Steel Pipe/Tube is a component for the conveyance of fluids and gases. It can be produced in either a seamless or welded construction.
Pipes are often identified by size using schedules that represent a rough indication of the pipe’s conveyance capacity. Pipes are also specified with an outside diameter (OD) and a wall thickness.
Manufacturing Process
Steel pipe and tubing are essential components of many systems that ferry various gases, liquids, or solids. They can be produced with either a seamless or welded construction. To create the final product, manufacturers must adhere to strict standards and procedures to ensure quality and safety. This includes sourcing raw materials, manufacturing processes, quality assurance methods, and inspections.
The production of both seamless and welded pipes begin by melting raw materials in a furnace to make molten steel. The molten steel is then transferred to a continuous casting machine to make slabs or billets. Then the billets are rolled in a rolling mill to produce tube or pipe.
To make seamless steel tubing, the ingot of a larger diameter is heated and then pierced. The hole in the shell is then enlarged on a rotary elongator to form a short thick-walled tube known as a bloom. The bloom is then rolled in a mandrel mill that has mandrel bars inside of it to control the wall thickness.
The resulting tube is then passed through a multi-stand stretch-reducing mill that reduces the tube to its finished dimensions. It also goes through a heat treatment, pickling, descaleing, straightening, and marking processes before being ready for use. In addition, cold forming can be used on some types of tubes that require tighter tolerances or unique dimensions. This can include cold drawing or cold pilgering.
Materials
Pipes and tubes play critical structural and transport roles in industrial Steel Pipe/Tube civilizations. Pipes are generally used for fluid or gas transportation over long distances, while tubing is typically employed in smaller-scale systems, such as instrumentation lines or for architectural and decorative purposes. Both are manufactured to several long-standing and broadly applicable industrial standards.
Stainless steel is the most common material for pipes and tubes, but there are many different alloys that can be used for specific applications. Alloys also make the pipe more resistant to corrosion, which can save on maintenance costs in the long run.
Tube components are typically identified by their outside diameter, or OD, and wall thickness, or WT. These dimensions are often denoted by a gauge number, which was once called an iron pipe size or IPS (Iron Pipe Size). The designation is now known as the nominal pipe size or NPS.
The first step in manufacturing a tube is to start with a solid steel billet that has been heated to extreme temperatures, becoming white hot but not melted. Machines then roll it so that it becomes a cylindrical solid with a hollow center.
Because tubes are more difficult to produce than other metal products, they require stricter controls during production. The manufacturer must ensure that the different parameters as stipulated in the national and international standards are met. They need to be leak-proof and able to withstand mechanical properties such as tensile strength, yield strength, and percent elongation.
Applications
Steel is a versatile material and can be used in a variety of applications. It is particularly suited for long-term installations as it is strong and durable. You can see examples of this in everything from commercial bike racks to the gas pipes behind your refrigerator. It is also used for fluid transportation and electrical conduit. Steel is especially suited for buried underground installations because it can withstand extremes of temperature and pressure.
Pipes and tubes can be either seamless or welded. Seamless tubes are made by pouring the molten steel over a form like a piercing rod and then welding the edges together. They are typically lighter and have thinner walls than welded pipes. They are often used for things like bicycles and transporting liquids, whereas welded pipes are stronger and thicker and are used for situations that require more strength.
Welded pipes can be produced with either ERW or SMLS process. ERW is the most common type of manufacturing because it produces less distortion in the final product. However, it is not as good for handling corrosive chemicals as SMLS pipe.
Tubes can be manufactured in a variety of shapes and sizes, but they are typically round. They can also have a specific wall thickness that is specified by the customer. Similar to pipes, tubulars are measured for their dimensional accuracy during production and undergo several quality checks before they are ready for shipping. They are usually sold by their outside diameter (OD) or their wall thickness, and they are usually given a gage nomenclature for easy ordering.
Specifications
Steel pipes are a critical part of systems that ferry gases or liquids across the world. They are made from solid steel billets that are heated to extreme temperatures until they are white hot but not melted. They are then formed into the shape that they need to be using machines. They may be either seamless or welded, depending on the application and its requirements.
Pipes can be measured by their outside diameter (OD) and inside diameter or wall thickness, also known as WT. The latter is indicated with a schedule number that references the thickness of the pipe’s walls. A higher schedule number indicates thicker walls. Pipes can also be designated as a standard wall, extra strong or extra heavy.
Tubes are more specific galvanized steel supplier in their applications, mainly structural, and are characterized by an exact OD as well as a precise wall thickness. As such, the manufacturing tolerances of tubes are much tighter than those of pipes.
Tubes are available in a variety of finishing options including Annealed and Pickled, Polished 320 Grit and Bright Annealed. The annealing process alters the physical and chemical properties of the steel, increasing ductility and decreasing hardness. The pickling process removes impurities on the metal surface. The polished finish gives the steel a smooth appearance, making it ideal for aesthetic applications.