Our Expertise
The specialist in custom manufacturing of high-precision small metal tubes, tubular components, and assemblies.
We provide innovative solutions to our clients’ needs by assisting them from the design stage of their tube, component, or assembly.
A wide variety of materials including stainless steels, nickel alloys, superalloys, materials for surgical implants, and many others.
From prototype to mass production, we have the teams and production capabilities to meet lead time and competitiveness requirements.
Materials
Minitubes' expertise covers the production of custom tubes
from a wide variety of alloys, either from stock or on demand:
- Cobalt-Chromium Alloys: L605®, MP35N®, 35N LT, Phynox®, Elgiloy® …
- Stainless Steels: 300 and 904L series
- Nickel and its Alloys: Ni series, Monel®, Inconel series, Ni-Cr & Hastelloys®.
- Age hardening on request.
- Precious Metals: gold, platinum, platinum iridium, palladium, silver.
- Tantalum.
- Mumetal® and ferrous alloys with controlled expansion (Invar®, N48, N52, FeNiCo).
- Patented Customer Alloys: With extensive experience in metal management and process development, Minitubes is able to produce tubes from patented customer alloys.
Our specialists are available to assist you in selecting the most suitable material for your application.
Drawing
Our specialty is the custom manufacturing of precision metal tubes.
These tubes can be produced in coils or straight lengths.
The smallest inner diameter is 25 microns and the largest outer diameter is 35 mm.
Challenging specifications and tight tolerances (up to +/- 2 µm) are our daily business.
Tubes can be welded redrawn (S/R) or seamless (S/S).
Cutting Technique
For burr-free tubular components, the optimal solution depends on numerous parameters: material, geometry, tolerances, volumes, surface finish, chamfering, etc.
Minitubes masters a wide range of cutting techniques: abrasion, milling, shearing, electrochemistry, EDM, turning, laser…
If necessary, these techniques are complemented by deburring, chamfering, and surface treatment methods: polishing, passivation, coatings…
Minitubes offers tailored solutions and, particularly for large volumes of precision parts with high quality requirements, competitive solutions.
Forming
From simple cut-to-length to the assembly of complex components, the possibilities for producing tubular components are countless.
Minitubes has developed exclusive in-house technologies for the production of tubular components.
Assembly
Minitubes masters a very wide range of assembly techniques: laser welding, plasma, TIG, electrical, high and low-temperature brazing, mechanical fitting, crimping, bonding.
By combining in-house production of tubes, components, and their assembly, we are your single point of contact from design to the realization of your most complex assemblies.
Mastery of the internal surface finishes of tubes enables unique performance in critical applications, such as sampling needles for IVD.
Surface Finish
Control of roughness, grain structure, and mechanical properties.
Thanks to our in-house mandrel drawing capabilities, we guarantee an extremely smooth internal finish, even within the finest probe tips. This expertise is a major asset for limiting contamination risks and carry-over effects.
Internal Roughness (Ra) < 0.2 µm
We offer a wide range of surface treatments:
- Passivation
A chemical treatment designed to enhance corrosion resistance by eliminating traces of free iron and forming a protective chromium oxide layer. Dynamic passivation involves circulating nitric acid and deionized water inside the tube. Certifications according to international standards, including ISO 13485, can be issued.
- Electropolishing
An electrochemical process that removes a thin layer of metal from the surface, improving roughness, brightness, and cleanliness. It enhances corrosion resistance and modifies surface energy, influencing interactions with sampled liquids.
- Mechanical Polishing
Grinding or polishing techniques designed to clean and improve the appearance of surfaces.
- Sandblasting/Shot Blasting
Used to modify surface reflectivity and clean areas thermally affected by brazing or welding.
- Cleaning/Degreasing
Several techniques are available to remove surface residues from tubes or tubular components: chlorinated solvents, isopropyl alcohol, aqueous solutions, etc.
- Functional Coatings
Coatings can be applied to the outer diameter (OD) or inner diameter (ID) of probes to meet various functional needs:
> Droplet control, protein adhesion management, barrier against metal ion diffusion
> Surface hardening to facilitate septum piercing
> Electrical insulation (especially for level detection)
Examples of available formulations:
Fluoropolymers (anti-adhesive and hydro-/oleophobic properties), organo-inorganic nanocomposites, silicone resins, hard chrome, titanium nitride, DLC (amorphous carbon), parylene, etc. We would be pleased to discuss with you to define the most suitable coating for your application!