Seamless steel pipe is a popular choice for a variety of industrial applications today. But, what exactly is a seamless pipe and why are so many companies turning to seamless technology? Let’s take a closer look at the concept and see.
No Seam
When you think of seamless pipe, you might think about one very long and continuous section of pipe. However, this is not the case with a seamless steel pipe. It comes in sections like welded pipe but is manufactured without a seam along the side. How is this possible?
Seamless Technology
The seamless pipe is commonly used when a thin-walled pipe is desired. Many types of seamless pipe systems are common for transporting liquids. To make a pipe with no seams, one of two processes is usually utilized, rotary tube piercing or extrusion.
Rotary Piercing
This process can be used to produce thick-walled pipe, and is sometimes referred to as roll piercing. A round solid piece of iron is drilled out in the center as it passes between two rollers. The drill contains a mandrel that shapes the internal section of the pipe. The rotation of the rollers pulls the material through the process and shapes the outer part of the pipe.
Extrusion
The extrusion process can be utilized to create many shapes and sizes, and is sometimes used to manufacture seamless steel pipe. In the process, a solid piece of iron is heated and forced through a die. This creates the desired shape of the pipe without the need for seams.
Uses for Seamless Steel Pipe
There are many excellent uses for seamless pipe. In the oil and gas industry, this kind of pipe is often used in oil rigs and places with liquids under high pressure. They also see use in very cold and hot environments.
Benefits of Seamless Steel Piping
If you compare seamless pipe to its welded seam counterpart, you will notice a big difference. Seamless piping can withstand more pressure, so it is preferred in high-pressure systems. Because there are no seams in the pipe, you have fewer points of weakness or failure as you will find in welded seam pipe.
Seamless pipe performs better under load, and this makes it ideal for long piping systems. Also, the seamless pipe has a perfect shape, unlike welded pipe that loses some of its roundness in the welding process.
Seamless piping does cost more to produce than welding seam piping. However, many companies are choosing seamless because of the multitude of benefits it offers. Both seamed and seamless steel pipe provide important benefits to the industry today.
