Ever since high school, Fred and Charlie Hautau worked for their father in his machine design business. They were able to gain tremendous amount of experience during this time and eventually, they patented their first rotating-head tube cutoff machines for trimming automotive glass pack mufflers in 1972. To continue their father’s legacy and evolve the family business, the brothers co-founded Hautau Tube Cutoff Systems, and the company has since set the industry standard for tube processing. Indiana-based Hautau designs and builds dependable, high-speed tube cutting and chamfering systems that produce mechanical parts consistently according to customers’ specific requirements. “Whether it’s a range of tube cutoff lathes and beveling equipment or a custom solution, Hautau satisfies customer’s needs and provides extensive technical support,” says Fred.

Offering the most advanced and efficient approach to tube cutting, Hautau’s rotating-head tube cutoff lathes hold the tube in place while both ends are chamfered, grooved, and bored in one single setup. This eliminates the need for secondary deburring and chamfering operations in both small batches and long production runs. As a small burr can compromise product quality, Hautau is committed to ensuring quality control in the pipe and tube cutting industry. In addition, the company’s lathes are fully programmable for different tube diameters and multiple cut lengths, and also reduce setup time to minutes. To facilitate continuous production, Hautau offers automatic tube loading systems capable of handling the heaviest tube bundles and includes strap loaders, chain loaders, inclined table loaders, and custom H-rack systems. And, with a plethora of tube unloading options, Hautau removes several production steps and reduces labor needs to enable a streamlined and cost-effective tube and pipe cutting process.

Whether it’s a range of tube cutoff lathes and bevelling equipment or a custom solution, Hautau satisfies customer’s needs and provides extensive technical support

During client engagements, Hautau typically identifies the specific goals of customers and works alongside them to get a true sense of manufacturing issues. This process has been honed and perfected throughout the company’s several decades of history in developing automatic tube cutting machines and several production systems for exhaust components, hydraulic cylinder tubes, gear and bearing blanks, driveshaft, axle tubes, and conveyor components. “We provide customized turnkey systems that are guaranteed to deliver reliable production for decades,” says Charlie.An onsite Hautau technician supervises the installation process while providing training services for customers so that their operators can run the new machine with ease. An operator can also converse in real-time with a Hautau technician to resolve any queries regarding the machine. Going further, Hautau provides 24/7 technical support, including remote diagnostics for the entire lifecycle of a tube cutoff machine. With a simple phone call, Hautau can help clients optimize machine productivity and even provide same-day delivery of spare parts. By tracking machine performance, Hautau ensures that a customer’s production line does not experience any downtime, which would otherwise result in huge losses.

In one instance, a manufacturer of heavy truck driveshafts approached Hautau with a two-pronged problem. Their cutoff machines were slow and took a long time to set up, and they needed a better way to track each tube group (tubes of different lengths) throughout the assembly process. Hautau provided the client with a custom-built RC60 rotary-head cutoff machine to improve the client’s turnaround time and enable them to accurately track the different tubes during assembly.

Hautau’s business model is centered on designing their solutions according to customer demands as opposed to offering a range of products in the hope that one fits their unique requirements. Moving ahead, Hautau expects to receive a large volume of equipment orders, and the company has successfully doubled the size of its production facility. Despite the plans for expansion, Hautau intends to remain a family-owned business that goes the extra mile to ensure customers receive a positive return on investment.