What is Ground & Polished Tubing (TGP)?
Ground and polished tubing, also referred to throughout the industry as turned, ground, and polished tubing or TGP is a uniquely processed metal product that is further refined through a series of finishing processes. These processes include turning in a lathe, grinding away finite layers of material to create the desired finish, and subsequently polishing the tubing to achieve a smooth or mirror-like finish depending on the end application.
Ground and polished tubing offers impeccable precision over standard hot-rolled or cold-drawn steel bars and has become an invaluable resource for countless industries. This page provides more insight into the process behind machining this product, the benefits of using this processed steel, and some common real-world applications of the product.
The Process Behind Ground & Polished Tubing
All ground and polished tubing first starts with a piece of coarse and unfinished steel bar that has similar dimensions to the final measurements outlined in the customer's specifications. Much like the name suggests, creating finished TGP requires a three-step process that takes a rough-grade steel bar and converts it into a finished piece of steel tubing.
Step One: Turning
Completed on a lathe, turning the steel bar is the first step toward creating a finished piece of tubing. After the raw steel bar is tightened it begins to spin at increasingly faster RPMs underneath a supremely durable cutting tool. Once the bar is rotating at the desired speed, the cutting tool is gradually lowered and passes along the bar, removing a small amount of material at a time. Depending on the final measurements required by the customer, the cutting tool may need to make multiple passes.
Step Two: Grinding
Now that the steel bar has been turned down to a close approximation of the final measurements, it is ready for the second step of the preparation process. Grinding utilizes varying degrees of coarse wheels to remove any remaining rough material or burrs created during turning. Grinding can help achieve the incredibly precise specifications required by specialty applications and reach dimensional tolerances as fine as 0.0005".
Step Three: Polishing
The last step of creating ground and polished tubing is less about achieving the specific dimensional tolerances specified by the customer and more about creating an intentional visual finish. Polishing is critical for achieving uniformly smooth and mirror-like finishes on TGP for use in high-precision applications. In many instances, these finished components are operating under conditions where any imperfections could result in devastating consequences or total failure.
Benefits of Using TGP Steel Tubing
There is a wide array of benefits of using ECONSTEEL ground and polished tubing in comparison to alternative materials. TGP offers customers the highest degree of overall finished accuracy to precision tolerances, superior straightness, and premium quality finishes free of any defects or imperfections that could negatively affect the part's machinability or final performance. Several additional advantages of using ECONSTEEL ground tubing on your next project are below.
- Adherence to Tight Tolerances: TGP can be machined on a lathe to strict specifications and tolerances demanded by customers in the automotive, engineering, manufacturing, and energy industries. Along with the subsequent grinding and polishing procedures conducted by experienced operators, tubing can be repeatedly produced to within ± 0.005".
- Unmatched Straightness: All base steel materials used for the production of ground and polished tubing are thoroughly measured and inspected to guarantee optimal straightness. This is crucial for applications like crankshaft manufacturing, axles, bolts, and internal engine components where straightness is paramount.
- Expedited Turnaround Times & Cost Savings: By outsourcing the TGP process to an experienced provider like ECONSTEEL, customers can save both valuable time and money. Rather than wait for raw materials to arrive and go through the machining process or spend the extra capital to purchase the necessary equipment to complete the process on their own, customers who purchase directly can remain one step ahead of project deadlines and budgetary restrictions.
Common Applications
Thanks to the incredible precision and quality of ground and polished tubing, it has become increasingly important to several industries and countless general fabrication applications. ECONSTEEL offers several different shapes (round, square, and rectangular), dimensions, and lengths of steel tubing, making it an ideal supplier for the industries and final components mentioned below.
- Heavy Equipment Manufacturing: Piston rods, crankshafts, driveshafts, gears, axles, and countless other critical components that are expected to provide reliable performance and dependability in challenging environments.
- Oil & Gas Production: TGP is used to produce various gears, pistons, and shafts required to efficiently obtain and transport petroleum products.
- General Fabrication or Machining Applications: Any application that requires incredibly precise and durable shafts utilizes TGP products. Steel shafts can be used to machine gears, sockets, pistons, bearings, and construction materials such as bolts, screws, and tools.
Sourcing Ground & Polished Tubing with ECONSTEEL
Ground and polished tubing from ECONSTEEL is a reliable and cost-effective solution for industries requiring premium quality, aesthetically pleasing, and durable steel tubing. With in-house precision grinding and polishing processes, ECONSTEEL ensures each product meets rigid tolerances and specifications, making it an ideal product for applications across the automotive, heavy equipment, and general manufacturing sectors. Sourcing TGP directly from ECONSTEEL not only guarantees your project utilizes top-tier materials but also saves valuable time and money by streamlining the supply chain and limiting capital investment into additional processing equipment and experienced labor. If you are looking for a quote on ground and polished tubing, please contact a member of the ECONSTEEL team today for a quote.