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Your First Choice in Steel Tubular Products

Structural steel tubing has gained much popularity in recent years and the reasons are many. When you begin with a product that has structural integrity, is pleasing to the eye and its uses are virtually endless – no wonder.

This brochure is an invitation for designers, techni-cal and procurement professionals, to take a look at Independence Tube’s wide variety of products, sizes, shapes, services and the ability to work with you to design the product that best fits your application.

After you have had a chance to review all the benefits, Independence Tube believes we can help you with the most challenging applications.

Please come and experience a world of possibilities.

Marseilles, Illinois

Decatur, Alabama

Chicago, Illinois

Chicago, IllinoisSince Independence Tube was founded in 1972, it has been in the forefront of tube technology, manufacturing square and rectangular tubing. Independence Tube’s philosophy has been simple: to supply the finest tubing product while helping customers find solutions for their sophisticated applications.

Three Divisions, One Mission, Many Possibilities

Marseilles, Illinois Because of our reputation, Independence Tube serves some of the most sophisticated, demanding, and notable manufacturing sectors including Agricultural, Transportation, Lighting, and Material Handling Equipment.

Decatur, AlabamaFrom 53,000 square feet in 1972 to over 1.7 million square feet today, Independence Tube has 3 locations to serve you. The Independence Tube name is synonymous with quality, service, and delivery.

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Customer BenefitsWhen Independence Tube says its applications are as endless as the designer’s imagination, that’s no exaggeration. In fact, Independence Tube makes the entire process, from inquiry to delivery, customer friendly. And the reasons are many.

Industry’s Most Popular SizesNow, Independence Tube can produce 2" square to 12" square tubing (plus corresponding rectangles) with walls from .125" to .625". Independence Tube also offers rounds from 1.660" OD to 16" OD with walls from .109" to .625". All Independence Tube’s structural tubing is produced in accordance with the mechanical and chemical property requirements of ASTM A500 (Grades B & C) and ASTM A513 and ASTM A252.

Unsurpassed Rolling ScheduleSince Independence Tube was founded in 1972, we have been offering our customers a yearly published, on-time rolling schedule that is second to none in the industry. You can manage your inventory more closely, knowing that your products will be ready when promised. Add to that Vender Managed Inventory, Electronic Data Interchange, Bar Coding and Customer Secure Portal, – you have one efficient way of doing business. Please refer to the inside back pocket for our rolling schedule.

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On-line Customer Shopping Network With Independence Tube’s continued efforts to help simplify the customer’s job, we have implemented a 24/7 customer portal. The next time you are on-line, please take a moment and visit IndependenceTube.com. You’ll be surprised how easy we make it to link you to a complete menu of products and services, bundle charts, our rolling schedule, and much more.

Value Added Products and Services• I.D. Flash Removal• High Strength Low Alloy• ITC 100 Structural Steel Tubing• Flash Controlling• Bandsaw Cutting• Weld on the Short Side• Special Tolerances

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Cost effective and versatile, Engineers and Designers specify welded steel tubing for a progressively widening variety of applications. It may be used straight, where the strength-to-weight advantage is the prime requirement, or in other designs requiring curved members or parts. Savings result from its use because the workability of welded steel tubing means less scrap loss and better adaptability to applications where more expensive and less reliable materials and forms have been used.

Engineered Structural Steel Tubing:The Product of Choice

Flat Rolled SteelWelded steel tubing is fabricated from flat rolled steel received in coils from the steel manufacturers. Independence Tube specifies thickness, width, chemical analysis and mechanical properties to insure the production of tubing, which meets our quality standards. All coils are identified and tagged by Independence Tube for identification.

Wide coils are slit to width, which is determined by the as-welded tube size. Structural steel tubing is made from hot band coil which has a surface finish ideally suited for painting, and often possess higher tensile strength properties, particularly yield strength.

The Fabrication Process

Forming and SizingWelded steel tubing is formed, welded and cut to length on one machine. The flat steel is passed through consecutive paired rolls with contoured grooves, which gradually form the cold steel into a tubular shape. It enters the welding unit where the butted edges are joined by the electric resistance welding method. Accurate and proper contact of the steel edges is very important.

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The tubing after welding enters the sizing section, a set of rolls in pairs with accurate semi-circular grooves. Tubing is generally welded slightly oversize and this section gives it the correct outside diameter.

Finish on both the forming and sizing rolls is very important. They are made from high-grade tool steel or carbide and are highly polished. They maintain the surface of the flat steel form which tubing is produced and actually improve it.

Tubing is next propelled to the cut-off mechanism, the forward speed of which is synchronized with the tube so that the cut-off operation is performed on the fly. It may be a revolving head containing discs or a high-speed rotary saw.

Electric resistance welding (ERW) is the normal procedure for carbon steels. As the name implies, the heat for welding the butted edges together is generated by the resistance of the steel to the flow of an electrical current. The heat is confined to a narrow band along the edges with the highest temperature at the extreme edges. The balance of the tube remains cold.

A low frequency alternating current of low voltage and high amperage is conducted to the strip edges by a pair of copper alloy discs, which are insulated from each other. These are electrodes which contact the tubing surface immediately adjacent to the butted edge and rotate as the tube is propelled under them. Frequencies generally range from 30 to 360 cycles per second. A set of rolls directly under the electrodes squeezes the butted edges together while they are at welding heat to complete the weld. No extraneous metal is added in the welding operation. Direct current is also used.

Welding Strength

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ASTM A500Cold-Formed ERW Round, Square and Rectangular Structural Steel Tubing in Grades B And C.

Chemical CompositionGrade

BGrade

C

Carbon, max % 0.26 0.23

Manganese, max % ---- 1.35

Phosphorus, max % 0.04 0.04

Sulphur, max % 0.05 0.05

Copper, when copper steel is specified, min % 0.20 0.20

Mechanical Properties Shapes

Grade B

Grade C

Tensile Strength, min psi 58,000 62,000

Yield Strength, min psi 46,000 50,000

Elongation in 2" min 23%* 21%**

*.180" wall and over

**.120" wall and over

Mechanical PropertiesRounds

Grade B

Grade C

Tensile Strength, min psi 58,000 62,000

Yield Strength, min psi 42,000 46,000

Elongation in 2" min 23%* 21%**

*.180" wall and over

**.120" wall and over

Outside Dimension Tolerances for Square and Rectangle Structural Tubing

Largest Outside Dimension (in)

Plus/minus*

2-1/2" and under 0.020

2-1/2" to 3-1/2" 0.025

3-1/2" to 5-1/2" 0.030

5-1/2" and over 1%

* Tolerance includes allowance for convexity or concavity. For rectangular tubing having a ratio of outside large to small flat dimension less than 1.5, and for square tubing, the tolerance on small flat dimension shall be identical to the large flat dimen-sion tolerance. For rectangular tubing having a ratio of outside large to small flat dimension in the range of 1.5 to 3.9 inclusive, the tolerance on small flat dimension shall be 1.5 times the large flat dimen-sion tolerance. For rectangular tubing having a ratio of outside large to small flat dimension greater than 3.0, the tolerance on small flat dimension shall be 2.0 times the permissible variations in large flat dimension.

NOTES:

Straightness: .025" times the number of ft of total length

Squareness of sides: Deviation from 90˚ by ±2% max

Radius of Corners: The radius of any outside corner shall not exceed 3.0 times the specified wall thickness.

Wall Thickness: ±10% of nominal wall thickness, as measured at the center of the flat.

Specified Outside Large Flat Dimension

Maximum twist in 3 feet

Over 1-1/2" to 2-1/2" 0.062"

Over 2-1/2" to 4" 0.075"

Over 4" to 6" 0.087"

Over 6" to 8" 0.100"

Over 8" 0.112"

Permissible Variations in Twist for Square and Rectangular Structural Tubing

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All Independence Tube structural tubing is produced in accordance with the mechanical and chemical property requirements of ASTM A500, Grades A, B, and C.

*Tolerance includes allowance for convexity or concavity. For rectangular tubing having a ratio of outside large to small flat dimension less than 1.5, and for square tubing, the tolerance on small flat dimension shall be identical to the large flat dimension tolerance. For rectangular tubing having a ratio of outside large to

small flat dimension in the range of 1.5 to 3.9 inclusive, the tolerance on small flat dimension shall be 1.5 times the large flat dimension tolerance. For rectangular tubing having a ratio of outside large to small flat dimension greater than 3.0, the tolerance on small flat dimension shall be 2.0 times the large flat dimension tolerance.

SPECIFICATIONS

Chemical PropertiesGrade A & B Grade C

Carbon, max % 0.26 0.23

Manganese, max % 1.35

Phosphorous, max % 0.04 0.04

Sulphur, max % 0.05 0.05

Copper, when copper steel is specified, min % 0.20 0.20

TwistLongest Side (in) Maximum Twist in 3 Feet (in)

Over 1.5 to 2.5 inclusive 0.062

Over 2.5 to 4 inclusive 0.075

Over 4 to 6 inclusive 0.087

Over 6 to 8 inclusive 0.100

Over 8 0.112

Mechanical Properties

Grade A Grade B Grade C

Tensile Strength, min. psi 45,000 58,000 62,000

Yield Strength, min. psi 39,000 46,000 50,000

Elongation in 2" min. 25% 23% 21%

3/16" wall & heavier 1.8" wall 25% 19.5% 21%

Outside DimensionsLargest Outside Dimension (in) Tolerance *

2.5 and under +/- 0.020

Over 2.5 to 3.5 inclusive +/- 0.025

Over 3.5 to 5.5 inclusive +/- 0.030

Over 5.5 +/- 1%

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Flash Remove

The electric resistance welding process extrudes a small amount of metal (weld flash) on both the inside (I.D) and outside (O.D) of the tube during the manufacturing process. The outside flash is always removed from the O.D of the tube with a cutting tool keeping the outside surface smooth and uniform.

Independence Tube also has the ability to remove the inside flash when needed for telescoping applications, or when a mandrel is inserted in the I.D. for punching, drilling or bending.

Independence Tube can flash remove the sizes below:

Flash Removal by Division

Squares

Rectangles

Rounds

Chicago

2" SQ through 6" SQ

2½" x 1½" through 8" x 4"

4.000", 5.000", 5.500", 5.563", 6.000", 6.625" OD

Marseilles

5" SQ through 10" SQ

6" x 4" through 12" x 8"

8.625" OD —12.750" OD

Decatur

6" SQ through 12" SQ

7" x 5" through 16" x 8"

8.625" OD —14" OD

Tube Band Saw Cutting

Band Saw Length Tolerances

Length Tolerance3 ft to <12 ft +/- 1/16"

12 ft> to <20 ft +/- 1/8"20 ft + +/- ¼"

Band Saw Length MAXIMUM 48'0"Band Saw Length MINIMUM 3'0"Squareness of Cut +/-1°

In addition, Independence Tube – Marseilles can now band saw cut small diameter ITC50 Pipe Size tubing or A500 rounds. Cut lengths MUST be full bundle quantities and product of the bundle. Whether cut-ting from stock bundles on our floor or off of a rolling, Independence Tube – Marseilles can supply your parts to the length you need.

Independence Tube can also mitre cut your parts up to a 45% angle at any of our 3 Divisions. A drawing of the finished part will be required.

Independence Tube can band saw cut in-house rounds, squares and rectangles at all 3 of our Divisions; Chicago and Marseilles, Illinois and Decatur, Alabama.

If you are looking to reduce your scrap, reduce han-dling or eliminate in-house bottlenecks, let Independence Tube provide your parts cut to length. The shortest mill length we can produce is 20 foot. If you need lengths shorter than 20 foot, Independence Tube has in-house band saw cutting capabilities and can hold tolerances of:

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Quality

ProductsOur inspection, measurement and testing capabilities complement our manufacturing systems and processes, ensuring consistency in quality, shorter delivery lead times and containment of costs.

ServiceIndependence Tube employs state of the art customer relationship management strategies and technologies such as multi-modal logistical capabilities (truck, rail and barge); Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) and Vendor Managed Inventory (VMI) and a Customer Secure Portal to provide a 24 hour, 365 day customer service excellence.

ProcessesIndependence Tube processes are firmly executed based on Industry specifications such as ASTM and our customer-specific requirements to provide products that meet the needs and applications of our customers and the end-user.

Quality SystemThe purpose of our quality system is to provide assurance to our customers that Independence Tube products are manufactured using internationally-accepted standards of performance. To accomplish this, we use a Quality Management System based on the principles and elements of ISO 9001:2008 and the best practices from TS 16949 (automotive standard).Through a spirit of continuous improvement, Indepen-dence Tube Quality Management System (QMS) strives to ensure our operations run efficiently and effectively to provide the best customer service and product quality possible at the best price.

Independence Tube is dedicated to delivering steel tubing of the highest value to our Customers

through continual improvement of our products, services, processes

and quality system.

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Independence Tube takes great pride in the quality of the structural tubing produced in our Chicago, Marseilles and Decatur facilities. The following are a list of product standards adopted by Independence Tube for manufacturing purposes. Should you require better than listed below, please contact your Independence Tube Representative.

All hollow structural steel tubing (HSS) at Independence Tube is produced to ASTM A500 – 01 Standard Specifications for Cold Formed Welded and Seamless Carbon Steel Structural Tubing in Rounds and Shapes. For a complete guide to this specification, please visit www.astm.org.

Wall ThicknessThe minimum wall thickness at any point of measurement on the tubing shall be not more than 10% less than the nominal wall thickness specified. The maximum wall thickness, excluding the weld seam of welded tubing, shall not be more than 10% greater than the nominal wall thickness specified. The wall thickness is to be measured at the center of the flat.

Outside DimensionsThe specified dimensions, measured across the flats at positions at least 2 inches from either end of the tubing and including an allowance for convexity or concavity, shall not exceed the plus and minus tolerances shown.

Mill Production Standards

Outside Large Flat Dimension, inchesLarge Flat Dimension Tolerance¹,

plus and minus, inches

2-1/2" and under 0.020

Over 2-1/2" to 3-1/2", incl. 0.025

Over 3-1/2" to 5-1/2". incl. 0.030

Over 5-1/2" 0.01 times large flat dimension

¹Tolerances include allowance for convexity or concavity. For rectangular tubing having a ratio of outside large to small flat dimension less than 1.5, and for square tubing, the tolerance on small flat dimension shall be identical to the large flat dimension tolerance. For rectangular tubing having a ratio of outside large to small flat dimension in the range of 1.5 to 3.0 inclusive, the tolerance on small flat dimension shall be 1.5 times the large flat dimension tolerance. For rectangular tubing having a ratio of outside large to small flat dimension greater than 3.0, the toler-ance on small flat dimension shall be 2.0 times the large flat dimension tolerance.

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Squareness of SidesFor square or rectangular structural tubing, adjacent sides may deviate from 90º by a tolerance of +/-2º maximum.

StraightnessThe permissible variation for straightness of structural tubing shall be 1/8 inch times the number of feet of total length divided by 5.

TwistThe tolerance for twist or variation with respect to axial alignment of the section, for square and rectangular structural tubing:

Specified Dimension of Longest Side, inMaximum twist in the first 3 feet

and in each additional 3 feet

Over 1-1/2" to 2-1/2", incl. 0.062

Over 2-1/2" to 4", incl. 0.075

Over 4" to 6", incl. 0.087

Over 6" to 8", incl. 0.100

Over 8" 0.112

Twist is measured by either holding down one end of a square or rectangular tube on a flat surface plate with the bottom side of the tube parallel to the surface plate of the two corners at the oppo-site end of the bottom side of the tube or by measuring this difference on the heavier sections by a suitable measuring device. The difference in the height of the corners shall not exceed the values in the above table. Twist measurements are not taken within 2 inches of either end of the product.

Weld Seam LocationThe weld seam will be within +/-½" of the centerline of the tube flat.

Standard Mill Length TolerancesUnless otherwise specified, the standard length tolerance of tubing off the mill will be plus 1 inch, minus 0 inch.

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In addition to the “Standard” A500 Grades B and C, Independence Tube also has the ability to produce certain sizes in the following grades:• ITC 50 Pipe Size Tubing• Guard Rail• Axle Tubing• High Strength–Low Alloy• ITC 100 (100,000 min. yield)• A252 Pipe Piling

Along with the above grades, Independence Tube also offers the following services:• Flash Removal• Weld on the Short Side• In-house Band Saw Cutting• Better than A500 Tolerances• Flux Leakage Testing

Please consult with your Independence Tube Representative for details.

Grades Manufactured

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Associations

FEMAFARM EQUIPMENTMANUFACTURERSA S S O C I A T I O N

Independence Tube is Proud to Support the Following Organizations:• American Institute of Steel Construction• Committee on Pipe and Tube Imports• Deep Foundations Institute• Farm Equipment Manufacturers Association• Manufacturers’ Agents National Association• Metals Service Center Institute• National Association of Steel Pipe Distributors• North American Steel Alliance• Pile Driving Contractors Association• Steel Tube Institute• Tube & Pipe Association

Your First Choice in Steel Tubular Products started in 1972 with 3 employees in a 53,000 square foot facility. Today, Independence Tube has grown to 270 employees in 3 locations encompassing 1.7 million square feet of manufac-turing, warehouse and shipping under roof. We proudly supply over 650 different outer dimension and wall combinations to the agricultural, light pole, axle, construction and automotive markets to name a few. Our products can also be found at steel service centers throughout North America.

We want to thank all our customers, employees, and suppliers for making Independence Tube a success for forty years. We are poised for the future and look forward to working with our customers for many, many more years to come.

Tube & PipeAssociation, International®

6226 West 74th StreetChicago, IL 606381-800-376-6000

1-708-563-1950 (FAX)www.independencetube.com

© Independence Tube Corporation 2011