ERW pipe is a pipe manufactured with electrical resistance welding, providing cost-effectiveness and optimal wall thickness, compared to a seamless steel pipe. It is widely used in fences, scaffolding, machinery, etc. ERW steel pipes come in a variety of diameters and have different qualities, depending on their application.
ERW pipe manufacturing
ERW steel pipes are made from rolled metal, or skelp, by welding and shaping. The seams are electrically welded. The end of the pipe is cut at right angles. ERW pipes undergo a special electromagnetic control of seams, volumetric heat treatment, and hydrotesting.
The production of ERW pipes consists of several stages. Rolled steel is cut into narrow strips (skelp). The next step is skelp preparations: the ends and the edge of the strip are cut, and a chamfer is made to obtain a more durable joint. The prepared strip is molded by winding onto a moulder of the required diameter at an angle; then, as it is removed from the forming core, the strip is welded from the inside and outside using electrical resistance welding. After that, with the help of abrasive materials or incisors, the welds of the seam are removed, leveling the surface of the pipe.
For the manufacture of high-quality and reliable pipes of different diameters, radiofrequency welding is mainly used, which allows the metal to be joined at a fairly high speed. With this method of welding, high-voltage currents are passed through the pre-rolled workpiece which contribute to the rapid heating of its edges. In order to form a reliable weld in place of the heated and melted edges of the workpiece, they are pressed against each other.
An ERW steel pipe (both longitudinal and spiral-seam) may have various lengths.
Spheres of use
The quality ERW pipes are especially appreciated for is the exceptional versatility of their application. This primarily concerns the products of round cross-section which are successfully used by industrial enterprises and construction organizations, as well as during the installation of pipelines, furniture production, and the creation of interiors of modern residential and commercial premises. In addition, ERW pipes are often used as a consumable material for various products.
One can tell how widespread pipes of this type are by the fact that they are found almost everywhere: fencing of buildings and territories, stair railing, sheds, canopies, public transport stops, street benches, etc. Apart from that, ERW pipes are successfully used as pipelines for transporting chemically aggressive fluids and other media heated to a high temperature, which proves their exceptional durability once again.
Due to their properties and prices, ERW pipes are most actively used to solve the following tasks: transportation of water, oil, gas, and other media with varying degrees of aggressiveness and reinforcement of various structures in the construction industry. Since the most important requirement for buildings is their reliability, pipes with a square cross-section are typically used in this area.
When choosing the type of the ERW pipe, it is equally important to consider not only its main characteristics but also the type of medium that will be transported through them (liquid or gaseous), as well as the degree of its aggression. These factors influence the choice of pipe products in terms of the composition and, accordingly, the properties of the material that was used for their manufacture.
The key advantage of ERW pipes is a combination of low metal consumption with high mechanical properties. The consequence of this is relatively low production and transportation costs.