TPI April 2009

Tube Welded

Photo – Atinox, Turkey – see page 42

Welded Tube

Hollow structural sections. Mechanical tubing. Sprinkler pipe. Roll-over protection tubing. OCTG.

The products that come under the heading of welded tube are more numerous and varied than those in many other tubular categories. Each makes an important contribution in specialised applications: automotive, construction, appliance, energy, fire protection, furniture, and many more. Each is dependent, for long and reliable service life, first and foremost on the integrity of the weld. But the products gathered into this large tent must also offer attributes in demand by tubing customers across the board, and not necessarily as value-added options. No less than tubing for tamer uses, mechanical tubing and hollow structural sections (HSS) for telescoping applications, conveyor rolls, and barrier protection have the usual run of requirements to satisfy. Galvanising. Bevelling. Wire brushing. End finishing. Lacquer coating.

Welded tube is a versatile product for an ever-widening range of uses. A representative selection of those applications is under review here.