ABOUT US

Our History

Since its founding in the 1940s, Fine Tubes has continuously proven its excellence in engineering. Our timeline spans nearly seven decades in the manufacture of high quality precision tubes.

1943

Fine Tubes Ltd. is founded in Surbiton.

1946

Fine Tubes' first purpose-built factory in Surbiton employs 80 people.

1957

Fine Tubes start to supply stainless steel tubing to Vickers Viscount Aircraft.

1960

Construction of 51,000 sq ft production area in Plymouth.

1962

Fine Tubes move into new factory in Plymouth.

1965

Fine Tubes develop AM350 tubes for the Concorde programme.

1977

Fine Tubes develop 20/25Nb nuclear fuel cladding tubes.

1980

Fine Tubes’ factory is extended with three new bays and administration wings.

1982

Fine Tubes becomes first EEC producer of seamless titanium 3Al/2.5V tubes for hydraulic systems.

1984

Fine Tubes supply clean bore tubing to the semiconductor market.

1998

Fine Tubes manufacture data logging tubes for the downhole oil and gas markets.

1999

Fine Tubes supply the Eurofighter programme with titanium tubing for hydraulic systems and EJ200.

2000

Fine Tubes develop profiled implant tubing for medical applications.

2001

Fine Tubes are the first global manufacturer of seamless Ti 6AI4V (UNS-R56401) tubing giving the winning edge on high performance race bicycles.

2003

Fine Tubes manufacture super pressure instrumentation tubing operating at up to 60,000 psi (4,100 bar).

2004

Fine Tubes manufacture Ti 6Al/4V (B338 Gr5) tubing for femur and tibia bone nail implants.

2006

Fine Tubes qualify as supplier for new generation Airbus A380 with Ti3Al2.5V tubes for hydraulic systems operating at 5,000psi (350 bar).

2008

Fine Tubes supplies CERN with 130km cooling tubes for the Large Hadron Collider experiment.

2011

Fine Tubes change from VOC degreasing fluids to Solveco, an environmentally friendly solution.

2013

Fine Tubes developed the corrosion-resistant heat exchanger tubes for the steam generators of the solar power plant 'Gemasolar'.

2014

Fine Tubes supplied specialist titanium grade 2 tubing for the Chemical Propulsion System (CPS) of the Solar Orbiter project.

ABOUT US

Our History

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