Tube Made Under IATF 16949.
Round and rectangular mechanical tube for seat frames, brackets and structural parts, from a plant certified to the automotive quality standard.
Made under IATF 16949.
The automotive quality standard, with PPAP supplied on request.
What Our Tube Becomes.
Automotive buyers need the paperwork as much as the tube: IATF 16949, heat traceability and on-time releases. Pickled and oiled A513 bends and welds cleanly, with no scale to contaminate a robot weld.
- Seat frames
- Cross-car beams
- Brackets and mounts
- Bumper reinforcements
- Hitch and towing parts
- Aftermarket truck accessories
A Typical Order.
- Size
- 1.900 OD
- Wall
- .083 (14 ga)
- Spec
- A513 Type 1b
- Finish
- Pickled and oiled
- Length
- Cut to part length
- Volume
- Scheduled releases
Common Sizes for Automotive Parts.
These are typical choices by part type. The print sets the size, wall, spec and tolerance. Every size here is on our standard list.
Seat and Frame Tube
Round tube that is bent and welded into frames and crossbars.
Walls .083 to .120. A513 Type 1b.
Brackets and Reinforcements
Small rectangles and squares cut into short pieces and welded to a larger assembly.
Walls .083 to .134. A513 or A500.
Hitch and Truck Accessory Frames
Heavier square and rectangular tube for frames that carry a load.
Walls .120 to .188. A500 Grade C.
Rounds start at 1.900 OD. Pickled and oiled A513 is the usual choice when the outside size or the weld surface matters. See Finishes and Specs.
Why Parts Makers Buy Tube From a Mill.
Buying from the ERW mill that makes the tube puts the spec, the paperwork and the length under one plant's quality system.
Certified Plant
The Erie plant is registered to IATF 16949 and to ISO 9001 for ERW structural and mechanical tube. See Quality and Certificates.
Ordered to a Spec
A513 mechanical tube is made in grades 1010 to 1020 unless the print names another, so the steel is defined before the tube is formed.
Cut to Part Length
Tube can be cut to the length your bender or saw cell needs, from mill lengths of 20 to 48 feet. The cut-length calculator shows the drop.
Related.
Capabilities and Tools
Questions.
Have a print and a PPAP requirement? Send both with your quote request.
Is Heidtman Tubular IATF 16949 certified?
Yes. Heidtman Tubular Products and Heidtman Steel Products are registered to IATF 16949 at 640 Lavoy Road, and the tube mill is registered to ISO 9001 for structural and mechanical ERW tube.
Do you supply PPAP?
Yes, on request. Tell us the submission level and any customer-specific requirements with your quote. If a requirement is something we cannot provide, we will tell you up front.
Which spec is used for automotive tube?
Usually A513 mechanical tube, for its tighter outside tolerances, often in pickled and oiled steel so it welds cleanly.
Can you hold tighter tolerances than the spec?
Ask with your print. Unless we agree to something else before the order is acknowledged, the ASTM tolerances apply.
What is A513 Type 1b tube?
Mechanical tube welded from pickled and oiled steel. It has tighter outside tolerances than A500 and no mill scale, so it bends and welds cleanly.
How tight is the outside diameter on A513 round tube?
A513 round tube is held to .005 to .009 inch either way, depending on size. See How to Measure Tube for the tables.
What do I need to send for a quote?
The print and the quality requirements come first. Beyond that: spec and finish, length, volume and releases, and the paperwork you need with each shipment. The quote form asks for each one.
Tell Us the Size,
Wall and Footage.
One size or a whole program, in mill lengths or cut to your length. The quote form takes about two minutes.