ERW Tubing for
Conveyor & Material Handling
A roller that wobbles throws a belt off track. A drive shaft that's out of round burns a bearing early. We've built ERW carbon steel tubing for conveyor OEMs and racking manufacturers from our Niles, Ohio mill since 1985.
Steel That Doesn't Get Downtime
A conveyor roller spins thousands of times an hour. A drive shaft has to stay concentric for years. A racking upright holds a load twenty-four hours a day. Material handling equipment doesn't get downtime — and the steel inside it can't either.
A roller that wobbles throws a belt off track. A drive shaft that's out of round burns a bearing in months instead of years. A racking beam that flexes under load is a safety issue, not just a maintenance ticket. In this industry, "close enough" steel costs you in downtime, warranty claims, and call-backs.
That's why OEMs and integrators come to us. We hold tighter OD and wall control than the standard mill. We clean the inside weld bead on round tube. We ship every order with the paperwork to prove it. Forty years in, that's still the job.
Conveyor Systems
- Conveyor roller tube — gravity and powered roller conveyors
- Idler rollers and bearing housings
- Drive shafts and head/tail pulley shafting
- Conveyor frame rails and stringers
- Sortation system frames and guide rails
Racking & Storage
- Pallet racking uprights and beams
- Cantilever racking arms and columns
- Mezzanine framing and platform supports
- Automated storage & retrieval system (AS/RS) structural components
- Wire decking support bars and rack accessories
Dock & Warehouse Infrastructure
- Dock leveler frames and pit components
- Guard rails, bollards, and column protectors
- Push-back and gravity flow rack assemblies
Automated Material Handling
- AGV (automated guided vehicle) chassis components
- AMR (autonomous mobile robot) chassis components
Specs & Standards
We make conveyor roller tube and drive shafting to ASTM A-513 Type 1 and Type 2. For components that need corrosion protection, we produce to ASTM A-787 — the spec for galvanized mechanical tubing made from pre-coated strip.
| Application | ASTM Spec | Why this spec |
|---|---|---|
| Conveyor rollers, drive shafts, idler tube | A-513 Type 1 or Type 2 | Mechanical tubing — tight OD and wall control for rotating parts |
| Pallet racking, mezzanine frames, equipment frames | A-513 Type 1 or A-787 (galvanized) | Mechanical spec with optional zinc coating for indoor or outdoor use |
| Cold storage racking, wash-down conveyors, outdoor frames | A-787 Type 2 (G60 or G90) | Pre-galvanized strip — zinc protection from day one |
Carbon Steel Grades
Mechanical Tubing
ASTM A-513 T1 & T2
Galvanized Tubing
ASTM A-787 T2
Shapes
Round, Sq, Rect, Specialty
Cut-to-Length
Available on All Profiles
We do not produce ASTM A-500 heavy structural tubing or A-513 Type 5 DOM (drawn-over-mandrel) tubing. If your application calls for either, we'll tell you up front.
Available Finishes
Conveyor and warehouse equipment ends up in every kind of environment — climate-controlled distribution centers, cold storage, outdoor yard conveyors, food and beverage wash-down lines. We offer four finishes so the tube matches where it's going to live.
Cold Rolled (A-513 Type 2)
Tightest OD control and the cleanest surface. The standard for roller tube and any component that needs a precise bearing or sleeve fit.
Hot Rolled Black (A-513 Type 1)
Standard mill finish for frame rails, racking, and any part that gets painted, powder-coated, or coated after fabrication.
Pickled & Oiled
Mill scale removed, oil applied for short-term rust protection. Scale-free and weld-ready straight off the truck.
Pre-Galvanized G60 or G90 (A-787)
Hot-dipped zinc applied to the strip at the mill before forming. G60 = 0.60 oz/ft² of zinc; G90 = 0.90 oz/ft². For racking and frames in cold storage, wash-down, or outdoor exposure.
Our pre-galvanized zinc coating goes on at the mill before the tube is ever cut or welded — giving your parts full corrosion defense from the moment it leaves us. The exterior weld seam is re-metalized after the welding process.
Why Material Handling OEMs Work With Us
A roller that's a few thousandths out of round doesn't sound like much — until it's spinning at conveyor speed for eight hours a day, for years. Tolerance is the whole game in this industry.
Tighter OD & Wall Control
Our mill runs more forming stands than the typical setup. More stands means we hold OD and wall thickness to a narrower window. For roller tube, that means better concentricity — less vibration, longer bearing life, fewer belt mistracking calls. For racking and frame tube, it means square stays square when your weld jig clamps down.
ID Flash Scarfing
We remove the inside weld bead on round tube so the bore stays smooth and consistent. When you're press-fitting a bearing, sleeve, or shaft into that tube, a clean ID means a consistent fit. No hot spots. No surprise interference. Fewer rejections at the assembly line.
Burr-Free Round Ends
All our round tubing is end faced for squareness and deburred, eliminating trimcuts and making more of your mult. useable. If your line is pressing in end caps or bearings on thousands of roller tubes a month, skipping the deburring step adds up to real labor savings.
Made in America, Built for High-Volume Production
Our mill is in Niles, Ohio. We ship orders out every week to customers across Ohio, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Indiana, West Virginia, and Kentucky, plus material handling OEMs and integrators nationwide.
Conveyor and racking production runs are often high-volume and recurring — the same roller tube, the same length, week after week, month after month. Domestic supply means consistent lead times you can build a production schedule around. No container ships. No surprise tariff hikes. No three-month outages.
We're also small enough to pick up the phone. Tell us the OD, wall, length, and finish, and our sales engineers will confirm it fits your application — whether that's a single prototype run or a standing weekly order. No 50,000-foot minimum to start a conversation.
Mill Location
Niles, Ohio · Since 1985
Carrying forward the Van Huffel Tube heritage
What We Offer Every Order
- MTRs available upon request
- 100% quality inspection before release
- Cut-to-length available on all profiles
- Grade and shape recommendations from sales engineers who spec this material weekly
Frequently Asked Questions
What kind of steel tube is used for conveyor rollers? + −
What ASTM specification covers conveyor and material handling tubing? + −
Can you supply pre-galvanized tubing for warehouse racking? + −
Do you offer cut-to-length service for conveyor roller tube? + −
Does every order include a mill test report (MTR)? + −
Do you make DOM (drawn-over-mandrel) tubing? + −
Where is Vanex Tube located, and what are typical lead times? + −
Ready to Spec Your Next Run?
Tell us the OD, wall thickness, length, grade, finish, and quantity — whether it's roller tube for a new conveyor line, drive shafting for a sortation system, or galvanized tube for a racking build-out. Our sales engineers spec material handling tube every week.