Fine Tubes, a leading manufacturer and global distributor of precision tubes for critical applications, is currently producing seamless Grade 9 and Grade 5 titanium tubing for Airbus and Liebherr. The company is one of the few suppliers with the capability to produce products of this type.

The tubing will be used for the high pressure hydraulic systems required for the Airbus A380 and for the high lift transmission systems designed and produced by Liebherr for the A350 XWB, due to go into service in 2014.

The density of titanium is about 60 per cent of that of steel- or nickel-based alloys giving significant weight savings even though its tensile strength is greater than that of austenitic or ferritic stainless steels. Highly corrosion resistant, titanium also exceeds the resistance of stainless steels in most environments, is non-magnetic and has good heat transfer properties with a melting point higher than steel alloys.

Seamless tubes are typically superior to welded products in terms of resistance to high pressures and fatigue and Fine Tubes uses multiple combinations of different processes, including cold reductions and heat treatments, to manufacture to the exact and demanding specifications demanded by customers such as Airbus and Liebherr.

Paul Mallett, Fine Tubes' Business Development Manager Aerospace, commented: “The advantages that Titanium offers in terms of weight saving and strength make it an ideal material for high performance aircraft applications and we are seeing a definite increase in its specification by a range of end users – from the aerospace to the offshore to the medical equipment industries. Working with titanium to produce high grade, seamless tubing calls for a level of expertise for which Fine Tubes is rapidly acquiring an exemplary reputation."