Stainless steel hollow sections, which are cut to length directly on Stalatube’s production line, can be used in a variety of structural applications. Stainless steel particularly suits the structures of food packaging machinery.

"We switched to stainless steel tubing more than 10 years ago. Hygiene aspects, alone, set it apart from black steel," says Lars Johannesson, production manager. "We looked at the different options available for our application and opted for stainless steel hollow sections. Stalatube simply meets our quality and tolerance requirements."

Tetra Pak subcontracts its frame manufacture. "We assemble the machines from five different modules which we obtain in ready-made form," says Johannesson.

Because Stalatube cuts the frames to length, Tetra Pak can avoid waste. Stalatube also cuts the frames at the required angles. By means of precision cutting, tolerances of ±1 millimeter can be obtained. The frame assembly can begin as soon as the steel arrives.

Cutting stainless steel square sections to the required length on Stalatube’s production line represents an economically feasible solution. The cost of having the tubes cut to length is only a fraction of the cost of cutting standard-length sections in-house.

Tetra Pak particularly appreciates the cut-to-length service. "If our suppliers bought their stainless steel sections in standard 6-meter tubes, they would have to invest in high-end cutting machinery, which would inevitably affect the overall costs. Using the cut-to-length service of a specialized company is the best solution for us," Johannesson stresses.

For more information on stainless steel framing, call 610-525-7706 or visit www.stalatube.com.