710405Low cost light-weighting of tubular metal parts.ClosedGRD Proof of ConceptInnovate UKThe aim of this project is to design and develop a manufacturing process and proof of concept machinery capable of making long length butted metal tubing suitable for light-weighting structures. These tubes would have a precisely controlled but variable wall thickness (butting) along the length, with a constant outer tube diameter. The key project objective is to prove the proposed concept is feasible in practice by making a variety of metal (steel, aluminium, titanium) long length butted tubes using a semi-automated process. These tubes would indicate technical suitability in applications where low-cost weight reduction (in excess of 10%) will be a key selling feature. The project will identify key production parameters and provide data underpinning the design of a viable and cost-effective system for volume production. Reynolds invented butted tubing for bicycles in 1898, a feature that remains important to that industry even now for weight reduction. Reynolds current processes and production machines are limited to 0.75 metres in length, made one tube at a time using a “drawn over a mandrel” (DOM) manufacturing process. However, this process cannot be applied to longer and larger tubes. Reynolds proposed innovation will use a different manufacturing concept but use our existing skills and expertise in metal tube drawing, cold-working, tooling design and lubrication to increase our probability of success. This opens up new markets in many industrial sectors like metallic space-frames e.g roll cages where continuous lengths required (2 metres +) are required and light-weighting has a major benefit to the customer.