Stainless steel tubing is one of the most versatile metal alloy materials used in manufacturing and fabrication. The two common types of tubing are seamless and welded. Deciding between welded vs. seamless tubing primarily depends on the application requirements of the product. In choosing between the two keep in mind that first, the tubing must be compliant with your project specifications and that secondly, it must meet the conditions for which the tubing will ultimately be used.
Though both the words tube and pipe are often used interchangeably, largely because both are hollow-shaped, there are important distinctions between the two when determining welded vs. seamless tubing needs. Tubes are measured by the outside diameter (OD) and wall thickness. A pipe, on the other hand, is measured by its inside diameter (ID). In terms of functionality, tubing is generally used in structural and aesthetic applications whereas piping is used for transporting fluids, liquids, and gases.
Knowing that distinction can also help in determining which tubing is best for a given application, welded or seamless. The method of manufacturing welded and seamless tubing is evident in their names alone. Seamless tubes are as defined – they do not have a welded seam. The tubing is manufactured through an extrusion process where the tube is drawn from a solid stainless steel billet and extruded into a hollow form. The billets are first heated and then formed into oblong circular molds that are hollowed in a piercing mill. While hot, the molds are drawn through a mandrel rod and elongated. The mandrel milling process increases the mold’s length by twenty times to form a seamless tube shape. Tubing is further shaped through pilfering, a cold rolling process, or cold drawing.
A welded stainless steel tube is produced through roll-forming strips or sheets of stainless steel into a tube shape and then welding the seam longitudinally. Welded tubing can be accomplished either by hot-forming and cold-forming processes. Of the two, cold forming results in smoother finishes and tighter tolerances. However, each method creates a durable, strong, steel tube that resists corrosion. The seam can be left beaded or it can be further worked by cold rolling and forging methods. The welded tube can also be drawn similarly to seamless tubing to produce a finer weld seam with better surface finishes and tighter tolerances.
There are benefits and drawbacks in choosing welded vs. seamless tubing.
By definition, seamless tubes are completely homogenous tubes, the properties of which give seamless tubing more strength, superior corrosion resistance, and the ability to withstand higher pressure than welded tubes. This makes them more suitable in critical applications in harsh environments, but it comes with a price.
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Welded tubing is generally less expensive than seamless tubing due to the simpler manufacturing process in creating welded tubing. It is also readily available, like seamless tubing, in long continuous lengths. Standard sizes can be produced with similar lead times for both welded and seamless tubing. Seamless tubing costs can be offset in smaller manufacturing runs if less quantity is required. Otherwise, though custom-sized seamless tubing can be produced and delivered more quickly, it is more costly.
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Costs of seamless and welded tubing are also related to such properties as strength and durability. Welded tubing’s easier manufacturing process can produce larger diameter tubing with thinner wall sizes for less. Such properties are more difficult to produce in seamless tubing. On the other hand, heavy walls can be achieved more easily with seamless tubing. Seamless tubing is often preferred for heavy wall tubing applications that require or can withstand high pressure or perform in extreme environments.
Several factors combine to make stainless steel tubing an excellent choice for structural applications in industries ranging from automotive and aerospace to medical and marine. If you’re still unsure which tubing is best for your application, as a point of reference, though seamless tubing can be substituted for welded tubing, welded tubing can never be substituted for seamless tubing.
Here at Atlantic Stainless, we’ve been in the business of manufacturing stainless steel tube for so long that you’d think nothing would surprise us, but each new client brings a new story and a unique application! While there are many classic uses for stainless steel tube in the country’s largest industries, there are many applications that you might never think of. Today we’re going to demonstrate the versatility of the high-quality stainless steel tubing we produce, by exploring the depth of the industries and applications where stainless steel tubing plays an important role.
One of the reasons why stainless steel tubing is used in so many different ways is because it can be custom-manufactured in an extensive range of sizes and configurations. While some manufacturers specialize in a certain size, others like Atlantic Stainless have the facilities and technology to fabricate it in tiny sizes for use as hypodermic tubing, all the way up to very large sizes for use as pipes and industrial tubes. It’s incredible to imagine that the same product can serve so many potential purposes when its size is changed! The measurements that come into play when choosing the ideal size of tubing for any given application are wall thickness, inner diameter, and outer diameter. Once those are chosen then the tube can be welded and drawn or cut and formed in any length!
Since stainless steel is an ideal metal for sanitization, corrosion resistance, and is not prone to rust, it is well suited for thousands of different uses! To demonstrate just how versatile it can be, we will explore how many ways it can be used in just one type of facility in a single industry; a hospital. Within a hospital, stainless steel tubing of all sizes is used for countless integral processes and operations. The structure of the hospital itself would use stainless steel tube in the form of pipes, ventilation, and drainage, as well as parts of electric wiring components. Within the hospital, large stainless steel tubes can be cut and formed for use as hazardous waste and chemical containers. On a much smaller scale, stainless steel tube can be found in all different types of medical equipment and devices. In fact, stainless steel 304 is the most common material used in medical devices, since it offers antibacterial properties, ease of cleaning, and resistance to corrosion or reaction to bodily fluids. For these reasons, one of stainless steel tube’s most important applications is its use as hypodermic tubing for needles and intravenous devices. Modern hospitals simply couldn’t function without lots and lots of stainless steel tubing!
Just considering some of the many uses for stainless steel tubing within a single facility in only one industry demonstrates just how many ways this versatile, customizable product can be used. To fully grasp how integral stainless steel tubing is to our lives, it’s important to consider that it has numerous uses in our homes, including within our appliances, water, heating, and plumbing systems, in our cars, and in the tools we use. Outside of our homes, stainless steel tube plays a role in nearly every industry we rely on, from food and beverage processing to transportation, construction, technology, automotive, and more. Since stainless steel tube can also be formed in square and rectangular configurations, the number of potential uses increase even further. New uses are being found for stainless steel tube every day, and as innovators develop ways to incorporate it in products and inventions, our lives are improved in many ways – some small, and others monumental.
At Atlantic Stainless, we hear about new uses for stainless steel tube all the time. As custom fabricators, we are always willing to work within our clients’ specifications in order to bring their vision to life and create just one more incredible use for stainless steel tube. If you’re ready to tell us how you’ll use stainless steel tube, then we’re ready to manufacture it for you. Just call us or contact us today to get started!
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