Integrion Automation
Automotive
From the oil cooler to the fuel filler, we form the tube that moves fluid through the vehicle.
Tube Forming Engineered for Automotive Volume
From OEMs to tiered suppliers, Wauseon TubeTech forms tube ends that hold tolerance across millions of parts, with the tooling developed and proven in house before it reaches your line.
Automotive Applications
Automotive is where we have formed the most parts, and it is the market that set the standard we build to. High volume means the endform has to be identical on the last part of the shift and the first, and it means a leak path found in the field costs more than the entire tooling program. These are the areas we work in.
Thermal Management
- Engine oil cooler lines
- Transmission oil cooler lines
- Air conditioning lines
- Coolant and heater lines
Fuel Delivery
- Fuel lines
- Fuel filler tubes
- Vapor and evaporative lines
- Quick connect endforms to SAE J2044
Brake and Fluid Lines
- Brake lines
- Power steering lines
- Flares to SAE J533
- O-Ring Face Seal to SAE J1453
Seating and Structures
- Seat frames and seat products
- Structural tube assemblies
- Bent and end formed tube in one process
Fewer Parts, Fewer Welds, Fewer Leak Paths
Every welded fitting on a fluid line is a separate part to buy, a weld to make and inspect, and a joint that can leak once the vehicle is out of your control. Forming the connection into the tube removes all three at once.
That is the whole argument for end forming in this market, and it is why the same conversation keeps happening: a supplier brings us a welded assembly, and we tell them which features can be formed instead. Sometimes the answer is most of them.
Wauseon TubeTech has been forming tube for automotive manufacturers for four decades.
40+
Years Experience
3/8 to 3 in
Standard tube range
Tube Forming Experience
Five endformer series, rotary roll and cut finishers, custom bending, and the tooling for all of it developed in house. Our applications team looks at your part before anyone quotes a machine, which is the difference between buying equipment and solving a forming problem.
See the full range of what we build and what it can form.
.jpg?width=2000&height=1333&name=Plug%20placement%20(3).jpg "Plug placement (3)")
Field Service & Lifecycle Support
Wauseon TubeTech machines are built to last decades, and so is our commitment to support them. A dedicated field service team handles preventive and general maintenance, troubleshooting, repairs, retrofits, and spare parts across the full life of your equipment.
Let us talk about how we can support your current or future tube forming operation.
Ready to Take Welds Out of Your Tube Assembly?
Send us the part, the material, and the volume, and we will tell you which features can be formed, which series fits, and whether the tooling is straightforward or needs development. No pressure and no obligation. It is how we move your project from complexity to confidence.
Frequently asked questions
What automotive tube components does Wauseon TubeTech form?
Engine and transmission oil cooler lines, brake lines, fuel lines, fuel filler tubes, air conditioning lines, and seat products. Those cover thermal management, fuel delivery, braking, and seating structures, which is most of the tube on a passenger vehicle.
Which SAE standards do you form to?
SAE J2044 quick connects, SAE J1453 O-Ring Face Seal, SAE J533 flares, and SAE J1231 beads are all routine work for our tooling team, along with Jiffy-Tite and other proprietary connection forms.
Can a formed endform replace a welded fitting on an automotive line?
Often, yes, and in this market it is usually the change with the fastest payback. Forming the connection into the tube removes a separate fitting, the weld that attached it, and a leak path that shows up as a warranty claim rather than a line reject.
What cycle times can you hold for high volume automotive production?
Our electric servo machines cycle from 1.7 to 4.3 seconds depending on the part, and the smallest series runs from 1.5 seconds. Which end of that range applies depends on the endform, the material, and how many ram hits the form needs.
Do you work with tiered suppliers as well as OEMs?
Yes, and most of our automotive work sits in the tiers. The forming problem is the same either way, though tier work more often comes with a print that is already fixed and a tolerance that is not negotiable.
How do you handle the repeatability requirements of automotive production?
Tooling is developed and proven out in house on a tryout machine matching the model that will run it, with a five-piece tryout and sample submission before anything ships. Capability studies are available on request when statistical proof is required.
Can you automate an automotive tube forming line?
Yes, and it is common in this market. Every machine we build is robot loadable, and we do the automation in house, so end finishing and end forming can run in one cell rather than as two manual stations.
What materials do you form for automotive applications?
Steel, stainless steel, copper, and brass, plus other ferrous and non-ferrous tube and plastic. Material behavior drives the tooling, so the tool is developed around what you are actually running rather than a generic setup.
