Abstract: A feeder system for incrementally feeding a tube along a linear tube path to a point of use. The feeder system includes a frame, and first and second belts on the frame. The first and second belts are capable of moving incrementally in respective first and second belt paths and thereby incrementally moving a tube engaged by the first and second belts in the linear tube path.

Abstract: A system for cutting sheet material. The system has a first roller with at least one cutting element thereon with the first roller rotatable around a first axis and the second roller having at least one receptacle thereon and rotatable around a second axis. The first and second rollers are relatively positioned so that as the first and second rollers rotate around the first and second axes, the one cutting element aligns with and projects into the one receptacle to thereby cause cutting out of a discrete portion of a sheet material between the first and second rollers. A servo drive is provided for at least one of a) rotating the first roller around the first axis and b) rotating the second roller around the second axis.

Abstract: A method of forming tool dies, comprising the steps of (a) forming a plurality of unitary tool blank plates by mechanically securing a low carbon steel plate portion to a tool steel plate portion with a thin layer of brazing material therebetween, and heating the secured low carbon steel plate portion, tool steel plate portion, and brazing material layer to simultaneously (1) melt the brazing material to braze the low carbon steel plate portion to the tool steel plate portion and form the unitary blank plate, and (2) harden the tool steel plate portion, (b) maintaining an inventory of the tool blank plates, (c) retrieving one of the unitary blank plates from inventory in response to a tool die order from a customer, (d) operating on the retrieved blank plate to selectively shape the blank plate into a tool die as ordered by the customer, including (1) operating on the low carbon steel plate portion wherein at least a part of the operations on the low carbon steel plate portion do not include use of carbide to

Abstract: A tube cutoff apparatus arranged to provide an improved cutoff of a tube avoiding dimpling of the tube. The apparatus includes an improved blade configuration and mechanism for moving the blade in different directions to effect a multistep tube cutoff. In a first step, the tube is chordally notched, and in a second step, the tube is diametrically sliced to provide a dimpleless cutoff.