2024-11-22
Stainless Steel Tubing: Welded Vs. Seamless-Stainless steel pipe
Welded tubing is produced by rolling strips of stainless steel into a tube and then welding along its full length. After welding, the weld seam, or bead, can be refined by cold rolling and forging methods or left as is.Cold forming results in smoother finishes and tighter tolerances. Welded tubing can even be drawn like seamless tubing to offer a better weld seam, and surface finish. Welded tubing can also be produced with thinner walls on larger diameter tubes, compared to seamless tubing. Because welded tubing requires less processing, it is typically quicker to produce as well as lower in cost than seamless tubing.The down side of welded tubing comes in the form of high pressure and heavy wall applications. The long welded seam causes a stress concentration point, reducing pressure ratings to 80% of comparable seamless tubing. Also, the stainless material used to create welded tubing must be thin enough to roll effectively. Therefore, heavy wall tubing is less feasible as welded tubing.