Uniformity and quality are really important for ERW tube manufacturers. The goal is to ensure that the products are consistent and saleable. This provides the best results, including reducing scrap and building strong relationships with customers. However, there are some major challenges to think about. We want to have a look at the biggest one here, then you can rely on us if you want to order fantastic tubing.
Effective welding
The key thing is manufacturers utilise electric resistance welding to join the edges of the steel together. Any problems and it can seriously compromise the tubing. For example, it can reduce the strength and pressure resistance.
There are two major factors here. Firstly, the process must heat up the steel to the right temperature quickly enough to allow efficient welding. Secondly, there must be sufficient pressure to push the edges together to ensure they bond properly.
The big issue is insufficient pressure can mean the welds are not fully fused, making the tube weaker and potentially ensuring it ends up as scrap. Unfortunately, the challenge is it’s very difficult to calculate the pressure. Because the weld zone is hot and the process produces steam, it is difficult to use electronic monitoring equipment. As a result, traditionally there could be variations in the weld quality of ERW tube.
New solutions
Luckily, technology has improved massively, especially in the last couple of decades. Therefore, there are better options than ever before. This includes modern monitoring equipment that can cope with being close to the weld box.
One of the best options is laser based weld inspection systems. They use lasers and cameras to effectively create an image of the cross section of the tube. From this you can see where the tube bead is. In turn you can learn about the amount of expulsion (the amount of material pushed out of the weld) by looking at the bead’s dimensions. It gives you a much clearer idea of how much pressure has been applied and whether welds are likely to fully fuse.
Using this kind of monitoring equipment can help improve the quality of the ERW tube. Even better, it means you can keep a note of the settings that achieve strong welds. It therefore becomes much easier to set up mills in the future.
Testing
Because tube manufacturing environments tend to be very challenging, it is important to test equipment thoroughly. You need to see how it will be able to cope with the temperatures, contaminants, and tough hours. Plus, it’s vital to make sure you account for the unique quirks of different mills.
Talk to us about ERW tube
If you need to order tubing for any projects, you can rely on Union Steel Tubes. We’re all about quality and providing the best products for our clients. Additionally, we do all we can to ensure lead times are as short as possible. In many cases we can have tubing ready the same day.
Get in touch today and ask us about ERW tube. We have many shapes, sizes, and finishes to choose from, so you should be able to order exactly what you need.
