Category: stainless steel hypodermic tubing

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Seeing is Believing: Hypodermic Tubing Samples

Hypodermic Sample Card FRONT 1-30-2018Most researchers we work with don’t order a 60″ piece of hypodermic tubing from us because that’s exactly the size they need. They order it because it’s the industry standard, and they’ll figure out how to make it work for their application once it reaches the lab. But as the resource for R&D, that’s not good enough for us at Component Supply.  We know there is a better way. That’s why our fabrication division exists. CS Custom Fab can cut, deburr and clean this material to our customers’ specifications with speed, affordability, and precision.

But we know our R&D friends are busy, and the extra steps of requesting a quote or sending a drawing are sometimes cumbersome – especially if you don’t know what you’re getting. So, we’ve decided to send you a sample of our straight and bevel cut hypo tube whenever you purchase any quantity of hypodermic tubing. We’ve always believed that it is our responsibility to put the best components in the hands of the brightest researchers and product designers so they can change the world. We just had to get these samples into your hands so you can see exactly what we do in CS Custom Fab that makes the work of our customers so much more efficient.

One more thing: we treat our stock cut pieces the same way: http://bit.ly/2BLHlix. These pieces are cut, deburred and cleaned just like our custom jobs but with no minimum. We look forward to hearing from you!

parts@componentsupplycompany.com

The mission of Component Supply is to be a resource for reseachers and product designers by connecting them with the components and knowledge they need to change the world.

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What is CS Custom Fab?

Part Ends-bluebgAt Component Supply, we pride ourselves on being a resource for research and development with our comprehensive offerings, short lead times and low minimums. But, sometimes that’s not enough. Most of our customers don’t need a 60” piece of hypodermic tubing, a 72” piece of wire or a linear yard of mesh. The material needs some secondary operation performed on it for their application.

That’s where CS Custom Fab comes in by specializing in the quick, efficient modification and fabrication of parts for both research and production. Our long history of working closely with researchers and developers enables us to understand how a modified component can streamline a design or process. We work with engineers who are designing products in the earliest stages of development, and we enjoy the challenges that come with adjusting their designs. We excel at developing efficiencies in production to keep up with increased demands. Our ability to draw from various products and the depth of material we have on hand allow us to meet the production needs of our customers. Component Supply’s Custom Fab engineers can help you work through an idea you are pursuing, provide insight into your drawings and produce quality products quickly.

At Component Supply, we understand the challenges facing research labs. Knowing the stress of budget constraints, fast-approaching deadlines and rising expectations in technological advancement, our Supply and Custom Fab divisions are assisting from the earliest prototyping stages through the transition into production. It’s just another way we fulfill our mission to connect researchers and product designers with the components and knowledge they need to change the world.

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Bending Hypodermic Tubing

headshot1bwLet’s face it, bending a thin, little, hollow tube that’s smaller than a 1/16” diameter takes virtually no effort at all. The rub comes when you still want to be able to pass a gas or a liquid through that tube after it is bent.

Here’s the problem: Even though stainless steel hypodermic tubing is a full hard tube when you get down into the very small ODs like 0.013”- .032,” the tubes do not have enough tensile strength to remain at the radius they are formed. They spring back and you wind up having to bend them at a much smaller radius than your finished radius, thereby compounding your problems.

So, to start mitigating this problem, you need to address these three questions. How big? How steep? How long?

hypotube-compound-bend

How big (or small) is the OD and ID of the tube I need to bend? Generally speaking, the larger the diameter, the easier the tube is to bend. However, the thinner the wall, the more likely the tube wall is to collapse while being bent.

How steep of an angle do I need to bend? Obviously the greater the angle of bend, the more difficulty you will have in maintaining the wall integrity. We recently did a job for a customer who needed a 135° bend (in essence a V shape.) In this job, the issue was not how to maintain the tube’s ID, but how to minimize and control the collapse of the tube walls during the bending process.

How long can the radius be? The compression/tension forces on the tube walls are exponentially reduced as the radius increases. So your success rate will significantly increase as the radius increases.

So, before you design your next project incorporating some little innocuous bent hypodermic tubing consider these three very inter-related issues, and if there’s anything we can do to assist your process, please contact us: parts@componentsupplycompany.com.

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Use Storage Containers to Keep Your Stainless Steel Hypodermic Tubing Clean

When selecting stainless steel hypodermic tubing for your applications, you need to make sure it satisfies your specific requirements for the intended application. Whether you order the tubing in bulk, or use or secondary finishing operations for customizations, such as already cut to your preferred lengths, your tubing is delivered clean, deburred, and available for immediate usage. In order to keep your tubing clean, it is equally important for you to make sure you store your tubing in a clean environment to prevent dust, dirt and other contaminants from getting into the tubing, such as in our clean round plastic storage tubes.

Keeping your stainless steel hypodermic tubing stored in our clear round plastic storage tubes not only prevents it from becoming dirty, but also helps to keep it well organized. You are able to clearly see when you are running low of a specific gauge of tubing and are able to reorder the required inventory stock levels. Additionally, it makes it easier to take a physical inventory of your current stocks, without having to open up each tube, since you can perform your count by visually looking through the clear tube.

Our clear storage tubes are available in lengths, including 24 inches, 48 inches, 36 inches, and 72 inches, with inner diameters of 3/8 inches. The storage tubes are able to be cut to custom lengths with a pair of scissors. Any time you are cutting the storage tubes to custom lengths, also remember to order extra slip-over tubing caps.

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Cutting and Other Finishing Processes for Stainless Steel Hypodermic Tubing Requires the Right Equipment

Whenever you are cutting sections of stainless steel hypodermic tubing, you have to be careful to not crimp the ends. If you accidently crimp the ends, the tubing will not perform correctly. There are specific kinds of tools which can be used to ensure the proper cut without causing crimping. After the tubing has been cut, you may also need to debur the ends, so that they are smooth. Further, during deburring processes care has to be taken to ensure the ends of the tubing remain even. Another type of finishing process you might have to perform could be bending the tubing to a desired angle. Bending requires precision equipment to avoid kinking the tubing or breaking it in the location of the angle.

In the event you are having problems with completing finishing processes on your own, or lack the proper tools and equipment, you have other options available to ensure you receive the proper stock of tubing. For instance, we offer many of these secondary services to help you obtain hypodermic tubing precisely cut to your specifications and project requirements. We are also able to take care of deburring, cleaning, and bending the tubing to the desired angle. For applications that require small precut sections of tubing in one, two or three inch lengths, we carry regular-walled tubing ready for order without having to request additional secondary options, as well as one and two inch cut lengths of hypodermic tubing with 90 degree bends.

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Bending Thin Wall Stainless Tubing Can Be More Complex

When you need custom finishing processes with stainless steel tubing, certain processes are not suited for thin wall stainless tubing. For instance, bending can be more complicated, because the wall is thinner. In certain cases, bending the tubing at extreme angles may not be possible, as it would cause the tubing to kink, crack or break. In situations where you require your tubing to be bent to a custom angle, it is better to use regular wall tubing, whenever possible. However, if regular wall does not work for your applications or procedures, you are able to send in your specifications required for the thin wall tubing and allow us to create some test pieces to ensure they meet your exact specifications and needs.

Thin Wall Stainless Tubing Is Customized in Different Ways

Thin wall stainless tubing can be custom cut and beveled to your specifications and requirements. The tubing is also able to be combined with other materials to create different products, such as passing a straightened wire through the interior of the tubing to create guide wire assemblies. You could attach the tubing to polypropylene luer hubs to create needle assemblies. Needle assemblies can be directly attached to bottles, syringes and other such devices, for a variety of applications and processes in several industries. For instance, glues, oils, adhesives and lubricants are all able to be precisely measured, using a syringe, and delivered to the desired location during manufacturing procedures. Because you are using accurate measurements, you are also able to control waste and ensure production quality standards are maintained, as you avoid using either too much, or too little, of the fluid.

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Stainless Steel Hypodermic Tubing Can Be Coated with PTFE Shrink Tubing

In some applications and processes where stainless steel hypodermic tubing is used, leaving it unprotected could result in exposure to corrosive agents. However, there is an easy solution you can use to avoid this problem. All that is required is to apply a layer of PTFE heat shrink tubing over the hypodermic tubing. PTFE is chemically inert and offers corrosion resistance, so you are able to keep the hypodermic tube safe. PTFE is also non-reactive, so it can also be used to coat your hypodermic tubing in situations where biocompatibility is a concern. You may even use PTFE on the outside of your guide wire assemblies.

Stainless Steel Hypodermic Tubing Is Offered in a Variety of Gauges

Stainless steel hypodermic tubing is offered in a wide assortment of gauges which can be ordered in standard lengths or custom cut to lengths that fit your applications. Standard lengths available include thirty inches and sixty inches. You are also able to obtain stock quantities of pre-cut one inch, two inch or three inch lengths. In situations where these sizes do not fit with your needs, secondary processes are able to be used to deliver the desired size. Cutting the tubing involves using specific processes, in order to ensure the ends are not crimped or damaged, and each piece of tubing is identical in length. Once cut, deburring and cleaning processes are often used on the ends to give them a smooth finish. Other secondary processes available, whenever you require them, include bending and beveling the tubing to your specifications.

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You Can Stock Small Sections of Stainless Steel Hypodermic Tubing

Some of your applications and process can require using small lengths of stainless steel hypodermic tubing. In the past, you may have had to use secondary services to obtain the required quantities. However, you now have the option of ordering as little as a single piece of tubing in one, two or three inch lengths. Each piece has been cut to size, deburred and is ready to be used. This option gives you the ability to stock an inventory of these sizes and have it on hand anytime it is required.

Use Small Sections of Stainless Steel Hypodermic Tubing for Spacing 

There are different reasons to use small sections of stainless steel hypodermic tubing. For example, you may need to maintain set spacing in between two sections within your components. By using the tubing, you are able to ensure each part remains in its desired location and does not shift or move during other assembly and production processes.  Another use could be to protect small sections of wiring from accidental bending.

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Avoid Cross Contamination When Using Stainless Steel Hypodermic Tubing

Whenever you use stainless steel hypodermic tubing for industrial applications you should avoid cross contamination. For instance, this tubing is often used to deliver various types of adhesives, glues and lubricants to various products. You would want to avoid using the same tubing to apply both adhesives and lubricants. Glue could remain in the tubing which may get mixed with the lubricant. The glue might harden and cause damage to areas within the product where lubrication is required.

Label Bottles Used with Stainless Steel Hypodermic Tubing Needle Assemblies

You should make sure to label bottles whenever you are using stainless steel hypodermic tubing needle assembles as part of your fluid delivery system. On the outside of the bottle you need to list the type of material, such as the kind of lubricant, glue, adhesive or ink. If the materials have a shelf life you need to also include the date you put the material into the bottle as well as the expiration date. By correctly labeling your bottles you can avoid using expired materials as well as errors in accidently grabbing the wrong bottle during production processes.

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Use Stainless Steel Hypodermic Tubing to Apply Enamel to Pressed Metals

One manufacturing process which uses stainless steel hypodermic tubing is applying enamel to pressed metals. The recesses created from metal stamping can be filled in with colored enamel and baked. Hypodermic tubing allows precise measurements of liquid enamel in order to ensure the correct color and amount of enamel are applied to each location within the stamped area.

Stainless Steel Hypodermic Tubing Can Be Used for Manual and Automated Delivery Processes

There are different options and methods available for using stainless steel hypodermic tubing for manufacturing processes. You could use the tubing as part of a needle assembly and attach it to a bottle or syringe for manual applications. Bottles and syringes often have marked measurements on the sides so you are able to determine the correct level of adhesive, glue, enamel or other liquid to apply. Tubing can also be attached to automated delivery systems where a computer controls the amount of liquid to release as parts and components pass down an automated assembly line.