{"id":8542,"date":"2025-01-14T06:37:17","date_gmt":"2025-01-14T06:37:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.fhopepack.com\/videos\/?p=8542"},"modified":"2026-10-21T13:53:30","modified_gmt":"2026-10-21T13:53:30","slug":"how-to-packing-the-steel-tube-automatically","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.fhopepack.com\/videos\/how-to-packing-the-steel-tube-automatically\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Pack Steel Tubes Automatically: Collecting, Bundle Forming, Strapping and Weighing"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Packing steel tubes by hand is slow, inconsistent and hard on people. For production engineers and purchasing managers evaluating an automatic solution, this guide walks through how a steel tube packing line does the job end to end: collecting tubes from the mill conveyor, forming them into a bundle, strapping the bundle and weighing it on the outfeed. Which configuration fits your plant comes down to three selection conditions \u2014 tube size, bundle shape and required throughput \u2014 and each one is addressed in the sections below. The video is our own 3D animation of the line design.<\/p>\n<h2>Overview<\/h2>\n<p>The animation follows one bundle through the whole process. Tubes come off the mill conveyor and are picked by magnet or vacuum lifters. They are laid into a forming frame that shapes the bundle \u2014 round or hexagon. An automatic steel strap head bands the finished bundle, and the bundle is weighed on the outfeed conveyor. The operator sets tube size and bundle shape on the control panel, and the line switches to that mode.<\/p>\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"358\" height=\"636\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/_8MgtMO_lWY\" title=\"How to Pack Steel Tubes Automatically: Collecting, Bundle Forming, Strapping and Weighing\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<p>The point of the line is that every stage is linked. Collection feeds forming, forming feeds strapping, strapping feeds weighing. Once the operator selects the recipe, the line runs that recipe without manual rework between stations.<\/p>\n<h2>What the animation shows<\/h2>\n<p>The sequence to follow is the process chain: pick, place, shape, strap, weigh. What makes the line work is not any single station but the control logic that ties them together. The operator&#8217;s settings \u2014 tube size and bundle shape \u2014 are entered once on the control panel, and those settings drive every downstream station. The collector&#8217;s handling, the former&#8217;s frame geometry, the strapping head&#8217;s positions and the weighing station&#8217;s range all take their parameters from the same recipe.<\/p>\n<p>That is why the sequence is worth watching in order. Each stage is designed around the one before it, and the recipe is the thread running through all of them. Change the recipe, and the whole chain adapts together \u2014 which is what keeps bundles consistent from one cycle to the next, without re-teaching individual stations.<\/p>\n<h2>Stations in the line<\/h2>\n<p>The line is built from four working stations, each with a single clear job:<\/p>\n<p><strong>Collector.<\/strong> The collector is the interface to the mill. It lifts tubes off the conveyor \u2014 magnet lifters for carbon steel, vacuum or padded mechanical arms for stainless \u2014 and hands them to the forming area at a controlled rate.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Former.<\/strong> The former receives tubes one at a time and lays them into a forming frame. The frame geometry determines whether the finished bundle is round or hexagon. The PLC recipe selects the bundle profile \u2014 round or hexagon \u2014 on the control panel, and the mechanical adaptation and changeover boundaries within the tube-size range are confirmed by drawings at the project quotation stage.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Strapping.<\/strong> Once the bundle is formed, an automatic steel strap head bands it at set points along its length. Strap positions come from the recipe, so spacing is consistent from bundle to bundle.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Weighing.<\/strong> The outfeed weighing station records the bundle weight for the label. That weight travels with the bundle, which simplifies traceability and shipping paperwork downstream.<\/p>\n<h2>Straps per bundle<\/h2>\n<p>The number of straps follows from tube length and strap spacing. Here is a worked example with illustrative values:<\/p>\n<table>\n<thead><tr><th>Item<\/th>\n<th>Value<\/th><\/tr><\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr><td>Tube length (illustrative)<\/td>\n<td>6,000 mm<\/td><\/tr>\n<tr><td>Strap spacing (illustrative)<\/td>\n<td>1,500 mm<\/td><\/tr>\n<tr><td>Straps per bundle, 6,000 \u00f7 1,500 + 1<\/td>\n<td>5<\/td><\/tr>\n<tr><td>Bundles per hour (illustrative)<\/td>\n<td>20<\/td><\/tr>\n<tr><td>Straps per hour, 5 \u00d7 20<\/td>\n<td>100<\/td><\/tr>\n<\/tbody><\/table>\n<p>The logic is simple: straps per bundle equals strap positions plus one. A 6,000 mm bundle strapped every 1,500 mm gets five straps \u2014 at both ends and three points between. At twenty bundles per hour, that is one hundred strap cycles per hour.<\/p>\n<p>These numbers are illustrative, not a rating of the machine. Your actual figures come from your tube lengths, your chosen strap spacing and your target output. We confirm all of that in the proposal stage.<\/p>\n<h2>What we set per tube<\/h2>\n<p>Each product runs from a recipe. The settings that matter:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Collector: steel or stainless tube.<\/li>\n<li>Bundle shape: round or hexagon.<\/li>\n<li>Straps: number per bundle.<\/li>\n<li>Scale: weight range.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>The collector choice is driven by material. Magnet lifters suit carbon steel tubes. For stainless, magnets are not an option, so we use vacuum lifters or padded mechanical arms to avoid marking the surface.<\/p>\n<p>Bundle shape, strap count and scale range are all set from the panel. Entering a new tube size and bundle shape tells the PLC which recipe mode to run across the line. The mechanical adjustments and changeover limits inside the tube-size range are then settled from the layout drawings during project quotation.<\/p>\n<h2>Selection checklist<\/h2>\n<p>Before we can match a line to your mill, we work through these points:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Tube OD, wall and length.<\/li>\n<li>Steel or stainless.<\/li>\n<li>Bundle shape and count.<\/li>\n<li>Straps per bundle.<\/li>\n<li>Bundles per hour.<\/li>\n<li>Weighing and labels.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Tube OD, wall and length drive the former geometry and the collector capacity. Material \u2014 steel or stainless \u2014 determines the lifting method. Bundle shape and tubes per bundle define the forming frame. Straps per bundle and bundles per hour size the strapping head. And whether you need weighing and label printing decides what happens on the outfeed.<\/p>\n<p>The more complete your answers, the closer the first proposal will be to a buildable design.<\/p>\n<h2>Safety<\/h2>\n<p>An automatic line has moving stations, lifting equipment and a strapping head, so operating discipline matters:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Keep clear of moving stations.<\/li>\n<li>Stay outside the fence while the line runs.<\/li>\n<li>Lock out before clearing a jam.<\/li>\n<li>For CE markets, the machine is designed to ISO 12100 and EN 415-10.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>On standards: EN 415-10 serves as a design reference and ISO 12100 as a risk-assessment method for machines intended for CE markets. They are not delivery certifications. Certification of a delivered machine is confirmed in the project ordering agreement.<\/p>\n<h2>Engineering FAQ<\/h2>\n<p><strong>What does the line do?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>It collects, bundles, straps and weighs steel tubes \u2014 the four stations described above, running as one line.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Magnet or vacuum?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Magnet lifters for carbon steel tubes; for stainless we choose vacuum or padded mechanical arms. The choice protects the tube surface as well as the lifting function.<\/p>\n<p><strong>How many straps per bundle?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Five straps on a 6 m bundle in the worked example \u2014 based on 1,500 mm strap spacing over a 6,000 mm tube length.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Can it make hexagon bundles?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Yes, round or hexagon. The bundle shape is a recipe setting on the panel.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Is the animation a real design?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Yes, it is our line design shown in 3D. The animation reflects the actual station layout and process sequence we engineer.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Which standards apply?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>For CE markets, ISO 12100 and EN 415-10. As noted above, EN 415-10 is a design reference and ISO 12100 is a risk-assessment method \u2014 not a delivery certification. Certification of a delivered machine is confirmed in the project ordering agreement.<\/p>\n<h2>Next step<\/h2>\n<p>We match a tube bundling line in three steps:<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li><strong>Submit your layout drawing<\/strong> with tube sizes, bundle shapes and bundles per hour, to <strong>info@fhopepack.com<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<li><strong>We review your details and confirm the specification with you.<\/strong> We reply with a proposal after we confirm the details, including machine data and layout.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Book a site survey<\/strong> so we confirm the mill exit.<\/li>\n\n<p>The layout drawing is the fastest starting point. Tube sizes, bundle shapes and bundles per hour tell us what the former, collector and strapping head need to do. The site survey then verifies the mill exit conditions, so the collector interface is designed against reality rather than assumption.<\/p>\n<p>If you are still early in planning, the related guides below cover individual machines in more depth \u2014 wire tying for rebar and rod bundles, horizontal orbital wrapping for pipes, and horizontal stretch wrapping for narrow profiles on roller conveyors.<\/p>\n<h2>Related reading<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.fhopepack.com\/videos\/how-to-tying-rebar-and-rod-bundle-by-wire-automatically\/\">Rebar and Rod Bundle Wire Tying Machine<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.fhopepack.com\/videos\/automatic-horizontal-orbital-wrapping-machine-for-pipes-and-bundles\/\">Horizontal Orbital Wrapping Machine for Pipes<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.fhopepack.com\/videos\/horizontal-stretch-wrapping-machine-for-narrow-object-with-roller-conveyor\/\">Horizontal Wrapper for Narrow Profiles on Rollers<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.fhopepack.com\/Automatic-Packing-Line\/\">Automatic packing lines<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Sources<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>Machine content: FHOPE engineering team, 2026-10-10<\/li>\n<li>Clip: the video on YouTube<\/li>\n<li>Straps per bundle: our worked example, illustrative values<\/li>\n<li>Standards scope: ISO 12100:2010; EN 415-10:2014<\/li>\n<\/ul><\/ol>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Packing steel tubes by hand is slow, inconsistent and hard on people. For production engineers and purchasing managers evaluating an automatic solution, this guide walks through how a steel tube packing line does the job [&hellip;]<\/p>","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":8543,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_seopress_titles_title":"Automatic Steel Tube Bundling and Strapping Line","_seopress_titles_desc":"Our steel tube bundling line in 3D: collecting tubes, forming the bundle, strapping and weighing it. 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