APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR TUBE PROCESSING

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an apparatus for tube processing which can increase the wall thickness of a tube material without use of a mold device and can improve the quality of the tube material. SOLUTION: The apparatus for tube processing comprises a first holding member 12 that is movably provided on the upstream side of a metallic tube material 11 and holds the tube material, a second holding member 13 that is movably provided on the downstream side of the tube material and holds the tube material, a heating body 14 that successively heats a circular part to be heated in a circumferential direction in the tube material, and a processing means that renders the moving speed of the first holding member 12 higher than that of the second holding member 13 to form a thick-wall part 20 in the part to be heated. The part to be heated is successively heated in the circumferential direction by the heating body 14, and the moving speed of the first holding member 12 is rendered higher than that of the second holding member 13, whereby the wall thickness of the tube material 11 can be increased without use of a mold device. COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT