2016/07/15

United States domestic hot-rolled markets remain stable

United States domestic hot-rolled coil prices have maintained a steady trend, many market
participants do not worry about the domestic hot-dipped galvanized coil and Al-Zn coil prices will be likely to fall.

Although some market participants believe that the spot market may show signs of softening in the 3rd quarter, but others think may be delayed until the end of the year.

Currently, United States hot-dipped galvanized G30 with thickness of 0.012” prices are at US$1091-1113/ton or US$990~1010/short ton, ex-factory prices in the Midwest.

What is the difference between a Pipe Bend and an elbow

Pipe elbows and pipe bends are both very common pipe fittings products which are used to change the flowing direction in a piping systems. Some times they are interchangeable, but not same.

A pipe bend means a piece of pipe which are bent to some angle to join two pipings.  They can be nearly any bending radius and angles . Pipe bends are commonly produced on site to meet a specific need by hot induction bending or cold bending. A elbow means a specific pipe bend as per the standard ANSI/ASME B16.9 (or EN 10253, or other pipe fittings standards). Commonly the elbows have a bending radius of 1.5D or 1D (Here the D means nominal diameter of this bend) ,which are called “Long Radius elbow (LR elbow)” or “Short Radius elbow(SR elbow)” . and the angle of an elbow is 45 degree or 90 degree usually, some times there are also custom-designed elbows which are 30 degree,60 degree ,180 degree or other angles.
The pipe bends should be as per the standard of  ANSI/ASME B16.49 which did not specific the bending radius and angle , the regular pipe bend radius are 2.5D, 3D ,5D ,7D or 8D , but it can be any other bending radius according to the design need, and bending angle can be in any degree, 5 ,10 ,15, 90 degree or any other. People said “All bends are elbows but all elbows are not bend”, it is not true . Actually “All elbows are pipe bends but not all bends are elbows”  is more reasonable.

2016/07/14

ERW Piping

ERW or Electric Resistance Welded pipe are used for many different applications, as it is the most readily  available and economical type of mechanical tubing. There are two different types or processes to create ERW  tubing. You have, CREW or Cold Rolled ERW and you have HREW or Hot Rolled ERW. With each type of Electric  Resistance Welded pipe, there are different steps that go into creating the tubing, as well as different uses for  each ERW tubing after it is created.

ERW pipe initially starts out as a flat pieces of steel, and then rolled into a tube shape. Without overlapping, the  seam is then welded using a process called “Electric Resistance”. You may now understand where ERW tubing gets  its name! During the process of creating ERW tubing, the piping may either be hot rolled or cold rolled, which has  a drastic change on the outcome of electric resistance piping. Also created from the electric resistance welding  process is DOM tubing.

HREW or Hot Rolled ERW is rolled at high temperatures. The high temperatures allow the HREW tubing to be  formed easily. Because the process causes the HREW pipe to be more malleable, it reduces its strength compared  to CREW piping. Because the strength is less than that of CREW tubing as a result of the high temperatures, HREW  is usually cheaper than that of CREW.

CREW or Cold Rolled ERW follows the same process as hot rolled ERW, except it is done at room temperature. As  a result CREW piping has a stronger yield strength than HREW. Creating these pipes at room temperature makes  the lattice structure withing the steel tighter, along with a smother surface. Because of the strength and  smoothness of CREW piping, it is much better to work with that HREW, as it has a greater tolerance.

ERW Pipe Technical Requirements

  • Yield strength of the N80 is higher than the J55 up to 173 ~ 206 MPa.
  • On the same area of ??the sample, the elongation of N80 is higher than J55.
  • Under the same size, the same sample orientation, the same minimum sample size, J55 grade couplings, coupling stock, coupling material, semi-finished and coupling attachment material can absorb lower than N80 steel grade.
  • The nondestructive testing methods of seamless pipe,coupling stock, welded tube with J55 and N80 is differeent.
  • J55 and N80 steel grade is not the same color: length greater than or equal 1.8m, J55 painted a bright green, N80 painted a red;
  • J55 chosen by the manufacturer, or organize according to the order specified length normalized (N), normalizing and tempering (N & T) or quenching and tempering (Q & T). N80 is a whole, full-length heat treatment is mandatory. By the manufacturer selected for normalizing (N) or normalizing and tempering (N & T) + quenching (Q).

Safety Tips for the Removal of Steel Tubular Scaffolding

1. Before remove the steel pipe scaffold, should be according to the examination and approval of the scaffolding design and approval procedures. No implement safety measures, it is forbidden to dismantle. 

2. Demolition job before, should be approved to on-site construction personnel, construction plan of disclosure. Check and shall implement site safety protective measures.
3. The scaffolding demolished before, should be preserved on the scaffolding materials, impurities, such as clean, and should be affected by the demolition of mechanical equipment, electrical and other pipeline removal, or to protect it. 
4. All high homework scaffolding personnel should strictly in accordance with the above operation regulations and to observe the safety discipline, the order of the demolition process requirement from top to bottom, it is strictly prohibited, and the lower dismantling homework at the same time. 
5. All the windows should be closed within a building lock, does not allow to open or to the overhanging objects.
6. After demolition workers into jobs, to reinforce the loose parts, clear step left inside the layer material, objects and garbage, it is strictly prohibited to high toss. 
7. All high homework personnel, should be strictly in accordance with high operation regulations and to observe the safety discipline, remove the process requirement. On 
8. According to the set-up of the program, the safety net - vertical transmission net - mat spread its - protective railing, joists, diagonal member, even the wall bar, the ledger, small bar. 
9. Do not allow the discrete surface to dismantle or upper and lower two sides at the same time remove (step). Make sure to do step by step on one rod.

Steel Pipe Pricing And Advantages

Steel Pipe Pricing And Advantages Steel piping is a popular material in so many industries–from oil to automobiles, from shipping to food, from schools to hospitals and refineries.
Let’s look at some of the top reasons why engineers, builders, pipe suppliers and oil drillers love steel pipes and why they’re preferred in so many different applications.

Heat Treatable
Some steel pipe are heat treatable, meaning that extreme temperatures can be used to modify their chemical and physical properties.
Strength
Steel pipes have great tensile and stress-to-rupture strength, and they can maintain this strength even at high temperatures.
Temperature Resistant
Steel pipes provide excellent resistance to oxidation at extremely high temperatures. And when chromium is added to the steel, it makes the steel even more temperature resistant.  
Welding Capabilities
Many grades of steel pipe can be welded into different shapes and sizes–giving them great versatility. However, heavy-duty equipment may be needed during the welding process because steel can harden quickly when it cools.
Resistance to Corrosion, Versatility
Because of all the properties mentioned above, steel pipes can be used in a variety of settings and conditions.
Low Maintenance Cost
Though steel pipe pricing isn’t necessarily lower than that of other materials, because steel pipes are resistant to corrosion, they tend to last longer than many other types of pipe. This means you’ll have to spend less time and money repairing or replacing them, making them more cost effective in the long run.
Steel pipe pricing will vary based on the type of project, as well as its scope and size. 
Before you select a specific grade of steel, you should evaluate your project to determine what qualities your pipe must have. Will the pipe need to withstand a marine environment? Will it be exposed to high temperatures? Will it be carrying potentially corrosive fluids? 

2016/07/12

Boiler Tube Hardness


Boiler tube hardness is one very important factor to determine the quality of high pressure boiler tubes.
First, it must be considered to detect the mechanical properties of hardness high pressure boiler tubes, because it is the relationship between the performance and quality of deformation, punching, cutting and other processing problems. So first of its hardness testing should detect its mechanical properties. Detection methods generally tensile test and hardness test. Tensile test, that is, to the high-pressure boiler tube sample preparation, but also in a tensile testing machine will stretch until the specimen breaks, so you can measure the tensile strength of the high-pressure boiler tubes, yield strength, elongation after fracture and reduction. Tensile tests in the metallic material is often carried out detecting means, is not easy for many hardness test, tensile test must be carried out. There are several hardness test method: like scarification, pressed into law, power law, etc., the material hardness test is one of the easiest tests to compare and tensile test, etc. especially concerned.
Hardness performance requirements
① high hardness and wear resistance;
② high dimensional stability;
③ deformation after heat treatment;
④ In the course of storage or change the size and hardness does not occur.

US Imposes Anti-dumping Duty on Steel Pipe Imports from Vietnam

Thanh Nien News reported that the US Department of Commerce will impose anti-dumping duty on steel pipe imports from Vietnam, the Vietnam Competition Authority announced Wednesday.


On June 1, DOC announced its affirmative preliminary determinations in the anti-dumping duty (AD) investigations of imports of circular welded carbon quality steel pipe (CWP) from Oman, Pakistan, United Arab Emirates, and Vietnam.

It announced preliminary anti-dumping duty of between 0.38 percent and 113.18 percent on imports from Vietnam.

According to DOC, SeAH Steel VINA Corporation and Vietnam Haiphong Hongyuan Machinery Manufactory Co., Ltd. have sold CWP in the United States at between 0.00 percent and 1.19 percent less than fair value, respectively.

It determined that Hoa Phat Steel Pipe Co. qualified for a separate rate, at 0.38 percent.

All other producers/exporters in Vietnam received the Vietnam-wide rate of 113.18 percent, which are the highest among the countries affected by the decision.

The final determinations will be issued in October. As a result of this preliminary determination, DOC will instruct US Customs and Border Protection to collect a cash deposit or bond based on these preliminary rates.

2016/07/11

Spiral Weld Pipe Demand in Saudi Arabia

In recent years, many social and economic infrastructure projects executed in Saudi Arabia. The Kingdom's government has allocated huge amounts inventment for industrial projects such as water, transportation and manufacturing due to the increasing demand for water. The developing of water desalination industry has contributed to a significant rise in demand for spiral welded pieps in the Kingdom. The spiral welded pipe industry is withnessing tremendous growth in production, as various players expanded their production capacities to meet the soring spiral pipe demand. According to the analysis, the deman of spiral welded pipes is expected to grow at a CAGR of more than 4% during 2015-2020. Also, the main factors that leading to increase in the demand and consumption for spiral welded pipes includes increasing government spending in water projects, increasing inventments in new filed exploration for oil and gas, and increasing construction & infrastructure projects etc. 

Production Notes of SSAW Steel Pipe

SSAW steel pipe in the production process, we need to pay attention to a series of matters. Except the following test items, according to the API standard and other relevant standards and the special requirements of some users, the destructive tests for steel, steel pipe is needed, including physical and chemical properties of the raw materials into the plant sampling, visual inspection of 100% steel .


A. Oiled marking: steel after passing were oiled to prevent corrosion, and according to user requirements for marking.
B. Leveling Milling: The flat steel anvil machine so that the original curl, and then through the edge milling machine for two-sided steel milling, so as to meet the requirements of the plate width, plate edge parallelism and groove shape.
C. Shear molding: the steel plate production line along the outer edge of the spiral curl into a tube.
D. Butt cut: double-sided submerged arc welding using advanced technology to pre-welding, internal welding, outside welding. The welded steel pipe using a plasma-foot cut to specification length.