What are tube cutters made of?
What are tube cutters made of? |
||||
| Shop for Tube Cutters | ||||
Die cast aluminium |
||||
 |
The majority of tube cutters have a die cast aluminium body. | |||
 |
Die casting is a process used to temper the aluminium so that it is stronger, corrosion resistant and able to withstand high temperatures whilst still being relatively lightweight. | |||
 |
It involves molten metal, in this case aluminium, being forced in-between two dies (moulds). | |||
 |
Strong and lightweightIt is important that tube cutters are strong as they have to be able to withstand constant pressure exerted by the user, and cut through thick piping. However, they also need to have a lightweight structure to make them easy to use. |
|||
ABS plastic |
||||
 |
A type of tube cutter called the pivot joint tube cutter has an ABS plastic body. ABS plastic is a common thermoplastic which is made from a combination of polymers to make it relatively rigid and strong for plastic. | |||
 |
As a raw material, ABS plastic is ivory or white, so pigments are added to give it colour. As it is easy to colour, the tool can be designed however the manufacturer desires. | |||
 |
ABS plastic is used for the pivot joint tube cutter as this tool only cuts small and relatively soft plastic tubing, which does not require the strength of aluminium. | |||
 |
The pivot joint tube cutter is designed to be a cheaper tool as it has a limited cutting range. Therefore, ABS plastic is used as it is a much cheaper material than die cast aluminium. | |||
