With the continuous development of industrial applications, piping systems and products have been widely used in many construction fields. Manufacturers have doubled production rates over the past decade to meet market demand.
Pipe forming can only follow two specific techniques which can produce seamless or welded pipes. The first step is to cast crude raw materials such as ore or scrap metal into ingots. The final step in the manufacturing process is to shape the pipe by extending the seamless tube.
There is a fine line between seamless steel pipe and welded pipe. This article will provide a detailed overview of each method, its advantages and disadvantages, their differences, applications, and when to use them.
Seamless Steel Overview
Seamless steel pipe is a steel pipe that is made of a single piece of metal and has no seams on the surface as opposed to welded pipes. As the name suggests, seamless steel pipe has no seams (creases) or welds.
Seamless steel tubes are characterized by a perfect finish, which is flawless and desirable, hence the higher demand. They are manufactured to be round, rectangular or square and the pipes are tubular (hollow) as most of them carry flowing substances such as gases, liquids, slurries and powders.
Seamless steel is strong and durable as it has no welds and no joints; this means that the pipe has a uniform structure which ensures evenly distributed strength.
Applications
Seamless steel tubes have specific applications due to their unique properties such as uniform strength distribution, no welded joints, high temperature resistance, pressure bearing capacity, high quality, and better weight limitation.
*Chemical processing plants
*Manufacturing oil and gas lines
*Manufacturing medical equipment
*Hydraulics
*Nuclear power plants
*Water purification plants
*High temperature and pressure units
*Sensitive measuring units
Welded Pipe Overview
Welded steel pipe is a multi-million dollar industry. It is growing every day to meet the insatiable demand for welded pipes. Fortunately, today several sectors are involved in the mass production of welded steel pipes.
Welded steel pipes are always in plentiful supply due to their lower production costs and availability of raw materials. Therefore, it is one of the most widely used metals in the world. Its application in different industries and manufacture of countless products. Examples of ASTM or API 5L welded steel pipe include SSAW pipe, ERW steel pipe, and LSAW pipe.
Many people confuse ERW pipe with seamless steel because it doesn't use fused metal and the welds aren't always visible, nor can you feel them. In contrast, double submerged arc welding (DSAW) leaves a noticeable weld bead that can be removed using different processes depending on the method of application.
Applications
Unlike seamless steel pipes, welded steel pipes are widely used in several industries due to their cost-effectiveness. They can also be manufactured in different lengths and welded from different shaped tubes. Application depends entirely on usage and other relevant factors.
*Architecture
*Food and beverage processing industries
*Automotive industry
*Aerospace construction
*Pharmaceuticals
*Marine and fishing
*Construction and mining
*Pipelines
Cost of Seamless Steel Pipe vs. Welded Pipe
Strength and durability are some of the factors that determine the cost of welded and seamless pipes. Seamless steel is stronger than welded pipe and is more expensive due to higher production costs.
On the other hand, welded steel pipes are easier to manufacture due to their low production costs and readily available raw materials. In addition, the production process of seamless steel is complex and time-consuming. Since each pipe material has its own unique characteristics, advantages, and disadvantages, it is important to understand acceptable purchasing practices in order to develop a reasonable budget.