Resumen ejecutivo
A super large steel tube bundle forming and packing line builds big round pipes into tight hexagon bundles and straps them for shipping. Long rows of forming arms hold the pipes in shape along the full length while the strapper ties them. Our line takes round pipe from Ø 114.3 to 323.9 mm and builds hexagon bundles up to 1,100 mm wide, 16 m long and 13,000 kg. A worked example sizes a 19-pipe hexagon.
Índice
- Why large pipe is shipped in hexagon bundles
- Lo que hace la línea
- Two ways to stack the bundle
- Gama de tuberías y haces
- Worked example: a 19-pipe hexagon
- How the strap is joined
- After strapping: wrapping and stacking
- Lista de verificación de selección
- Seguridad: EN 415-10 e ISO 12100
- Preguntas frecuentes sobre ingeniería
- El próximo paso
- Lectura relacionada
- Fuentes
Why large pipe is shipped in hexagon bundles
Round pipe nests naturally: each pipe sits in the groove between two below it. A hexagon bundle uses that nesting, so it is the tightest and most stable shape for round pipe. It also has flat sides to stack on and lift by. For big, heavy pipe, a loose or lopsided bundle is dangerous to lift and ship, so the forming must hold every pipe in place until the straps are on.
Lo que hace la línea
The bundle lies on a long green conveyor bed. Along its length, rows of yellow forming arms close in from both sides and hold the hexagon shape, so a 12 m or 16 m bundle cannot sag or open between straps. The bundle moves step by step through the strapper, which puts a strap at each programmed position. Behind the forming section, a gantry frame spans the line, and the operator works from a console at the strapping station.
Before forming, the line picks pipes one by one from the run-out, blows them clean, aligns and counts them, and lays them row by row.
Two ways to stack the bundle
We build bundle stacking two ways:
- Mechanical arm stacking. Arms lift each counted row and lower it into the forming bed. It suits round pipe of any steel grade.
- Electromagnetic stacking. A magnetic chuck picks the row and places it. It is quick and suits square and rectangular tubes as well.
Both come as full-automatic lines with automatic strapping, or as semi-automatic bundlers with manual strapping.
Gama de tuberías y haces
| Parámetro | Valor |
|---|---|
| Tubo redondo | 114.3–323.9 mm de diámetro |
| tubo cuadrado/rectangular | 90 × 90–250 × 250 mm / 80 × 100–200 × 300 mm |
| espesor de pared | 3.0 – 12.7 mm |
| Hexagon bundle width | 450 – 1,100 mm |
| Hexagon bundle height | 350 – 1,000 mm |
| Longitud Mínima | 4.5-16 m |
| Peso del paquete | máx. 13,000 kg |
| Fornido | automatic steel strap, 25 and 32 mm |
| Espesor de la correa | 0.8 / 1.0 mm |
| tensión de la correa | 7,000–18,000 norte |
| Conjunto | double seal notch (seal-less joint on request) |
| Alimentación y recogida de la correa | 2-3 m / s |
| Presión de trabajo hidráulica | 80-90 bares |
| Out conveyor | about 43 m with the strapper |
| Apilado | chain stacker for 5 bundles |
Worked example: a 19-pipe hexagon
Illustrative pipe: Ø 219.1 × 6 mm, 12 m long. A hexagon with n pipes on each side holds 3n(n − 1) + 1 pipes.
| Comprobar | Cálculo | Resultado |
|---|---|---|
| Pipes, n = 3 per side | 3 × 3 × 2 + 1 | 19 |
| Bundle width (across the middle row) | (2n − 1) × D = 5 × 219.1 | ≈ 1,096 mm |
| Altura del paquete | D + (2n − 2) × D × √3/2 | ≈ 978 mm |
| Masa por metro | π × (219.1 − 6) × 6 × 7,850 × 10⁻⁶ | ≈ 31.5 kg/m |
| Mass per pipe | × 31.5 12 | ≈ 378 kg |
| Bundle mass | × 19 378 | ≈ 7.2 toneladas |
Resultado. The 19-pipe hexagon is 1,096 mm wide and 978 mm high, just inside the 1,100 × 1,000 mm limits, at 7.2 t. One size up, Ø 273.1 mm pipe at n = 3 would be 1,366 mm wide, too wide for the bundle bed. That pipe goes at n = 2, which gives 7 pipes per bundle and an 819 mm width. The hexagon size, not the weight, usually sets the pipe count for big pipe.
How the strap is joined
Our tube bundle strapper feeds 25 or 32 mm steel strap at 2–3 m/s and pulls it to between 7,000 and 18,000 N. It joins the ends with a seal and a double notch, so the joint holds under the pull of a heavy bundle.
Where a mill wants no loose seals in the line, we also quote a seal-less joint without a buckle. The tension is set for the pipe size, so thin-wall pipe is not dented by the strap.
A simple strap-count check helps at the planning stage. Straps per bundle = (bundle length − 2 × end distance) ÷ strap spacing + 1. The end distance and spacing come from your shipping specification. Strapping time per bundle = straps × time per strap, with the time per strap confirmed for your strap size at quote.
After strapping: wrapping and stacking
The out conveyor carries strapped bundles sideways to the chain stacker. Where pipe must stay clean or dry, a horizontal orbital wrapper can film-wrap the bundle after strapping.
Lista de verificación de selección
- Pipe diameters, wall thicknesses and lengths.
- Bundle shape and pipes per bundle.
- Stacking method: mechanical arm or electromagnetic.
- Strap width and straps per bundle.
- Mill speed in pipes per minute.
- Wrapping, labelling and stacking after strapping.
Seguridad: EN 415-10 e ISO 12100
We design the line to EN 415-10 and assess its risks to ISO 12100. With bundles of many tonnes, the hazards are the moving bundle, the closing forming arms and the strapping head.
The line is fenced, and its access gates are interlocked, so the forming arms and conveyors stop when a gate opens. People stay outside while the arms move, and the strapper is run from its console. Guard types and safety ratings are set from the risk assessment and confirmed at quote.
Preguntas frecuentes sobre ingeniería
Q: How many pipes go in a bundle? A: For a hexagon with n pipes per side, 3n(n − 1) + 1: 7, 19, 37 and so on, limited by the bundle width and height.
Q: Can one line do round and square tube? A: Yes. The forming device adjusts to hexagon, square or rectangular bundles.
Q: What is the heaviest bundle? A: 13,000 kg, up to 16 m long.
Q: How is the strap joined? A: With a seal and a double notch, at 7,000–18,000 N. A seal-less joint is available on request.
Q: Which standard applies? A: EN 415-10 for the line, and ISO 12100 for the risk assessment.
El próximo paso
- Send pipe sizes, lengths and bundle counts a info@fhopepack.com.
- Nosotros extendemos the forming, strapping and stacking.
- Respondemos dentro de las 24 horas. con un diseño y una cotización.
Lectura relacionada
- Automatic packing line for steel tube bundle (product)
- Línea de haces de tubos de acero rectangulares
- Línea de embalaje de haces de tubos de acero
- 32 mm heavy-duty steel tube bundle strapping machine with buckle
- Automatic steel pipe bundling and strapping machine
Fuentes
- FHOPE product pages: automatic packing line for steel tube bundle; steel tube bundle strapping machine
- FHOPE project notes on bundle stacking methods and line versions
- Our large tube bundle forming line shown above
- Worked example: illustrative figures; steel density 7,850 kg/m³
- Normas: EN 415-10; ISO 12100:2010
Última revisión: 19/10/2026
