Direct Forming Line
Produce square and rectangular hollow sections directly from flat steel strip — no round pre-form required. Forever Machinery has pioneered Direct Forming Technology (DFT) in the tube and pipe industry, delivering significant power, material, and tooling cost savings across 8 standard models from LW120×120 to LW600×600.
40–700
(MM) Max Section Size
10
Standard Models
Zero
Roll Changes For Size
30+
Roll-Form Expertise
Direct Forming Line (DFT)
Produce square and rectangular hollow sections directly from flat steel strip — no round pre-form required. Forever Machinery has pioneered Direct Forming Technology (DFT) in the tube and pipe industry, delivering significant power, material, and tooling cost savings across 8 standard models from LW120×120 to LW600×600.
120–600
(mm) Max section size
8
Standard models
Zero
Roll changes for size
30+
Roll-form expertise
What is a Direct Forming Line?
A Direct Forming Line uses Direct Forming Technology (DFT) to shape flat steel strip progressively into a square or rectangular hollow section before the HF weld closes the seam in the middle of the short side (the narrower flat face) eliminating the intermediate round-tube step used in conventional ERW mills.The result is less metal deformation, better corner quality, lower strip consumption, and dramatically reduced tooling and set-up costs.
── Introduction
What is the Direct Forming Line?
A Direct Forming Line uses Direct Forming Technology (DFT) to shape flat steel strip progressively into a square or rectangular hollow section before the HF weld closes the seam at the corner — eliminating the intermediate round-tube step used in conventional ERW mills. The result is less metal deformation, better corner quality, lower strip consumption, and dramatically reduced tooling and set-up costs.
Single line, many sizes
One DFT line covers the full range of square and rectangular sizes within the mill envelope, replacing multiple dedicated mills.
No round pre-form
Strip edges fused by resistive heating — narrow, high-integrity weld seam at speed, no consumables.
Center seam welding
The HF welder closes the seam at the center of the shorter flat face, rather than at the corner, producing consistent weld quality and uniform wall thickness.
Full automation
Motorised roll adjustment and PLC-based software set every parameter tube angle radius without tooling changes.
No round pre-form
Strip edges fused by resistive heating — narrow, high-integrity weld seam at speed, no consumables.
Corner-welded seam
The HF welder closes the seam at the tube corner — not the top face — yielding precise right-angle corners with uniform wall thickness.
Full automation
Motorised roll adjustment and PLC-based software set every parameter tube angle radius without tooling changes.
Single line, many sizes
One DFT line covers the full range of square and rectangular sizes within the mill envelope, replacing multiple dedicated mills.
What the Direct Forming Line delivers
Eight key operational and product-quality advantages that make the DFT line the preferred choice for structural hollow section producers.
Size flexibility without roll changes
Any section within the mill range can be produced without swapping roll sets — in forming, welding, sizing, or straightening.
Minimal set-up time
Motorised adjustment and pre-programmed recipes reduce changeover time between sizes to minutes, not hours.
Zero roll-set costs
Eliminating dedicated roll sets per size removes a major capital and inventory cost from operations.
Higher productivity
Less downtime for changes, no roll grinding, reduced stock holding — all translate directly to increased output per shift.
Reduced manpower
Full automation of mill operation and adjustments via PLC means fewer operators are needed for the same output volume.
Easy maintenance
Minimal mechanical components and simplified tooling design keep maintenance requirements low and planned downtime short.
Visual production display
On-screen automatic illustration of tube cross-section at each production step gives operators real-time process visibility.
Material savings
Narrower strip width required for a given section size versus conventional forming — savings that compound significantly at scale.
Functions & Advantages
What the Direct Forming Line delivers
Eight key operational and product-quality advantages that make the DFT line the preferred choice for structural hollow section producers.
01
Size flexibility without roll changes
Any section within the mill range can be produced without swapping roll sets — in forming, welding, sizing, or straightening.
02
Minimal set-up time
Motorised adjustment and pre-programmed recipes reduce changeover time between sizes to minutes, not hours.
03
Zero roll-set costs
Eliminating dedicated roll sets per size removes a major capital and inventory cost from operations.
04
Higher productivity
Less downtime for changes, no roll grinding, reduced stock holding — all translate directly to increased output per shift.
05
Reduced manpower
Full automation of mill operation and adjustments via PLC means fewer operators are needed for the same output volume.
06
Easy maintenance
Minimal mechanical components and simplified tooling design keep maintenance requirements low and planned downtime short.
07
Visual production display
On-screen automatic illustration of tube cross-section at each production step gives operators real-time process visibility.
08
Material savings
Narrower strip width required for a given section size versus conventional forming — savings that compound significantly at scale.
How the mill works
A seamless and highly efficient Direct Forming Technology (DFT) line designed to minimize setup times and maximize structural integrity from raw coil to finished tube.
Strip coil >
Uncoiling >
Pinching & levelling >
Shearing and butt welding >
Accumulator >
Direct forming >
Flying saw cutting >
Tube collecting / Packing >
Process Flow
How the Direct Forming Line works
The DFT production process moves continuously from coil to finished cut-length hollow section in a single uninterrupted line. All major models share this flow.
Key step: The "Direct forming" stage shapes the strip immediately into the final square or rectangular profile — with no intermediate round-tube pass. The HF welder then closes the seam at the section corner, eliminating the round-forming section, round-to-square sizing pass, and all associated roll sets.
── Technical Specifications
Complete Direct forming line range
Each model is designated by its maximum square section size. All models produce both square and rectangular hollow sections within the stated envelope. Contact Forever Machinery for exact wall thickness ranges, strip width, and line speed data per model.
| Model | Max Square Section | Output Profiles | Forming Method | Size Change | Key Applications |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LW 80×80 | 80 × 80 mm | SquareRectangular | Direct forming (DFT) | No roll change | Window framing, light furniture, decorative structure |
| LW 120×120 | 120 × 120 mm | SquareRectangular | Direct forming (DFT) | No roll change | Light structural, furniture frame, rack system |
| LW 150×150 | 150 × 150 mm | SquareRectangular | Direct forming (DFT) | No roll change | Light structural, construction framing, mechanical |
| LW 200×200 | 200 × 200 mm | SquareRectangular | Direct forming (DFT) | No roll change | Structural hollow section, construction, industrial frame |
| LW 250×250 | 250 × 250 mm | SquareRectangular | Direct forming (DFT) | No roll change | Medium structural, building columns, industrial |
| LW 300×300 | 300 × 300 mm | SquareRectangular | Direct forming (DFT) | No roll change | Heavy structural, steel framework, bridge components |
| LW 400×400 | 400 × 400 mm | SquareRectangular | Direct forming (DFT) | No roll change | Heavy structural, columns, large construction sections |
| LW 500×500 | 500 × 500 mm | SquareRectangular | Direct forming (DFT) | No roll change | Large structural, infrastructure, industrial facilities |
| LW 600×600 | 600 × 600 mm | SquareRectangular | Direct forming (DFT) | No roll change | Large-scale structural, heavy industry, civil infrastructure |
| LW 700×700 | 700 × 700 mm | SquareRectangular | Direct forming (DFT) | No roll change | Mega structural, skyscraper columns, major infrastructure |
The Complete Direct Forming Range
Complete production line reference across every model — LW80×80 to LW700×700. Click any image to view it in full size.
LW 80×80
Max section 80 × 80 mm
LW 120×120
Max section 120 × 120 mm
LW 150×150
Max section 150 × 150 mm
LW 200×200
Max section 200 × 200 mm
LW 250×250
Max section 250 × 250 mm
LW 300×300
Max section 300 × 300 mm
LW 400×400
Max section 400 × 400 mm
LW 500×500
Max section 500 × 500 mm
LW 600×600
Max section 600 × 600 mm
LW 700×700
Max section 700 × 700 mm
Internationally Recognized Quality
We pride ourselves in our 30 years' experience in roll form engineering and ERW tube mill design. We look after our customers every step of the way throughout the entire manufacturing lifecycle and offer our insights & services on optimizing their equipment.
ISO Certified Manufacturing
Strict adherence to global quality management systems.
30+ Years of Excellence
Decades of proven engineering and industrial innovation.
Global Export Network
Reliably delivering heavy machinery solutions worldwide.
Machine Gallery
All 8 models
Production-line images for each Direct Forming Line model.
Max section 120 × 120 mm
Max section 150 × 150 mm
Max section 200 × 200 mm
Max section 250 × 250 mm
Max section 300 × 300 mm
Max section 400 × 400 mm
Max section 500 × 500 mm
Max section 600 × 600 mm