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Both ERW steel tubes and spiral tube have uses to move chemicals, gas, and oil. They have similar applications and utilities. But, once you look further into the inner workings, you can find differences in many areas. It is possible to pinpoint a myriad of variations.
In this post we will be looking deeper into these differences. It will provide you with a clearer overview of them.
Production process
ERW steel tubes are created using a hot rolling process. It has minor residual stress and you can minimise it further using certain procedures, including weld heat treatment. Plus, a welding wire is not necessary here. As a result, the chemical and physical composition of the metal sheet remains unaffected. The quality of ERW tubing depends on whether the sheet you are using is of a high quality. Come to us if you need the best ERW tube products.
As for spiral steel tubing, the geometric stress is complicated. Spiral tubes are sometime stronger than ERW steel tube. They can come with higher tensile stress or residual stress too. These particular tubes get subjected to internal pressure. That causes the weakening of the bearing capacity of the tubes.
To make spiral tubes, you need to weld or join steel strips together. However, there is an issue here as the weld wires will have different chemical components. As a result, the tubes are vulnerable to hot cracks and bubbles post welding.
The raw materials
There are also the differences in raw materials. The sheets for manufacturing ERW tube are generated using hot-rolled coils. They possess stable physical properties and chemical compositions.
Spiral steel tubes often use low-grade hot rolled strips. Their physical and chemical characteristics aren’t especially stable.
Costing
The manufacturing costs for spiral steel tubes exceed those of ERW when you look at small and medium diameter tube. Spiral only tends to offer cost advantages when it is large diameters specifically for oil and gas pipe.
Acquisition
It is relatively easy to acquire ERW tube. We have a huge range, including hundreds of options. There are also many other producers with huge product ranges.
Spiral tubes on the other hand are harder to procure as only a small number of producers offer them. That can cause problems for procurement.
Geometric differences
ERW steel tubes come with superior geometric accuracy. If you plan to butt weld them on the spot, you might run into difficulties. So, you must prepare. However, ERW steel tubes do have a 100% weld coefficient.
Spiral tubes have longer lengths if you compare to ERW. But, because they are longer, the defect rate is higher.
Speak to us about ERW tube
If you find yourself requiring first class ERW tubing, we are the ones you need to speak to. Being an ISO 9001 Registered Company, we can maximise quality on orders of any size. In addition, we are small enough to provide the level of customer care you deserve.
There is a considerable amount of choice when you work with us too. Our steel tubes are available in more than 200 different sizes. Furthermore, they come in square, oval, rectangular and round shapes. There are even special varieties like pre-galvanised and seamless.
At Union Steel Tubes, we care about providing customers with the ideal products to match your needs. Our company is able to stand out thanks to our quality products, wide choice, and the commitment to customers. Whatever your specifications are, we are certain we can cover them.
So, if you need an ERW tube from us, please get in touch. You can discuss your needs with us and we will advise you.