Why we created a better orbital welding collet
- Joel Ifill
- Feb 11
- 3 min read
Updated: Mar 6
Elite Industrial Sales was started when a customer couldn’t get a rare collet on time at a reasonable price from the OEM. Frustrated, they asked if we could make a collet. We didn’t stop at making an exact replica, we used our experience to add in upgrades and features to go above and beyond.
BLUF
✅We added EDM cuts to provide a springing action for better fit
✅We provide a free compact collet holder that protects collets in transportation and holds their screws
✅Collets are made from 17-4 Stainless steel for long life and durability
Let’s explore what we do differently in detail
EIS custom engineered compliant tube grips
Upon picking up our collets you’ll immediately see a difference. We engineered patent pending compliant grips directly into each collet. These do two things:
As the collet is closed these act as a cushioning spring. This prevents clamping force “hot spots” which prevents the collets from marring or damaging electropolished and thin-walled tube. They also help adjust for positioning errors from out of round or off dimension tube or pipe during welding.
By putting compliance in the collet, it helps guide and keep the halves concentric, to increase reliability and repeatability of the joint. These precise cuts are performed at high tolerance and are engineered for each collet size to add the right amount of spring and grip force.
17-4 stainless steel construction
We prioritize durability and service life in all our collet designs. Unlike aluminum OEM collets, we manufacture our collets out of machined 17-4 stainless steel. This stainless steel alloy selection offers a great balance of performance and cost effective pricing, and extends the time before replacement due to wear. A common issue with lower quality aluminum collets.
Free collet holder for added protection and convenience
We were disappointed by the packing and storage options for collets. You open a tool box or travel case to find collets scattered around or sitting in plastic bags, with the collet faces scratched from banging around. Or worse they are all wrapped in one time use bubble wrap which makes it impossible to read what size they are without cutting through it all.
In the top image we created our own vertical collet holder that nest together, they have a built-in locking mechanism and holes to secure the screws.
Below that is our collet clip case that protects the inner collet surface to prevent scratches or gouging.
We send each collet in their own case free of charge.
Let's talk about competitive pricing and offering more value for less Our orbital welding collets are manufactured from stainless steel, with features the OEMs left out, and a free holder.... but we also charge less. How is that possible? When we came into this industry, we found many OEMs were doing a “printer and ink model”... They will sell you an orbital welding machine, then standby and wait to charge you extra for collets and wear items. They think you are locked into only using their parts so they can charge a premium. In this mindset they aren’t focused on durability, and making upgrades to piece parts is far down on their priority list. We are former welders and small business owners ourselves. We know your focus is on making the best welds, not the spend for spare parts. The OEM pricing didn’t sit right with us. We 100% focus on making high quality aftermarket parts for multiple brands and pride ourselves in streamlining our manufacturing process to control costs. We want to win your business by being an excellent alternative while letting you get back to work with your spare parts at a cost-effective price. It's that simple. If you're interested in collets for all the major brands of weld heads, check here for more information. Or reach out to us at sales@eliteindustrialsales.com
As always, our collets squeeze your tubes… not your wallets. -Joel
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