How to make seamless pipe？

How to Make Seamless Pipe

by sunsteelxaramco Editorial Team
Seamless pipes are essential components in various industries, including oil and gas, automotive, and construction. They offer numerous advantages such as high strength, reliability, and resistance to corrosion. If you are interested in understanding the seamless pipe manufacturing process, this guide will provide you with an overview of the key steps involved.

Step 1: Selection of Raw Materials

The first step in making seamless pipes is selecting high-quality raw materials. Typically, manufacturers use carbon steel, stainless steel, or alloy steel for the pipe production. The choice of material depends on the required characteristics such as strength, durability, and resistance to specific conditions.

Step 2: Billet Preparation

In the second step, the selected raw materials are transformed into cylindrical billets. This process involves heating the raw materials to a specific temperature and then using a rotary piercing mill to create round, solid billets. These billets will serve as the starting material for the seamless pipe.

Step 3: Pipe Formation

The billets obtained in the previous step undergo pipe formation. There are two main methods for creating seamless pipes: the Mannesmann process and the extrusion process.

• Mannesmann Process: In this method, the heated billet is positioned inside a piercing machine. A mandrel is then inserted into the billet, which helps to maintain the internal diameter while piercing it. The billet is then rolled on a mandrel mill, which converts it into a hollow circular shell. The shell is further elongated and reduced in diameter through multiple rolling stages until the desired pipe size is achieved.

• Extrusion Process: The extrusion process involves the use of a heated billet that is placed inside a chamber containing a piercing mandrel. The billet is pushed by a ram and forced through a die, resulting in the formation of the seamless pipe. This process is suitable for smaller-sized pipes with complex shapes.

Step 4: Heat Treatment

Heat treatment is an essential step in the production of seamless pipes as it improves the mechanical properties and overall quality of the pipes. The pipes are subjected to a carefully controlled heating and cooling process to achieve specific desired properties such as increased strength, hardness, and resistance to corrosion.

Step 5: Finishing Operations

After heat treatment, the seamless pipes undergo various finishing operations to meet the required specifications and quality standards.