Linear cut to length system for inline production of processed tubing

A method for producing tubing sections of tubing from a source of tubing, comprising:

• providing a first actuator group and a second actuator group that are each mounted on a respective frame and moveable along a linear direction parallel to each other, between a home position and a forward position, each of the first and second actuator groups having a holding clamp, a cutting tool and a sealing clamp, wherein the sealing clamp seals a tube to prevent depressurization and is rearward of the cutting tool;
• feeding the pressurized tubing between the first and second actuator groups;
• and
• iteratively and reciprocally moving the first and second actuator groups such that one actuator group of the first and second actuator groups is moved forward to the forward position while the sealing clamp of the one actuator group is clamped onto the tubing, thereby pulling the tubing, and at another of the first and second actuator groups which is in the home position, clamping the sealing clamp onto the tubing and cutting the tubing with the cutting tool, and then moving the one actuator group at the forward position back to the home position while the one actuator group at the home position is then moved forward while maintaining pressure in the tube.

A method for producing tubing sections, comprising:

• providing a cutting apparatus having a pair of actuator groups including a first actuator group and a second actuator group, the first actuator group mounted on a first track and the second actuator mounted on a second track that is parallel to the first track, wherein the first and second actuator groups are alternately moved along the first and second tracks, respectively, past each other, between a home position and a forward position that is a distance from the home position, and each of the pair of actuator groups having a holding clamp, a cutting tool, and a sealing clamp, in order from front to back;
• providing uncut tubing from a tubing source, wherein the uncut tubing is created by expansion, the uncut tubing having a free end and a tail end;
• connecting the tail end of the uncut tubing to a pressurized gas source;
• feeding the free end of the uncut tubing into the cutting apparatus;
• at a forward one of the pair of actuator groups in the forward position, clamping at least one of the holding clamps or the sealing clamp onto the free end of the uncut tubing;
• pressurizing the uncut tubing by the pressurized gas source;
• while clamping at the forward one of the pair of actuator groups, with the uncut tubing being pressurized, moving the forward one of the pair of actuator groups along a linear track to a desired distance, thereby pulling the uncut tubing;
• upon the forward one of the pair of actuator groups reaching the desired distance, at a rearward one of the pair of actuator groups, clamping both the holding clamp and the sealing clamp of the rearward one of the pair of actuator groups onto the uncut tubing;
• while both the holding clamp and sealing clamp of the rearward one of the pair of actuator groups are clamped onto the uncut tubing, cutting the tubing with the cutting tool of the rearward one of the pair of actuator groups to produce a section of cut tubing;
• after cutting, while maintaining the sealing clamp of the rearward one of the pair of actuator groups clamped on the uncut tubing, releasing the holding clamp of the rearward one of the pair of actuator groups and the sealing clamp of the forward one of the pair of actuator groups to release cut section of tubing;
• and
• after releasing the holding clamp of the rearward one of the pair of actuator groups, and while maintaining the sealing clamp of the rearward one of the pair of actuator groups clamped on the uncut tubing, moving the forward one of the pair of actuator groups rearward and moving the rearward one of the pair of actuator groups forward past each other whereby the rearward one of the pair of actuator groups becomes the forward one of the pair of actuator groups, and the one of the pair of actuator groups that was forward become a rearward actuator group.