ERW Steel Tubing
Manufacturer Since 1985
Engineering the backbone of modern industry since 1985.
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"We don't just manufacture tubes; we engineer the structural integrity of your success."
— Manufacturing Excellence
Who We Are
Vanex Tube Corporation is a leading manufacturer of Electric Resistance Welded (ERW) carbon steel mechanical tubing. Established in 1985 from the remnants of Van Huffel Tube, we carry forward a legacy of premier manufacturing.
Our mills possess an increased number of forming stands compared to standard mills, enabling us to produce a diverse variety of precision tubing shapes — including square, rectangular, and round profiles — with exceptional consistency.
We consistently produce high-quality tubing to exacting standards. Both outside and inside diameters can be produced to tolerances tighter than ASTM A-513 Type 1 upon request. All round tubing is produced with a burr-free end condition.
Advanced Metallurgy
Proprietary alloy blends for superior strength-to-weight ratios.
Zero-Defect Policy
Rigorous quality control monitoring every millimeter of production.
Sustainable Forging
Committed to high-efficiency manufacturing and recyclable materials.
What We Do
As a specialized manufacturer of ERW carbon steel mechanical tubing, we adhere to the most rigorous industry standards.
Core Specifications
Our governing specifications are ASTM A-513 Type 1 & Type 2 and ASTM A-787 Type 2. Many sizes can be produced to ASTM A-513 tolerances with ASTM A-500 physical properties.
Mill Minimum Quantities
Light Wall
.065"–.083" wall
Standard Wall
.095"–.134" wall
Heavy Wall
.148"–.188" wall
Extra Heavy Wall
Over .188" wall
Ready to discuss your requirements?
Contact Sales EngineeringThe Van Huffel Legacy
Van Huffel Tube Company was a cornerstone of Mahoning Valley steel manufacturing for generations, operating in the same Niles, Ohio industrial corridor that helped define American steel production through much of the 20th century. Van Huffel built a regional reputation for ERW mechanical tubing that reached fabricators across the country — not through marketing, but through consistent product and institutional know-how built over decades on the mill floor.
When Van Huffel ceased operations, the equipment, process knowledge, and workforce expertise accumulated over those decades did not vanish. They became the foundation of Vanex Tube Corporation, incorporated in 1985. The name changed. The mission — producing precision ERW carbon steel mechanical tubing from a Mahoning Valley mill — did not.
More than 40 years on, we still operate from our 301 McKees Lane facility in Niles, Ohio — the same steel country, the same skilled workforce tradition, the same focus on product that performs. The Mahoning Valley has always attracted people who take precision seriously, and our team reflects that. The people who answer the phone and run these mills have worked this process for years, not months.
That institutional depth — knowing how these mills behave, how the material responds, what tolerances are achievable and what pushes beyond reach — is what we bring to every order. It is the kind of experience that cannot be replicated quickly, and it is why customers who have worked with us for years continue to do so.
Established
1985 · Niles, Ohio
Carrying forward the Van Huffel Tube heritage
How ERW Tubing Is Made
Electric Resistance Welding produces a continuous, forge-quality seam weld with no filler material — yielding consistent mechanical properties and dimensional accuracy across the full tube length. Our mills run more forming stands than standard configurations, giving us greater profile variety and tighter geometry control at every step.
Strip Selection
Flat steel strip is selected and slit to precise widths matched to the target tube geometry and wall thickness.
Progressive Roll Forming
The strip feeds through multiple forming stands — more than standard mill configurations — progressively bending flat material into a round open skelp with tight geometry control.
High-Frequency Resistance Welding
The open seam edges are brought together under pressure and joined by high-frequency electrical resistance — a continuous, forge-quality weld with no filler material.
Sizing & Straightening
The welded tube passes through sizing stands to establish the final outside diameter, then through a straightener to meet camber requirements.
Cut to Length
Tube is cut to customer-specified lengths from 10 to 40 feet off the mill. All round tubing ships with a burr-free end condition as standard.
Quality Control & Certifications
Quality at Vanex is built into the process, not inspected in at the end. Every foot of tubing leaving our Niles facility passes through multiple checkpoints before release. Inline testing detects defects continuously; final dimensional verification confirms what ships matches exactly what was ordered.
Our governing specifications — ASTM A-513 Type 1 (as-welded) and Type 2 (cold-drawn), plus ASTM A-787 Type 2 — represent the benchmark standards for mechanical tubing in North American manufacturing. Many sizes can also be produced to ASTM A-513 dimensional tolerances with ASTM A-500 physical properties, giving fabricators flexibility when structural applications demand properties that exceed standard mechanical tubing specs. Certified mill test reports are available with every order.
Eddy Current Testing
Electromagnetic non-destructive evaluation inspects the weld seam continuously — detecting subsurface discontinuities that visual inspection cannot catch.
Dimensional Gauging
Outside diameter and wall thickness are verified against order tolerances. OD and ID can be held tighter than ASTM A-513 Type 1 standards upon request.
Burr-Free End Condition
All round tubing is produced with burr-free ends as a standard condition, reducing handling risk and secondary processing for fabricators.
Mill Certifications
Certified mill test reports documenting chemistry, mechanical properties, and specification compliance are available with every order.
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