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How To Distinguish Inferior Steel

Pipe?
2017-12-30

 Industry News
 News

What is a steel pipe?

Steel pipe is long, hollow tube that are used for a variety of purposes. Steel pipe is made
using three main methods: Seamless (extrusion mould), Welded and Casting Mould. The
primary benefit of steel pipe is its strength. These pipes don’t crack under most impacts
and can operate under high pressure. Under abnormal loads, steel pipe will bend, rather
than break. Steel pipe can be used in many different applications including building
construction, structural and mechanical uses.

There are several different types of steel pipe available for use in various applications.
The most common is carbon steel pipe, which is so named because it contains no other
alloys. Carbon steel pipe is widely available and relatively affordable, making it a popular
choice for very large projects such as pipelines. Stainless steel pipe is made from an alloy
of steel and chromium, and is one of the more expensive types of pipe on the market. It
offers a high level of corrosion-resistance, which allows smaller and thinner pipes to be
used, even in highly corrosive or acidic scenarios.
Galvanized steel is often used for pipes that will be exposed to harsh conditions like
saltwater or marine use. This material features traditional carbon steel with an
electroplated zinc coating, which helps resist rust and corrosion. When it comes to
selecting pipe for most plumbing applications, black steel pipe is commonly used. The
black coating is caused by oxidation of the pipe’s surface during manufacturing, and is
considered aesthetically pleasing for pipes that will be left exposed. These pipes are
usually treated with an anti-corrosion sealer at the factory before they are sold.
Steel pipe is available in either seamless or welded versions. Seamless pipe is made
using a piercing rod, which gives the material a smooth and even finish with no joints. This
product is the more expensive of the two, but is also considered more reliable, especially
in high pressure applications. Welded pipe is made from steel sheets that are rolled
around a form, then welded shut along the joints. While welded steel pipe is less
expensive, it is also more likely to fail, and can’t generally hold up well in high pressure
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uses.

What are the use of steel pipes?

Steel pipes are extremely versatile. That’s why they’re commonly used in many industries,
from gas to sewage. They also come in a variety of types and sizes, and they can easily
be customized to fit the needs of a particular project, adding even more to its versatility.
Truth be told, it’s near impossible to find an industry that does not use steel pipe in some
capacity.

Most Common Steel Pipe Uses in Various Industries

Construction, in particular, has benefited from the fact that steel is a more practical
alternative to other metals, like iron. Steel is corrosion resistant, making them more
durable and cost-effective. It also means that you can use these pipes in areas constantly
exposed to the elements because it’s able to withstand them. Given all these benefits,
here are some of the common uses of steel pipes.

Domestic
Steel pipes are a common choice for many homes because they are more durable,
meaning you won’t have to change them every couple of seasons. Any plumber will
recommend a stainless steel pipe for your shower, tap and the rest of the house,
especially exposed pipes because they’re more enduring of the elements. They’re also
known to be more durable. Its wide use is proven by how commonly you see it in
hardware stores and DIY showrooms.

Medical
If doctors use it, it must be safe, so that’s another tick for steel. Steel pipes are so popular
in the medical field that they have used them for everything, including supporting fractured
bones, medical machinery, surgical tools, dental procedures and even in
pharmaceutical. Steel’s varied application is a testament to its durability, safety, and
versatility.

Factories
Because factories have to ensure the safety of what they are producing, they have to
make sure that they’re equipment are of top caliber. That’s why most of them use steel

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pipes, from assembly lines and water treatment facilities to dairy and food processing and
the refineries themselves.

Construction
This is one of the most obvious uses of steel pipes. They are the go-to for many
construction companies because they’re malleable and sturdy, at the same time. Steel
pipes are used as construction piling, to support the weight of heavy buildings when the
soil is too weak. It’s also used on the building itself and even its architectural design.

Steel pipes are also used to construct ships, the ship yard where they’re kept, oil refineries
and even space stations. Whether the construction is on land, over the water, or in space,
steel pipes are a quality choice.

Steel Pipe and Manufacturing Processes

Introduction

The advent of rolling mill technology and its development during the first half of the
nineteenth century also heralded in the industrial manufacture of tube and pipe. Initially,
rolled strips of sheet were formed into a circular cross section by funnel arrangements or
rolls, and then butt or lap welded in the same heat (forge welding process).

Toward the end of the century, various processes became available for the manufacture
of seamless tube and pipe, with production volumes rapidly increasing over a relatively
short period. In spite of the application of other welding processes, the ongoing
development and further improvement of the seamless techniques led to welded tube
being almost completely pushed out of the market, with the result that seamless tube and
pipe dominated until the Second World War.

During the subsequent period, the results of research into welding technology led to an
upturn in the fortunes of the welded tube, with burgeoning development work ensuing and
wide propagation of numerous tube welding processes. Currently, around two thirds of
steel tube production in the world are accounted for by welding processes. Of this figure,
however, about one quarter takes the form of so-called large-diameter line pipe in size
ranges outside those which are economically viable in seamless tube and pipe
manufacturing.

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As steel pipes are made? (German comment)

From: Youtube.com

Seamless Tube and Pipe

The main seamless tube manufacturing processes came into being toward the end of the
nineteenth century. As patent and proprietary rights expired, the various parallel
developments initially pursued became less distinct and their individual forming stages
were merged into new processes. Today, the state of the art has developed to the point
where preference is given to the following modern high-performance processes:

The continuous mandrel rolling process and the push bench process in the size range
from approx. 21 to 178 mm outside diameter.

The multi-stand plug mill (MPM) with controlled (constrained) floating mandrel bar and the
plug mill process in the size range from approx. 140 to 406 mm outside diameter.

The cross roll piercing and pilger rolling process in the size range from approx. 250 to 660
mm outside diameter.

Mandrel Mill Process

In the Mandrel Mill Process, a solid round (billet) is used. It is heated in a rotary hearth
heating furnace and then pierced by a piercer. The pierced billet or hollow shell is rolled by
a mandrel mill to reduce the outside diameter and wall thickness which forms a multiple
length mother tube. The mother tube is reheated and further reduced to specified
dimensions by the stretch reducer. The tube is then cooled, cut, straightened and
subjected to finishing and inspection processes befor shipment.

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* Note: Processes marked by an asterisk are conducted specification and/or customer

requirements

Mannesmann plug mill process

In the Plug Mill Process, a solid round (billet) is used. It is uniformly heated in the rotary
hearth heating furnace and then pierced by a Mannesmann piercer. The pierced billet or
hollow shell is rollreduced in outside diameter and wall thickness. The rolled tube
simultaneously burnished inside and outside by a reeling machine. The reeled tube is then
sized by a sizing mill to the specified dimensions. From this step the tube goes through
the straightener. This process completes the hot working of the tube. The tube (referred to
as a mother tube) after finishing and inspection, becomes a finished product.

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Welded Tube and Pipe

Ever since it became possible to manufacture strip and plate, people have constantly tried
to bend the material and connect its edges in order to manufacture tube and pipe. This led
to the development of the oldest welding process, that of forge-welding, which goes back
over 150 years.

In 1825, the British ironware merchant James Whitehouse was granted a patent for the
manufacture of welded pipe. The process consisted of forging individual metal plates over
a mandrel to produce an open-seam pipe, and then heating the mating edges of the open
seam and welding them by pressing them together mechanically in a draw bench.

The technology evolved to the point where strip could be formed and welded in one pass
in a welding furnace. The development of this butt-welding concept culminated in 1931 in
the Fretz-Moon process devised by J. Moon, an American, and his German colleague
Fretz.

Welding lines employing this process are still operating successfully today in the
manufacture of tube up to outside diameters of approx. 114 mm. Aside from this hot
pressure welding technique, in which the strip is heated in a furnace to welding
temperature, several other processes were devised by the American E. Thomson
between the years 1886 and 1890 enabling metals to be electrically welded. The basis for
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this was the property discovered by James P. Joule whereby passing an electric current
through a conductor causes it to heat up due to its electrical resistance.

In 1898, the Standard Tool Company, USA, was granted a patent covering the application
of electric resistance welding for tube and pipe manufacture. The production of electric
resistance welded tube and pipe received a considerable boost in the United States, and
much later in Germany, following the establishment of continuous hot strip rolling mills for
the production of the bulk starting material necessary for large-scale manufacture. During
the Second World War, an argon arc welding process was invented – again in the United
States – which enabled the efficient welding of magnesium in aircraft construction.

As a consequence of this development, various gas-shielded welding processes were

developed, predominantly for the production of stainless steel tube. Following the
far-reaching developments which have occurred in the energy sector in the last 30 years,
and the resultant construction of large-capacity long-distance pipelines, the
submerged-arc welding process has gained a position of pre-eminence for the welding of
line pipe of diameters upward of approx. 500 mm.

Electric Weld Pipe Mill

Steel strip in coil, which has been slit into the required width from wide strip, is shaped by
a series of forming rolls into a multiple length shell. The longitudinal edges are continously
joined by high frequency resistance/induction welding.
The weld of multiple length shell is then head treated electrically, sized and cut to
specified lengths by a flying cut-off machine. The cut pipe is straightened and squared at
both ends.
These operations are followed by ultrasonic inspection or hydrostatic testing.

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How To Distinguish Inferior Steel Pipe?

 1.The folding is easy to happen with inferior steel tube

 Folding is formed on the surface of the pipe line, this kind of defect often
throughout the entire product longitudinal. The reason for causing of fold is due to
the pursuit of high efficiency, large reduction of the inferior manufacturer, when go
on the next rolling, the folding happens, and the folding products will be cracking
after bending, and the strength of steel will decreased.
 2. The inferior steel tube has pitted surface
 Pits is due to the defects of the irregular uneven steel surface caused by the worn
groove. Because of the pursuit of profit, the inferior steel pipe manufacturer often
appear the overweight groove rolling.
 3. The inferior steel tube surface are prone to scarring
 For two reasons: (1) the inferior steel pipe material uneven with impurities. (2).
The inferior material manufacturer with simple equipment which is easy to stick
steel, these impurities after the roll bite are prone to scarring.
 4. The surface of the inferior material is easy to have crack for the reason that it’s
blank is adobe, and in the process of cooling due to the effect of thermal stress,
cracks, after rolling, there is crack.
 5. The inferior steel pipe is easy to scratch for the reason that the inferior steel
pipe factory has simple equipment which is easy to produce burr and scratch steel
surfaces. The deep scratches will reduce the strength of the steel.
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 6. The inferior steel tube has no metallic luster, it is reddish or similar to the color
of the pig iron for its original material is adobe. And the characteristics of steel pipe
cannot reach the required standard.
 7. The transverse bar of the inferior steel pipe is thin and low, and often appear
phenomenon of discontent, because the manufacturers want to achieve big minus
tolerance, finished product quality is not in accordance with the standard.
 8. The cross-section of the inferior steel tube is oval, because the factory in order
to save material, the quantity of the finished product roll is big, the strength of
rebar is greatly decreased, but also do not conform to the standard of rebar shape
size.
 9. The high quality steel composition is uniform, the cold shearing machine has
high tonnage, and the cutting head end is smooth and neat, and the material of
the inferior manufacturer is poor, cutting head end is not smooth or uneven, and
also has no metallic luster.
 10. The impurities of the inferior steel pipe is very large, but the steel density is
small, and the size out-of-tolerance is serious, so in the absence of vernier caliper,
can be checked to weigh it.
 11. The inner diameter of the inferior steel pipe is volatile, the reason is: 1. the
steel temperature is unstable; 2. the composition of steel is not uniform; 3.
Because of the poorly equipped, and low foundation strength, there will be a larger
changes within the same week, the steel bar caused by uneven on fracture.
 12.The high quality tube logo and printing are specification.
 13.The steel pipe diameter more than 16, the spacing between the two trademark
all over IM.
 14.The inferior steel rebar longitudinal reinforcement often undulate.
 15. The inferior steel pipe manufacturer with no traffic, so the packing is loose.

Steel pipe is a kind of common construction material in our daily life such as welded steel
pipe. Therefore, manufacturers who expertise in steel pipe production are various. In
these factories, their production ability is different, so the steel pipe quality is also quite
uneven. Some shoddy manufacturers who produce poor quality steel pipe will mislead the
decision of customers, which is shameful but can not be avoided. Then, how to distinguish
the quality of steel tube and square tube? How to choose suitable products with
reasonable price? We should learn some basic knowledge about these question.

The pipe component distribution is very uniform for high quality steel pipe and its surface
is smooth and neat such as cold rolled steel pipe. However, the steel pipe whose quality is
inferior has obvious folding mark on the surface, which can form a variety of folding line.
The folding mark will affect the strength of steel pipe seriously; it will become a potential
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safety issue afterwards. For inferior steel tube, there are a lot of impurities in component,
resulting in impure raw materials, which can cause uneven material easily. This kind of
poor quality steel pipe can not be applied in actual construction project.

Good quality steel pipe such as hot dipped galvanized steel pipe has lots of excellent
performances. For example, premium quality steel pipe has very high strength which can
not be scratched easily and light scratching is not obvious. However, inferior steel pipe
produced by a set of simple equipment will easily has burr that will lower steel pipe
strength. Steel pipe with metallic luster ranks high class in steel pipe market, but inferior
steel pipe more or less has rugged dot which is caused by simple and crude production
equipment. We should choose the steel pipe with smooth surface without obvious burr.

The above basic points, generally can be used to judge the quality of steel pipe. For all the
steel pipe manufacturers, each manufacturer has their own steel pipe price in terms of
their types or specifications. In the fluctuate steel pipe market, choosing desirable
products with good value is not an easy job. It is a time as well as energy commitment.
Besides, we need to mater some related information in advance. Therefore, learning
some judgment method of selecting is very important. If you have other questions about
the select approaches, hope you can leave your messages below.

Source: China Steel Pipes Manufacturer – Yaang pipe fitting Industry Co., Limited
(www.steeljrv.com)

(Yaang Pipe Industry is a leading manufacturer and supplier of nickel alloy and stainless
steel products, including Super Duplex Stainless Steel Flanges, Stainless Steel Flanges,
Stainless Steel Pipe Fittings, Stainless Steel Pipe. Yaang products are widely used in
Shipbuilding, Nuclear power, Marine engineering, Petroleum, Chemical, Mining, Sewage
treatment, Natural gas and Pressure vessels and other industries.)

If you want to have more information about the article or you want to share your opinion
with us, contact us at sales@steeljrv.com

Please notice that you might be interested in the other technical articles we’ve published:

• Tips for selecting expansion joints

• What is the difference between a steel pipe and a steel tube?

• Engineering Specification for Pressure Test of Piping System

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• How to choose a valve and valve end connection type

• How to test pipe fitting?

• Manufacturing process of cold rolled steel pipe

• Development trend of high pressure pipe fittings

• How to get high quality flanges

• How to get high quality pipe fittings

• How to get high quality bellow expansion joints

• How to get high quality alloy steel pipes

• HOW TO GET HIGH QUALITY STEEL PIPES

• WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN LATERAL TEE AND TRUE WYE

• WHAT ARE OUTLET PIPE FITTINGS

• The production process of welded stainless steel pipe

• HOW TO GET HIGH QUALITY HEAT EXCHANGER TUBES

• HOW TO GET HIGH QUALITY BOILER TUBES

• Cold Working Processes of Steel Pipes

• Specifications of Steel Pipe Fittings

• The production process of stainless steel pipe bend

• The cutting processing technology of stainless steel pipe

References:

 http://jdfields.com/uses-steel-pipe/
 http://www.wermac.org/pipes/pipemaking.html
 https://www.yaang.com/what-is-a-stainless-steel-seamless-pipe.html

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 https://www.yaang.com/manufacturing-processes-of-steel-pipe.html
 https://www.youtube.com

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