Steel Pipe Manufacturing Processes

Choosing the correct steel pipe for your project is extremely important. There are several ways pipe can be manufactured and each manufacturing process has limitations. The design engineer will specify pipe that has been manufactured by a specific process. However, you may be able to substitute a pipe that has been manufactured by an alternate process and still achieve the engineer’s intended design capacity – especially if the steel pipe is used for temporary works.

DSAW Steel Pipe

Double Submerged Arc Welded (DSAW) steel pipe is formed from rolling steel plates into a cylindrical shape. The edge of the plate is beveled on both sides which forms V-shape grooves on the interior and exterior surfaces as the steel plates are rolled into a cylinder. The V-Shape groove is then welded on the interior and exterior surfaces simultaneously in a single pass of an arc welder. This produce a full penetration weld along the pipe seam. DSAW Pipe can be manufactured in both spiral and straight seam formats. DSAW steel pipe can be used in high pressure applications, as a structural member and for pipe piling. DSAW steel pipe can be found in sizes from 18 inch to 72 inch OD.

Seamless Steel Pipe

Seamless steel pipe is manufactured by extruding solid round billets to the desired length. Seamless pipe is produced by piercing a solid round billet of deoxidized and conditioned steel that has been heated to the proper temperature. The steel is then processed through a series of mills that finish the pipe to the proper dimensions. For seamless pipes over 14 inches they are usually rotary rolled from 14 inch seamless shells that expand the diameter and reduce the wall until the proper dimensions are achieved. Seamless steel pipe is ideally used in high pressure applications. Seamless steel pipe can be found in sizes from 1/8 inch to 26 inch OD.

ERW Steel Pipe

Electronic Resistance Welded (ERW) steel pipe is formed from a ribbon of steel that is pulled through a series of rollers that form it into a cylinder and is fused together by an electric charge. The seam of an ERW steel pipe is straight. ERW steel pipe is ideally used in low to medium pressure applications. ERW pipe can be found in sizes from 2-3/8 inch to 24 inch OD.

SAW Steel Pipe

Submerged Arc Welded (SAW) steel pipe is formed from hot rolled coil steel by automatic submerged weld under normal atmospheric temperatures. SAW steel pipe has two subcategories Longitudinal Submerged Arc Welded (LSAW) steel pipe or Spiral Submerged Arc Welded (SSAW) steel pipe. SAW steel pipe is ideally used in high pressure applications, as structural members and for pipe piling. LSAW steel pipe can be found in sizes from 16 inch to 60 inch OD. SSAW steel pipe can be found in sizes from 20 inch to 100 inch OD.

These are the most common pipe manufacturing methods. We have a used and surplus pipe inventory from all different manufacturing methods and grades. If you have any used or surplus pipe you are looking to sell, click here to create a free listing or email the inventory to sales@eiffeltrading.com. If you have any questions, please call us at 1-800-541-7998.

Cheers,

Andrew

Andrew Norman is one of the co-founders of Eiffel Trading. His background is in Heavy-Civil and Marine Construction in Project Management and Procurement. While working in Project Management he worked on projects that used SAW and DSAW steel pipe in foundation and structural applications.