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Welded Tube PDF

A critical review of these differences highlights THE QUALITY ADVANTAGES of welded tube. The larger cast bars associated with the welded tube process provide greater chemical uniformity. Traceability from a single tube back to its original casting is obviously much easier.

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287 views

Welded Tube PDF

A critical review of these differences highlights THE QUALITY ADVANTAGES of welded tube. The larger cast bars associated with the welded tube process provide greater chemical uniformity. Traceability from a single tube back to its original casting is obviously much easier.

Uploaded by

hirenkumar patel
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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THE QUALITY ADVANTAGES

OF OLIN FINEWELD TUBE


WELDED TUBE
The manufacturing process utilized by Olin Fineweld Tube
for the production of tubing is technically described as a
high frequency, induced current forge-weld process. This
process is significantly different from the process used by
manufacturers of seamless tube in a number of important
product-quality areas. A critical review of these differences
highlights the quality advantages of Olin Fineweld Tubes
welded tube versus competitive seamless tube.

CONVENTIONAL EXTRUSION PROCESS


The ID of the extrusion die determines the OD of
the extruded tube.
The OD of the piercing ram determines the ID of
the tube.
The gap between the piercing ram and the
extrusion die defines the tube wall thickness.

CONVENTIONAL EXTRUSION PROCESS


Wall thickness uniformity (concentricity) is
difficult to control.
Good surface quality is difficult to achieve.

HIGH FREQUENCY WELDED


TUBE PROCESS

CASTING & HOT ROLLING


The Olin Fineweld Tube process starts with Direct Chill semicontinuous casting of three to four cast bars, or ingots. This
method results in exceptionally good homogeneity of the cast
bars such that laminations and inclusions are essentially nonexistent in the strip, and therefore in the welded tube that is
made from the strip. Casting lots consist of 60,000 pounds or
greater. By comparison, seamless billets can weigh as little as
300 pounds. The larger cast bars associated with the welded
tube process provide for greater chemical uniformity from one
tube to another, and traceability from a single tube back to its
original casting is obviously much easier.

After casting, the bars are hotrolled to a thickness of about


15 mm, and take on the form of
a coil, versus an ingot.

COIL MILLING

A general characteristic of all castings, whether it is


a billet for a seamless tube or an ingot for a welded
tube, is that the surface of the casting will exhibit a
variety of defects including laps and seams, and that
it will be contaminated with carbonaceous mold
lubricant residues. The next step in the welded tube
process is therefore to mechanically mill the top and
bottom surfaces of the hot-rolled coil to provide for
the positive removal of surface discontinuities,
surface oxides, and other contaminants inherent
with a casting operation.
Since either the top or bottom surface of the milled
coil will ultimately become the ID of a tube, the
possibility of a casting defect being present on the
ID of a welded tube is essentially non-existent. The
seamless process does incorporate a provision for
the removal of deleterious surface defects and
residues, but it does not involve a milling operation,
and the potential for the presence of surface defects
is therefore much greater with seamless tube than it
is with welded tube. This point should not be
overlooked as surface defects of any magnitude
represent potential sites for subsequent localized
corrosion or pitting.

COLD ROLLING
The next steps in Olins process are to
alternately cold-roll and anneal the coils of
strip until the desired final thickness is
achieved. Both surfaces of the strip are
visible during these operations so any
surface defects that might be present can be
detected and corrected; thus further assuring
the superior surface quality of welded tube
versus seamless tube. The use of cold-rolled
strip for the production of welded tube also
results in superior concentricity and a much
greater uniformity of wall thickness as
compared to the seamless tube process.
Uniformity of wall thickness and superior
concentricity are both highly desirable for the
rolling of the tubes into tubesheets. Benefits
are also realized if the tubing is subsequently
fabricated, expanded, or bent.

STRAND ANNEALING

Continuous strand annealing, versus batch


annealing, is used during strip processing. This
results in a more uniform temper from one tube
to another and is beneficial for subsequent
fabricating operations or for the rolling of tubes
into tubesheets. Of special significance for the
production of 90/10 copper-nickel welded tube is
that the strand annealing furnaces include a
water quench at the exit end of the furnace.
90/10 copper-nickel includes 1.0-1.8% iron, and
the resistance of 90/10 copper-nickel to erosioncorrosion and stress corrosion is optimized
when the iron is present in solid solution; the
high temperature strand anneal followed by a
water quench provides the mechanism for
putting the iron in solid solution. Most seamless
tube mills do not water quench following their
annealing operations.

Strip processing is completed with the material being


slit to a specified width and the slit coils of strip metal
are transferred to Olins tube mill.

ROLL-FORMING &
WELDING

In Olins tube mill, a high-frequency induced


current forge welding process is utilized.
With this process, high frequency current is
concentrated at the edges of the strip metal
which is being welded. Very rapid heating of
the strip edges occurs and they rapidly reach a
plastic (almost molten) state. Concurrently, a
heavy forging or squeezing pressure is applied
to the tube which forces the two edges together.
This forging pressure expels the plastic metal,
metal oxides, and impurities outward and
inward in the form of a weld flash. The strip
edges are at temperature for only a fraction of a
second with the result being a narrow, hot
wrought forge-weld structure of exceptional
quality. Scarfing tools remove the ID and OD
weld flash just downstream from the welding
operation.

High Frequency Source

Forging Rolls

WELD STRUCTURE
The photomicrograph shown to the left is that of a typical weld produced by Olins forgewelding process. Note the narrow homogeneous structure of the weld. The width of the weld
is uniform from top to bottom indicating that the heat input was uniform. Flow lines pass
parallel to and away from the weld indicating the high forging pressure which formed the
metallurgical bond. Since a high frequency induction weld is a wrought structure similar to
the parent material, its strength, ductility, and corrosion resisting characteristics are similar
to the parent material. This permits the use of as-welded tube for most alloys in corrosive
environments.
The photomicrograph shown to the right is that of a weld produced by the competitive TIG
welding process. Note the cast structure associated with this process. This weld would need
to be cold worked and annealed for use in a corrosive environment.

WELD STRUCTURE
The photograph shown on the left is another example of the weld produced by Olins
forge-welding process. The photograph on the right is a photo of the same weld shown
on the left, but after annealing. Note that the forge-weld area is indiscernible from the
rest of the tube after annealing.

Weld Zone
(50X Mag

RE-CUT LINE & PACKING


The final production operations in the production of Olin Fineweld Tubes welded tube are
to precision re-cut the tube to the customers desired length, to deburr the tube ends, and
to pack the tube.

QUALITY ASSURANCE & TESTING


The Quality Assurance System at Fineweld Tube is ISO 9001: 2000 approved. Test methods
and frequencies are in accordance with ASTM B-543 and/ or ASME SB-543 (for condenser,
heat exchanger, and desalination tube). The primary nondestructive test utilized is 100% eddy
current testing. The eddy current test unit is located in-line just after the tube is welded and
just prior to the initial cut-to-length operation. In-line eddy current testing avoids end
effects, which are associated with off-line eddy current testing utilized for seamless tube, and
assures that every inch or millimeter of tube is tested. Destructive testing includes expansion
testing, flattening, and reverse flatten testing, and dimensional checks are conducted for
diameter, wall thickness, length, straightness, and RIF. Hydrostatic and pneumatic testing is
also conducted when specified by the purchaser.

COMPARISON OF ASTM B-111 & ASTM B-543


Eddy current testing

100% testing required in both specs

Expansion testing

Requirements identical; Olin testing exceeds ASTM by 600%

Flattening testing

Required in both specifications; Olin testing exceeds ASTM by


600%

Reverse flattening testing

Not required in B-111; Olin testing exceeds ASTM by 100%

Diameter tolerance

Requirements identical; Olin testing exceeds ASTM by 250%

Wall thickness tolerance

Requirements identical; Olin testing exceeds ASTM by 250%

Length tolerance

Requirements identical; Olin testing exceeds ASTM by 200%

Squareness of cut

Requirements identical; Olin testing exceeds ASTM by 200%

Straightness

Not required in either specification Olin applies the


requirements of ASTM B-587

RIF (Residual Internal Flash)

Applies only to ASTM B-543 . +0.006/ -0.000 Olin testing


exceeds ASTM by 250%

COMPARISON OF ASTM B-135 & ASTM B-587


Eddy current testing

100% testing required in both specs

Expansion testing

Requirements identical; Olin testing exceeds ASTM by 600%

Flattening testing

Required in both specifications; Olin testing exceeds ASTM by


600%

Reverse flattening testing

Not required in B-135; Olin testing exceeds ASTM by 100%

Diameter tolerance

Requirements identical; Olin testing exceeds ASTM by 250%

Wall thickness tolerance

Requirements identical; Olin testing exceeds ASTM by 250%

Length tolerance

Requirements identical; Olin testing exceeds ASTM by 200%

Squareness of cut

Requirements identical; Olin testing exceeds ASTM by 200%

Straightness

Requirements identical

RIF (Residual Internal Flash)

Applies only to ASTM B-587 - +0.006/ -0.000 Olin testing


exceeds ASTM by 250%

WELD INTEGRITY FOR DEMANDING


APPLICATIONS
The true test of a product is how it performs in a demanding application.
Shown below are several applications in which Olins welded tubing is
used that demonstrate the superior weld integrity of the product.

Integral Fin Tube


Twisted Tube

U-Bent Hairpin Tube

SUMMARY
Specification requirements for welded tube are equal to
or greater than seamless tube.
Performance in demanding applications is equal to or
greater than seamless tube.
More uniform temper and chemistry from one tube to
another.
Superior concentricity and wall thickness uniformity.
Eddy current end effects are avoided.
Superior surface quality and cleanliness on both the OD
and ID.

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