatic setup with no burn-through. This tubing has no clearance issues, since it has a nominal outer diameter, as opposed to some laminated options. Festo has designed this product for use with standard pneumatic push connectors, right out of the box, whereas laminated options usually need special tools or oversized connectors; technicians must strip away lamination to use standard connectors. PM tubing retains its shape once formed and stays in place without extra clips or tie-downs.

Another advantage: PM tubing is substantially less expensive than steel tubing. Steel needs special tools to bend it, while users easily form PM tubing by hand to conform to the contours of the welding system.

Based in London, Ont., Sodecia is a global Tier 1 supplier of structural components to the automotive sector, with a core competency in designing, building, and providing training for MIG welding production cells. The company is always researching products that improve efficiency, and PM tubing fills the bill. Sodecia found this solution to be the best option for its cells, as it maintains the advantages of conventional tubing with extra benefits like flame resistance – all with lower cost and time spent.

Among the improvements that Sodecia cites from PM tubing over past products: inherent resistance to high temperatures; less bulk; no specialized tooling or connectors needed; the user’s ability to profile it by hand; no need for multiple anchor points; and retainment of shape for fast reinstallation. Users can insert or remove it from connectors many times without degrading a tight, leak-free seal.

To learn more, contact Festo Canada.

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