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OUR LATEST NEWS
Can MS & Carbon Manganese ERW Boiler tubes replace seamless tubes?
There is a general belief in the industry that Seamless tubes are superior in performance and life expectancy compared to ERW Pipes and majorly, welded seam of ERW tubes are considered to be the major pain point.
Today, we would like to give a small rundown of ERW and seamless boiler tubes and in the process hopefully quell some of the industry myths that have influenced your purchase decisions. Before we delve into it, we need to understand that lots of changes have happened in manufacturing of ERW pipes and tubes. Today with the advancement in manufacturing process and control technology (conditioning monitoring, on-line temperature control, on-line metallurgical control, on-line NDT it’s possible to achieve zero defect weld consistency which was not the case a few decades back. In fact Specification Bodies treat ERW and Seamless alike The defining aspect is today’s national, international recognised bodies and IBR ( Indian Boiler Regulations) suggests for the same strength level of tubes, specifies to use same chemical composition in steel, same acceptance of yield strength, ultimate tensile strength, percent elongation, hardness and flatness test for both ERW and Seamless tubes.
Designed metal temperature for MS Carbon and carbon Manganese steel) for both seamless and ERW tubes are prescribed as 454Degree C
Do ERW tubes corrode easily?
Another common allegation is ERW tubes corrode easily at the weld, but the fact is that if no external electrodes are used, it wipes away any possibility of differential corrosion.
Today, ERW tubes are normalized in the final stages to achieve homogenized microstructure to rule out any possibility of corrosion due to microstructure in homogeneity.
Surface Defect Advantage
Seamless tubes are characterized with surface defects of varying length in the inner surface whereas ERW tubes, with the advent of modern manufacturing processes , today ERW tubes has less surface defects both in the inner and outer surface compared to Seamless tubes Thickness Variation comparison between Seamless & ERW Seamless tubes are generally characterized by large thickness variation whereas ERW tubes are produced with closer thickness variation and hence the heat transfer may not be uniform in the seamless tube. The allowed thickness variation in seamless tubes is as high as 35%, whereas in ERW tubes it’s comparatively lower. For the same nominal thickness and OD, the pressure ratings points are lower for Seamless tubes compared to ERW tubes.
Also, most importantly for the same nominal thickness and tonnage more length of ERW tubes can be produced.
As you know ERW tubes are affordable and also available in greater lengths in the rack compared to boiler tubes, it’s only sensible to choose modern ERW tubes compared to seamless tubes. All you need is to compare against some of the best ERW tube manufacturer brands in the market and find
their authorized dealer and supplier.
Though Seamless tubes have their own share of advantages and can hold fort in specific situations it’s time we wake up to the latest changes in the steel pipe and tube industry and hope with this note, we would have helped you to overcome some myths.
About Madras Steels:
From the humble beginnings back in the year 1988, Madras Steels & Tubes has reinvented the idea of traditional Pipe & Tube suppliers in India delivering standard and customized piping and tubing solutions in Galvanized steel, mild steel, stainless steel, Seamless, ERW/SAW, Boiler Tubes, CRCA Round tubes etc.,
We are a leading exporter/ importer/ authorized dealer for tubes and pipes with branches in cities like Chennai, Mumbai, Bangalore, Kochi, Hyderabad, Visakhapatnam, Ahmedabad, and Delhi.
Indian Steel Pipe and tube Terms & Terminologies!
Any steel pipe supplier or manufacturer quote/ catalogue comes along with numerous abbreviations, terms and terminologies and we rarely do realize that a better understanding of it will help us to select better quality of steel pipes and tubes and make sound decisions.
Here’s a quick guide to brush up some of the most commonly used terms and terminologies.
Ductility
It’s a measure of a material’s ability to undergo significant plastic deformation before rapture occurs.
Brittle
It’s the tendency of the material to fracture or fail upon the application of a relatively small force.
Tensile Strength
It’s the maximum amount of stress a metal can hold until the necking occurs.
Yield Strength
Maximum stress that steel can take before it will take plastic deformation (Cannot return to the original shape) Understanding pipe sizes and pipe schedules
Pipe Schedule
It’s the way pipe thickness is mentioned, ASME committee has introduced pipe schedule number to simplify the purchase of pipes and standardize it across.
Schedule Number
It’s the approximate value of expression 1000 * p/s
P = Service pressure
S = Allowable stress
Allowable stress is constant for a given temperature and service pressure only varies from pipe to pipe, for instance Schedule 40 can withstand a certain amount of pressure. Greater the schedule number, greater the thickness of the pipe.
Nominal Pipe Size (NPS) & Outer Diameter (OD)
Nominal Pipe Size is the number that defines the size of pipe. For NPS 14 and above usually OD is considered to be the same as NPS.
Abbreviations
Some of the common abbreviations in our industry and what they actually represent (Full form)
ASTM – American Standards for Testing MaterialsBSR – Boiler Standards Regulation
ASME – American Society for Mechanical Engineers
ISI – Indian Standards Institute
API – American Petroleum Institution
About Madras Steels:
From the humble beginnings back in the year 1988, Madras Steels & Tubes has reinvented the idea of traditional Pipe & Tube suppliers in India delivering standard and customized piping and tubing solutions in Galvanized steel, mild steel, stainless steel, Seamless, ERW/SAW, Boiler Tubes, CRCA Round tubes etc.,
We are a leading exporter/ importer/ authorized dealer for tubes and pipes with branches in cities like Chennai, Mumbai, Bangalore, Kochi, Hyderabad, Visakhapatnam, Ahmedabad, and Delhi.
Different type of steels used for pipes & tubes Industry: Applications and advantages.
We have diverse varieties of steel employed in the manufacturing of tubes and pipes and each one has its own share of advantages and disadvantages. Let’s take a dive into the properties, applications of each one of them in detail.
It’s a steel made out of iron and carbon with varying carbon percentage that determines its grade. Low carbon steel is harder but also makes them more brittle and when the carbon percentage increases, it turns stronger and harder while also turning more difficult to weld and manipulate with heat.
The constitution of other alloying elements like chromium, manganese, cobalt, tungsten is not defined. Owning to its low melting point it has a better heat distribution. It has a matte, dull finish.
Medium carbon is easy to cut and formed by machines and they can be used to form rails, pipe lines and more.
Applications: Rails, Pipe Lines
Galvanized (GI) steel for Pipe & Tubes
Made by immersing the carbon steel in the molten zinc, where the later diffuses into the top layers forming the protective layer that’s corrosive resistant. It’s affordable and cheap compared to stainless steel which is more stronger and sustainable and more attractive compared to Galvanized steel. It’s primarily used in the low cost infrastructure projects and much cheaper method of rust-proofing the steel compared to stainless steel, hands down.
Applications: Low cost infrastructure projects, steam, water, gas, or air lines.
Stainless Steel for Pipes & Tubes
Stainless steel is usually defined by the additional presence of chromium, the more dominating of the rest of the alloy combinations. It forms a thin layer of Chromic oxide outside the steel, making it glossier and also corrosion resistant. Stainless steel are usually more sustainable and long lasting compared to Galvanized steels and also very expensive. It’s rust resistant and less brittle compared to carbon steel
Stainless steel tubes are used for water solutions where purity is high priority and structural solutions for automobile and infrastructure projects. Stainless steel pipes for high performance industries such as aerospace and engineering.
Applications: Aerospace, Automobile, Infrastructure projects to name a few.
From the humble beginnings back in the year 1988, Madras Steels & Tubes has reinvented the idea of traditional Pipe & Tube suppliers in India delivering standard and customized piping and tubing solutions in Galvanized steel, mild steel, stainless steel, Seamless, ERW/SAW, Boiler Tubes, CRCA Round tubes etc.,
We are a leading exporter/ importer/ authorized supplier for steel tube and pipes with branches in cities like Chennai, Mumbai, Bangalore, Kochi, Hyderabad, Visakhapatnam, Ahmedabad, and Delhi.
Understanding the different standards used for Indian piping & tubing industry
Sourcing a quality steel pipe and tube while meeting the industry standards and government norms is not an easy task and we would like to simplify it with a detailed note below.
Every country has its own codes and standards but the truth is that American National Standards are the most widely used in India, primarily because the compliance with those are accepted world over.We do have British, Japanese and Indian standards prevalent in few industries but the scope and TG is very limited.
Before we delve into the prevalent standards and codes, we would like to define each one of them in detail.
Standards are published by professional societies, organizations or group to improve safety and quality.
Codes are a set of rules and procedures that has been adopted into a law.
Some of the most used standards in India include ASTM, ASME, API, ANSI and it could differ based on the industry from oil and gas to petroleum. It’s only these standards that ensure safety and quality of our purchase and distinguishes the quality manufacturers and dealers from the crowd.
American Standards for Testing Materials (ASTM)
ASTM provides industrial standards and service standards across several industries and the organization has till date published more than 12000 standards which are in use. Out of which more than 100 standards pertain to pipe, tubes, and fittings.
Unlike other international standards that will impact only specific industries, ASTM is more holistic and it factors in almost every industry one can think of and is universally accepted in pipes and tubes industry.
American society for Mechanical Engineers (ASME)
ASME that began operations way back in the year 1880 has been one of the key driving forces behind the safety improvements in boiler and pressure vessels used across several industries.
They have set dedicated standards that can be applied to pipes, tubes and fittings and just like ASTM they have a holistic approach for their standards and can be universally applied to every industry and are considered as a mark for quality.
Nuances of ASTM reading:
Let’s understand with real example. In a ASTM reading A 106 B as accredited by ASTM (ASME spec would be somewhat like SA 106 B)
Here A is the designated ferrous material, 106 is an arbitrary number that indicates it’s a seamless carbon pipe used for high temperatures and grades such A, B, C indicates its chemical make-up and mechanical properties.
Complying both ASTM ASME Standards:
If it’s A/SA 333, it means it complies with both ASTM and ASME standards.
Majority of the times, both ASTM and ASME would be identical and the only major difference would be at times, ASME would require additional tests to compile with it.
American Petroleum Institution (API)
As the name suggests, it’s an organization that conceives and implements standards for pipes and tubes used for oil and gas industry.
Pipes rated under API can be similar to design and material compared to other pipes in other industries, but API standards will involve additional testing requirements
API 5L is the most common standard to which a line pipe is rated in Oil and natural gas is rated. Some grades of API comply with A/SA 106 and A/SA 53 .e ASTM and ASME standards but not vice versa.
The American Iron and Steel Institute and Society of Automotive Engineers share a similar numbers to classify steel. AISI/SAE has published standards pertaining to the chemical make-up but they do not include the manufacturing, heat treatment and testing parameters.
Even our most revered standards ISO has its roots in America.American National Standardization Institute , the American body joined hands with many international organizations to form International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and they also happen to accredit ASTM, ASME as an acceptable standards of practice.
Hope you would be able to decode standards better from now on and make informed decisions.
From the humble beginnings back in the year 1988, Madras Steels & Tubes has reinvented the idea of traditional Pipe & Tube suppliers in India delivering standard and customized piping and tubing solutions in Galvanized steel, mild steel, stainless steel, Seamless, ERW/SAW, Boiler Tubes, CRCA Round tubes etc.,
We are a leading exporter/ importer/ authorized supplier for steel tube and pipes with branches in cities like Chennai, Mumbai, Bangalore, Kochi, Hyderabad, Visakhapatnam, Ahmedabad, and Delhi.