Smaller. Lighter. Built for Heat.
K-Tube manufactures miniature, thin-wall heat exchanger tubing for aerospace systems, with engineering support to help you find the right material, dimensions and properties for your design.
Built for the Challenges of Going Smaller
Aerospace heat exchangers need to move heat effectively without adding unnecessary size or weight. Smaller-diameter, thinner-wall tubing can fit more surface area for heat transfer per unit volume. But going smaller only works if the tubing can still meet the dimensional, material and performance requirements of the application.
In-Process Inspections
Eddy Current Testing Down to .002″ Walls
As tubing gets smaller and thinner, finding small defects becomes more difficult. K-Tube can perform eddy current testing on tubing with walls as thin as .002″ to identify extremely small defects before the tubing reaches your assembly.
Choose the Right Material
Titanium, Stainless Steel & Superalloys
Balance weight, temperature, strength and corrosion requirements with miniature tubing in titanium, stainless steel and nickel alloys, including Inconel® 625, Inconel® 718 and Haynes® 282®.
Keep it Consistent
Tight Dimensional Control at Scale
K-Tube’s welded-and-drawn process provides tight control over OD, ID and wall thickness. Continuous coil-to-coil manufacturing provides a path from early development to larger production quantities using the same core manufacturing approach.
Start With What the Tube Needs to Do
You may already know the diameter, wall thickness and alloy you need. Or you may simply know that the heat exchanger needs to get smaller, lighter, handle a demanding temperature or perform in a particular environment.
Either way, you don’t need to solve the tubing specification before you talk to us. K-Tube engineers can start with your application requirements and help explore the material, dimensions and properties that make sense for the design.
Trying to Reduce Weight?
Explore Titanium
K-Tube manufactures miniature titanium tubing primarily in Grade 2 and Grade 9. At nearly half the weight of stainless steel and nickel-based alloys, titanium offers a strong combination of low weight, corrosion resistance and strength. K-Tube can produce small-diameter, thin-wall titanium tubing for heat exchangers where space, weight and performance are critical.
Designing for Demanding Temperatures?
Explore Nickel Alloys & Superalloys
For demanding high-temperature applications, K-Tube manufactures miniature tubing in a range of nickel alloys and superalloys. Options include Inconel® 625, Inconel® 718, Haynes® 282® and other alloys selected around the temperature, strength and corrosion requirements of the application.
Looking for a Versatile Option?
Explore Stainless Steel
304/304L, 316/316L, 321 and 347 stainless steels give engineers several options depending on the environment, temperature, strength and other requirements of the system.
Not sure which direction makes sense? Bring us the application. We’ll help you work through the options.
What If the Tube You Need Doesn’t Exist Yet?
Some heat exchanger designs push beyond standard tubing dimensions, materials or properties.
That’s where the K-Tube Discover Program comes in.
Bring us the challenge you’re trying to solve. Our engineering, metallurgy and quality teams can help evaluate what’s possible and develop a path toward tubing that meets the needs of the application.
That might mean exploring:
- Available space
- Target diameter or wall thickness
- Operating temperature
- Pressure requirements
- Weight reduction goals
- Material requirements
- Mechanical properties
- Production quantities
- Inspection requirements
Have a Heat Exchanger Design You’re Working Through?
You don’t need a finished tubing specification to start the conversation.
Tell us what the heat exchanger needs to do and where you’re running into limitations. Our team can review the application with you and help determine what makes sense to explore next.
Request an Aerospace Heat Exchanger Tubing Review
Aerospace Heat Exchanger Tubing FAQs
It depends on the material, diameter, wall thickness, mechanical properties and other application requirements. K-Tube specializes in miniature and thin-wall tubing and can evaluate requirements outside standard tubing sizes. If you’re trying to reach a particular dimension, send it to our engineering team and we can help determine what’s possible.
K-Tube manufactures heat exchanger tubing in titanium, stainless steel and nickel alloys. Options include CP Titanium Grades 1 through 4, Grade 9 titanium, 304/304L, 316/316L, 321 and 347 stainless steel, and nickel superalloys including Inconel® 625 and 718.
Titanium can be a good option when weight, corrosion resistance and performance in demanding environments are important. Manufacturing it in miniature diameters and thin walls can create additional opportunities to reduce weight and fit more tubing into compact designs.
Yes. K-Tube specializes in miniature welded-and-drawn tubing that can be manufactured in small diameters and thin walls for compact and microtube heat exchanger designs.
Yes. In fact, that’s often a good time to start the conversation. Share the operating environment, space, weight, temperature and performance requirements you’re working toward. K-Tube’s engineers can help evaluate materials, dimensions, mechanical properties and manufacturing options from there.
Your Design Doesn’t Have to Start With a Tube Specification
Whether you’re trying to make a heat exchanger smaller, remove weight, increase tube density, explore titanium or push beyond a standard tube size, K-Tube can help you determine what the tubing needs to do to get there.
Or call us direct (858) 513-9229