This section provides an overview for seamless pipes as well as their applications and principles. Also, please take a look at the list of 13 seamless pipe manufacturers and their company rankings. Here are the top-ranked seamless pipe companies as of August, : 1.Totten Tubes Inc, 2.U. S. Steel Tubular Products Inc, 3.American Piping Products Inc..
If you want to learn more, please visit our website.
A seamless pipe is a pipe with no joints in the longitudinal direction of the pipe.
Steel pipes are generally manufactured by rounding steel plates into a cylindrical shape and welding them together. However, the presence of joints in pipes can lead to serious accidents in terms of strength and reliability, such as crude oil leaking from pipes depending on the intended use.
Seamless pipes are manufactured using the Mannesmann method or other methods that do not produce joints that could cause a reduction in strength. Since there is no risk of defects occurring at joints, seamless pipes are used when high strength and reliability are required.
Seamless pipes are widely used to transport fluids such as gas, oil, and water. There are also many types of seamless steel pipes, as there are also pipes for construction applications.
Since the materials and standards of seamless pipes vary depending on the application, it is necessary to select the seamless pipe that best suits each purpose. Examples of specific applications include oil and natural gas facilities, boiler tubes for thermal power plants, and high-pressure piping for industrial machinery.
The Mannesmann process is the typical manufacturing method for producing seamless pipe. It is the most productive way to produce seamless pipe. Simply put, the Mannesmann method forms pipes from round bars, not steel plates. Since the pipe is formed from a round bar, no joints are created.
In the mannequin method, the material for the round bar-shaped pipe, called billet, is first heated to a high temperature (about 1,300°C) until it becomes bright red. When the billet is ready to be rolled, a tool called a plug (for seamless pipe bore forming) is pressed against the center of the billet to form it into a pipe.
If the plug is just pressed against the billet as it is, the billet will be pushed out to the outside and will not be formed into a pipe shape. Therefore, the billet is formed by holding the outer circumference with rolls such as cone and barrel molds. The material pushed out by the plug is pushed forward, so the outside shape can be formed while the inside diameter is formed.
In general, severe rolling of hot billets inevitably results in deterioration of surface properties. Similarly, thick-walled products, which are subjected to a lighter rolling process, are relatively easier to produce. However, there are now companies that specialize in thin-wall processing despite seamless piping. They range from ultra-thin small-diameter seamless pipes with a thickness of 0.08 mm to large-diameter seamless pipes with a diameter of 426.0 mm, the largest diameter ever manufactured in Japan.
The difference between seamless pipe and welded pipe is the use of welding in the pipe manufacturing process. The reason why seamless pipe is needed in the first place is that "grooved corrosion" occurs at welded joints.
This groove corrosion is a V-shaped corrosion that occurs on the weld (inside) of the pipe. Because welding is generally accompanied by high temperatures, changes in the metallurgical structure of the joint are inevitable. The difference in microstructure between the weld and the base metal causes a potential difference, which in turn causes corrosion. Once corrosion occurs, the formation of grooves accelerates corrosion, which eventually reaches the surface of the pipe or leads to fluid leakage due to lack of strength. This is the mechanism of grooved corrosion.
The primary reason for selecting seamless pipes is to prevent groove corrosion, but there is also a type of welded pipe called groove corrosion-resistant steel pipe. Groove corrosion-resistant steel pipes are made by adjusting the molecular composition of the base material (reducing sulfur content) and adding special elements to the weld zone. They are more expensive than ordinary pipes, but not as expensive as seamless pipes, and are widely used for liquids that pose no risk of leakage, such as water.
This section describes the price difference between seamless pipe and welded pipe (ERW pipe is used here as an example). Here, as an example, we consider SUS304 as the material. The price of a seamless pipe is about 1.5~2 times higher than that of an ERW pipe. The price difference is small when the pipe diameter is small, but the larger the diameter, the larger the price difference.
When considering a whole plant, the price of piping alone is 1.5~2 times higher than that of a single pipe, so the price difference is not that great when replacing a part of the piping, but when constructing a new plant, the overall cost changes significantly. Therefore, it is important to select appropriate piping according to the fluid to be handled to reduce costs.
Posted by IndustrySelect on Tuesday, September 12,
Above: A look inside American SpiralWeld Pipe's facility in Birmingham, AL, among the top steel pipe and tube manufacturers in the U.S. (Image courtesy of American SpiralWeld Pipe)
3 MIN. READ
As supply shortages and high prices continues to plague the U.S. manufacturing sector, more industrial buyers are on the hunt for deals on steel products, including steel tubing and pipe.
Globally, the steel tube market is valued at $142.4 billion and experts predict the steel tube industry to grow at a CAGR (compound annual growth rate) of 6.2% between and .
Strong demand for steel tubing means that these manufacturers might need to invest in new products and services to keep up with demand and turn this trend into an opportunity for growth.
According to MNI, publisher and compiler of the industrial data that powers IndustrySelect, there are currently 201 steel pipe and tube manufacturers in the United States employing a little over 40,000 workers. Over the past year, employment as increased by 2% in the steel tubing sector. Most of these manufacturers are located in the Midwest and Southern states, with Texas, Alabama and Ohio each being home to two of the 10 largest manufacturers in this sector. Nationally, steel pipe and tube manufacturers report average annual sales of $25 billion.
Related: Top Iron and Steel Mills in the U.S.A.
Compared to other manufacturers, steel tubing plants are more likely to import raw materials since 21% of these companies rely on imports against 11% of all manufacturers. MNI data also shows they're also more likely to sell their products abroad, with 40% relying on an international distribution strategy against 29% of all manufacturers.
Are you looking for sales leads in the the steel pipe & tube industry or the manufacturing world at large? Access comprehensive profiles of 500,000 industrial businesses and one million executives with IndustrySelect. Try a free demo of IndustrySelect and reach new prospects in the industrial world!
Turner Industries Group, LLC
Turner Industries Group, LLC has a total of five locations. Its largest one is in Pasadena, TX, and employs 2,409 people.
They specialize in producing carbon and alloy pipes for the construction industry and electrical infrastructure. This manufacturer stands out by using innovative techniques for pipe bending.
American SpiralWeld Pipe Co., LLC
Ziheng supply professional and honest service.
With 1,500 employees, American SpiralWeld Pipe Co., LLC is a Birmingham, AL, manufacturer that offers a wide range of pipes, pilings, joints, lining and coating products.
This manufacturer produces pipes with diameters ranging from 24 inches to 144 inches.
These larger pipes are designed for the wastewater and hydroelectric sectors.
Allied Tube & Conduit Corp
Allied Tube & Conduit Corp is located in Harvey, IL and has 900 employees. This award-winning manufacturer offers a wide range of cable and wiring systems for the electrical grid, telecommunications and fiber optic infrastructure.
The company&#;s product catalog also includes galvanized steel tubing and conduits, including signpost tubing.
Welspun Tubular, LLC
Little Rock, AR, is home to Welspun Tubular, LLC and its 800 employees. This manufacturer produces coatings, joints and pipes ranging from 24 inches to 60 inches in diameter for the oil and gas industry.
Welspun Tubular uses modern production methods thanks to its automatic mill.
JSW Steel (USA)
JSW Steel is a Baytown, TX, company with 700 employees. They specialize in carbon steel plates, piping and coating products.
This manufacturer relies on a double submerged arc wielding production process to prevent impurities and deliver flawless products to the oil and gas sector, ship building industry, offshore platforms and other industries.
United States Steel Corp., Fairfield Works
United States Steel Corp. has 700 employees and is located in Fairfield, AL. This manufacturer stands out thanks to its R&D department.
It's a steel producer and supplier for the energy, transportation and defense sectors.
ArcelorMittal USA, LLC
ArcelorMittal USA, LLC makes pipe and tube products with the automotive, construction, appliance and machinery sectors.
This Shelby, OH, manufacturer has 650 employees and uses a vertical strategy that encompasses mining of raw materials.
Curtis Maruyasa America, Inc.
Curtis Maruyasa America is a subsidiary of Japan-based Maruyasa Industries Company LTD. The company a fabricator of fluid and gas control products including steel tubing, serving the automotive industry. This location employs 600 in Lebanon, Ohio.
Benteler Steel Tube Mfg. Corp.
Located in Shreveport, LA, Benteler Steel Tube Mfg. Corp. makes seamless and welded steel tubes.
Their 500 employees deliver high-quality products for the automotive and energy sectors as well as customized industrial solutions for construction and hydraulic systems.
DeBra-Kuempel Co.
DeBra-Kuempel Co. specializes in industrial piping for the construction industry. This Cincinnati, OH, company has 500 employees and also offers electrical and plumbing products and building automation systems.
Looking to sell to the steel pipe and tube industry? An IndustrySelect subscription provides clients with touch-point data for potential leads, including direct executive contact information and other actionable data among 500,000 companies in the manufacturing and energy sector -- including steel pipe and tube manufacturers. To learn more about how you can use IndustrySelect to generate reliable leads for your company, try out a free demo!
Looking for steel pipe and tube? Search & quote pipe, tube and thousands of other industrial categories on IndustryNet.
Editor's note: This article was originally published in May of . It has been updated to include new statistics and trends in the industry.
Further Reading:
Top Fabricated Pipe and Fittings Manufacturers in the USA
Key Facts on the Steel Tube and Pipe Industry