Stainless steel pipe and carbon steel pipe are the most commonly used types of standard steel pipe today. They are part of pipes manufactured according to different specifications and standards. Typically, pipe is sold in a “nominal pipe size,” usually between 1/8″ and 72″. Whether carbon steel or stainless steel, there are two most common types of tubing, welded and seamless. Through this article, let us discuss seamless steel pipes and welded steel pipes below.
Seamless and Welded Pipes
What is a seamless steel pipe?
Stainless steel tubing is fabricated to Specification A312. Stainless steel tubing is also available in seamless and welded configurations. The most common stainless steel materials are 316 and 304. Seamless steel pipes have no joints. As the name suggests, they are produced by hot and cold rolling. The manufacturing process of seamless pipe does not require welding. The most common specification for seamless carbon steel pipe is A106B.
About welded steel pipe
Welded pipes, on the other hand, are made by rolling steel coils to the required standard thickness, a manufacturing process that leaves joints on the pipe body. In the next stage, the joints should be cut to a width corresponding to the size of the pipe to be built. In particular, welded pipes are also known as ERW (electric resistance welded) pipes. The most common specification for welded carbon steel pipe is A53.
Advantages of welded and seamed steel pipes
If you’re building a bridge and need a lot of piles, pipes that are less expensive to weld and potentially larger in size may be more important. Each pipe has advantages and disadvantages, depending on your end use. Although the seamless joint has a high pressure rating, it may not have been the highest priority for this project.
List the advantages of welded steel pipe
- Welded steel pipes have a wide range of sizes, and can produce welded pipes with a diameter of 45-4000mm, a wall thickness of 0.1-40mm, and a pipe length of several hundred meters. The wall thickness is smaller than that of seamless steel pipes and furnace tubes. The ratio of pipe diameter to pipe wall thickness can reach 100.
- The new electric welding device, equipment and control system have been continuously improved, so that the weld has a higher strength than the metal matrix. The welding stress of the weld is eliminated by heat treatment, so that the welded pipe obtains a uniform structure on the cross section.
Advantages of seamless steel pipe
- There are also large-diameter seamless steel pipes and small-diameter seamless steel pipes for seamless steel pipes, and there are very few furnace-welded pipes. Usually, the pipe diameter is 4 to 50. Wall thickness is 5 to 28.
- They can generally withstand higher pressures, which makes them ideal for applications in the oil and gas industry. If the pipes are in the visible area, there will be no corroded joints and they won’t look unsightly. Due to the limitations of the production process, it is not a good choice when you need a very large assembly line.