This document summarizes the production of tubes and pipes. It discusses the historical background of tubes dating back to ancient civilizations using bamboo and clay pipes. It then outlines the modern processes for producing metallic seamless tubes via piercing, pilgering, and mandrel rolling and producing metallic welded tubes via electric welding and gas welding. Plastic and PVC pipes are also discussed as being produced via extrusion of thermoplastics like PVC and polyethylene. Finally, applications are discussed including uses in industries, transportation, power plants, construction and others.

1. PRODUCTION OF TUBES
AND PIPESIn a Nutshell
10/ME/134-140 MAHESH BANG

2. 1 Outline of the Presentation
1. Background 2. Introduction 3. Procedure
Seamless Process
Welding Process
Plastic / PVC Pipes
4. Applications5. Conclusion

3. 2
1.1 Look over the trends of production of tubes and pipes
“ Before the facts of thing is realized, you need to know that something is worth it.”
1. Background
 The trends of ancient civilization
Fig.1 Bamboo tubes Fig.2 clay pipe
 In 1700’s England cast iron was used .

4. 3 1. Background
Fig.3 Metal pipes found deep inside the mountain Fig.4 Lead pipes used in Roman time
 William Murdock invented a coal burning lamp system in
1815
Fig.5 William Murdock
1.1 Look over the trends of production of tubes and pipes …….. Contd.

5. 4 1. Background
 James Russell developed notable method in 1824 in which tubes were
created by joining together opposite edges of a flat iron strips.
 Next year , Comelius Whitehouse developed Butt-weld process for
making the pipe.
 Iron workers produce seamless tube of uneven thickness in 1840.
 The plant to produce seamless tube was built in 1895.
 In 1911, John Moon introduced the continuous process method for
producing the pipe.
Fig.6 Comelius Whitehouse Fig.7 Butt weld process
1.1 Look over the trends of production of tubes and pipes …….. Contd.

6. 5 1. Background
1.1 Look over the trends of production of tubes and pipes …….. Contd.

7. 6 1. Background
 Steel is the primary raw materials. Other alloys may be included like
aluminum, manganese, titanium, tungsten, vanadium and zirconium.
 Thermo- plastic pipe
 Composite pipe (ASTMD 2680)
 Steel Round billets , the primary source
for manufacture.
 Helical Resistance coil (HR ) required
to manufacture ERW pipes.
 For LASW pipes HR plates are required.
Fig.6 Steel round billets Fig.7 coil form
1.2 Raw Materials

8. 7 1. Background
 Composition of raw materials for seamless pipes
Elements
C
Si
S
P
Limit
0.20% max
0.10-0.35% max
0.01% max
0.02% max
Limit
0.20% max
0.15%- 0.35%
0.003 % max
0.020 % max
0.01 % max
2-3 % max
 Composition of raw materials for pipe line/ heat exchangers
Elements
C
Si
S
P
N
Ca/S
1.2 Raw Materials …. Contd.

9. 1. Background
1.3 Tube verses pipe
 Tube is a structure while a pipe is a vessel.
Fig 8. frame Fig.9 structure
 Pipes are normally seamless product while tubes are mostly seam
welded.
8

10. 1. Background
1.4 Technology used for the production for tubes and pipes
 CPE technology used for the production for seamless pipe
Fig.12 CPE process
 Plug Mill technology used for higher
dimension seamless tube.
 High frequency Induction welding
used for ERW pipes and tubes.
Fig.10 plug mill Fig.11 HFIW used for ERW pipe
9

11. 10 2. Introduction
• Steel Pipes may be :
 Seamless Pipes : Manufactured
thoroughly without joints, as a single
piece via Rolling.
 Seamed Pipes : Involve forming of
flat sheets and then joining ends by
various types of welding.
• Non Metallic i.e Plastic and PVC Pipes
are increasingly being used these days
as replacement of Metallic Pipes for
various applications.
• Plastic / PVC Pipes are Seamless and
generally manufactured by Extrusion

12. 11 3. Procedure
Tubes and
Pipes
From Metal /
Steel
From Non Metals
i.e. Plastics
Seamless Pipes
Seamed / Welded
Pipes

13. 12 3.1. Metallic Pipes
A. Seamless Pipes
• Pierce and Pilger process
• Plug rolling process
• Continuous mandrel rolling process
• Push bench process
• Pierce and Draw process
• Tube extrusion process

14. 13 3.1. Metallic Pipes / Seamless Pipes Contd.
PIERCE AND PILGER PROCESS
• Also known as manesmann process
• Cross roll piercing process
• For outside diameter of 60 to 660 mm.
• Length of pipe upto 18m.

15. 14 3.1. Metallic Pipes / Seamless Pipes Contd.
continuous mandrel process
• High performance production
process
• Uses modern drive and control
• Outer diameter of 60 to 178mm.

16. 15 3.1. Metallic Pipes / Seamless Pipes Contd.
PIERCE AND DRAW PROCESS
• For large diameter and large
wall thickness tubes
• Not suitable for mass
production
• Outer diameter 200 to 1450
mm.
• Wall thickness 20 to 270 mm.
• Power plant component,
hydraulic actuators, high
pressure cylinder and pressure
vessels.

17. 16 3.1. Metallic Pipes / Seamless Pipes Contd.
TUBE EXTRUSION PROCESS
• Tubes up to 230mm can
be produced
• First piercing and then
stretch reducing mill.
• For high alloy tubes,
starting material may be
drilled, then bored and
then extruded

18. 17 3.1. Metallic Pipes
B. Seamed / Welded Pipes
1. Forge welding(Fretz moon process).
2. Electric welding
3. Argon Arc welding
4. Various shielded gas welding process
Features
• Large capacity and long distance pipes can be produced
• Stainless steel and other non ferrous metal pipes can be produced

19. 18 3.1. Metallic Pipes / Seamed Pipes Contd.
FORGE WELDING PROCESS
• Oldest method(150 years back)
• Outer diameter range 6 to
2500mm
• Wall thickness 0.5 to 40mm
• Starting material-rolled flat
product

20. 19 3.1. Metallic Pipes / Seamed Pipes Contd.
ELECTRIC WELDING
SLIDING CONTACT (CONDUCTIVE TYPE) INDUCTION COIL

21. 20 3.1. Metallic Pipes / Seamed Pipes Contd.
FUSION WELDING PROCESS
PROCESS
• 3 roll bending process
• C ing press process
• U ing and O ing press process
• Spiral tube forming process
WELDING
• Submerged Arc welding
• Gas shield and submerged
arc welding
• Spiral and longitudinal
welding(for stainless stell and
non ferrous alloys)

22. SPIRAL PIPE PRODUCTION
• Helical seam pipe
• Pipe diameter
upto 2500mm
can be
produced
• No plate width
requied so from
single strip/skelp
various diameter
pipe can be
produced
21 3.1. Metallic Pipes / Seamed Pipes Contd.

23. 22 3.2. Plastic Pipes
 Plastic Pipe Types :
1. Solid Wall Pipes 2. Structured Wall Pipes 3. Barrier Pipes
- General type, with
homogenous material
- Designed for specific uses
as per requirements
- Have specialized outer
cover
- Has flexible metallic layer in
between 2 plastic layers
- It provides additional
protection for fluid inside
- Eg. Drinking Water Pipe, for
preventing Chemicals /
Pollution Contamination
 Materials for Plastic Pipes : Thermoplastics
• Polyvinyl Chloride – PVC
• Polypropylene – PP
• Polyethylene – PE

24. 23
Hopper
Heat + Pressure on Barrel
of Extruder
Molten Plastic Shaping of Pipes by Die
Cooling / Hardening
Granules / Pellets /
Flakes/Powder
Material
3.2. Plastic Pipes / Manufacturing Contd.
 Very Long Lengths of pipes can be manufactured by this
process
 Very long lengths can be made even by coiling on a reel

25. 24 3.3. Desirable Coating Characteristics
 Effective electrical insulator
 Effective moisture barrier
 Good adhesion to pipe surface
 Resistance to dis-bonding
 Ease of repair
 Non- toxic interaction with environment
 Good hardness/ abrasion resistance
 Good penetration resistance
 Some examples are COAL TAR ENAMEL, FUSION BONDED EPOXY, 3
LAYER POLYETHYLYNE

26. 25 4. Applications (Generalized )
1. Industrial Applications
 Hydro Carbon Processing Industries –
Refineries / Gas Processing / Petro
Chemical Units
 Any, Every other industries involving flow
of normal/pressurized fluids
2. Transportation Applications – Pipelines
 Trans – Boundary Oil/Gas Pipelines
 Drinking Water Pipelines
 Sewage/Dirt Transportation
3. Power Plants
 Hydro Power Plants
 Thermal Power Plants : Gas / Coal Fired
 Wind Tunnels / Geo Thermal Plants

27. 26 4. Applications (Generalized ) Contd.
4. Construction
 Trusses and Supporting structures
of Roof, Bridges, Railings,
Telecom Towers
5. Others
 Bicycle Frames
 Frame for high speed
Automotive
 Hydraulic operations as in
Automotive, Aircrafts etc.

28. 5. Conclusion
The Present : Tubes and Pipes are Omnipresent and indispensable
The Future : Tubes and Pipes can be expected to have even broader and
wider applications
27
Areas of Research :
 Better Welding Techniques
 Better Tools for Manufacturing
 Anti – Rust Systems
 Improved Material Handling – Conveyors / Magnetic Lifting
 Better Systems for Bending / Bent Pipes
 Software Development for Automation
 Improved Heat Treatment Systems / Procedures

29. 28 REFERENCES
1. The TPT Magazine – International Magazine in Tubes and Pipes Technology
2. Tenaris Corporation -- http://www.tenaris.com/en/default.aspx
3. TEPPFA – The European Plastic Pipes and Fitting Association
4. WERMAC -- http://www.wermac.org/
5. Others – www.google.com
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