A comprehensive investigation of an axisymmetric steady-state tube extrusion through a streamlined die is carried out by the finite element method (FEM) to study the influence of process variables on tool design and final product quality for a strain hardening material. The process variables considered are: the reduction in area; coefficient of friction; mandrel radius; die-length; the hardening capacity of the material. The extrusion parameters studied are: the extrusion pressure; die pressure; mandrel pressure; hydrostatic stress distribution; strain-rate distribution; strain distribution. The mixed (pressure-velocity) formulation is used along with the Householder method to solve the resulting ill-conditioned algebraic equations. The extrusion pressure predicted by the present model is in reasonably good agreement with the published experimental results. The trends predicted for other parameters also conform with the published results. Copyright © 1996. Published by Elsevier Science Ltd.