Pipe Manufacturing Process - Seamless, Welded & LSAW Pipes
Seamless Pipe Manufacturing Process
Because it has a homogeneous structure throughout its length, seamless pipe is the strongest of all pipe types.
- Seamless pipes come in a wide range of sizes and schedules. On the other hand, a large diameter pipe is subject to a restriction. Pipe fittings such as bends, elbows, and tees are frequently made from seamless pipes.
- Various manufacturing processes are thoroughly covered;
Mandrel Mill Process
The steel billet is heated to a high temperature in the rotary furnace during the Mandrel Mill pipe manufacturing process. A rotary piercer and a series of rollers that hold the piercer at the center of the billet are used to create a cylindrical hollow, also known as a mother hollow.
The piercer's exterior diameter is about the same as the final pipe's internal diameter. Secondary roller configuration outer diameter and thickness are reached with its assistance.
Forged Seamless Pipe Manufacturing Process
A heated billet is inserted in a forging die with a diameter slightly larger than the completed pipe in the forging pipe manufacturing process. To make cylindrical forging, a hydraulic press with a forging hammer with a corresponding internal diameter is employed.
After the forging is completed, the pipe is machined to its final dimensions. Large diameter seamless pipes cannot be created using traditional methods. Hence the forging pipe manufacturing process is used. The steam header is usually made of forged pipes.
Extrusion Processes
In the production of extrusion pipes, a heated billet is inserted inside the die. The billet is pushed against the piercing mandrel by a hydraulic ram, and material flows from the cylindrical cavity between the die and the mandrel. The pipe is formed from the billet as a result of this operation.
Mother hollow is a type of pipe with a high thickness and is sometimes produced by pipe manufacturers. Many secondary pipe manufacturers used this mother hollow to make various pipes of various sizes.
Welded Pipe Manufacturing Process
Plate, continuous coil, or strips are used to make welded pipes. To make a welded pipe, the initial plate or coil is rolled in a circular section using a plate bending machine or, in the event of a continuous operation, a roller.
Once the circular section is rolled off the plate, the pipe can be welded with or without filler material. Welded pipes can be made in a wide range of sizes with no maximum limit. Long radius bends and elbows can be made with a welded pipe filled with filler material.
Welded pipes are less expensive than seamless pipes, but they are also weaker due to the weld.
The pipe is welded using a variety of welding techniques.
Extrusion Processes
- ERW- Electric Resistance Welding
- EFW- Electric Fusion Welding
- HFW- High-frequency welding
- SAW- Submerged Arc Welding (Long seam & Spiral Seam)
ERW Steel Pipe Manufacturing Process
The initial plate is formed into a cylindrical shape in the ERW / EFW / HFW pipe process, and the longitudinal edges of the produced cylinder are welded by flash welding, low-frequency resistance welding, high-frequency induction welding, or high-frequency resistance welding.
LSAW Pipe Manufacturing Process
Exterior filler metal (wire electrodes) is utilized to link the produced plates in the SAW welding process. Depending on the pipe size, SAW pipes can have a single or double longitudinal seam.
SAW pipes are also available with a spiral seam rolled continuously from a single plate coil. The spiral SAW pipe has a far higher production rate than the straight SAW pipe. Spiral SAW pipes, on the other hand, are only employed in low-pressure applications such as water and non-critical process services.
