Technical Data Sheet

How to Select Welded,

Welded & Drawn, or
Seamless Tubing and Pipe
At RathGibson, we understand that choosing
between Welded, Welded & Drawn, or
Seamless tubing or pipe can be complex. As
part of our on-going commitment to customer
service, we have created this document to
help to demystify the selection process.
Quality Requirements
When making this selection, the quality
requirements, such as corrosion, dimensional
limits, and strength, should be the primary
criteria. Frequently, companies select tubing
or pipe based on manufacturing process,
which may lead to a misrepresentation of
ones needs and consequently the choice
of a less cost effective or inappropriate
tubing option.
The list below presents the most common
qualities that are essential to a wide range
of applications. The list also suggests which
product type may best ft the requirement.
Table 1 also makes suggestions based
on attributes. Please note that these
suggestions are based on generalizations;
the nal selection should be based on alloy
specics.
1. OD and Wall Tolerances
a. Telescoping tubes
b. ID/OD machining Hydraulic or pneumatic cylinders
c. Bending with ID tooling
Suggestions: For these applications, it has been shown that
RathGibson Welded & Drawn tubing and pipe are best suited.
For bending applications, RathGibsons Welded tubing and pipe
may be used with special tolerances applied.
2. Wall Tolerances
a. Orbital welding
Suggestions: RathGibson Welded or Welded & Drawn tubing
and pipe are ideal for wall tolerance requirements.
3. Extreme consequences of a leak possibly after signifcant
fabrication
a. Air cooled exchanger with high fns installed
b. Lethal service
Suggestions: Before an accurate selection can be made,
RathGibson highly recommends that integrity testing, as well
as additional non-destructive testing (NDT) be performed,
regardless of the tubing type utilized.
4. Aqueous Corrosion
a. General
b. Pitting
c. Stress Corrosion Cracking (SCC)
d. Microbial Induced Corrosion (MIC)
Suggestions: In order to make an educated suggestion on the
tubing or pipe type that will best resist corrosion, RathGibson
recommends that additional quality requirements always be
identifed.
Data shown is typical, and should not be construed as limiting or necessarily suitable for design.
Actual data may vary from those shown herein.
5. High Temperature Wasting
a. Oxidizing
b. Sulfdation
c. Carburization
d. Metal Dusting
Suggestions: RathGibson Welded &
Drawn or Seamless tubing and pipe
can best handle High Temperature
Wasting. The specifc application will
help determine the alloy.
6. Cleanability hygienic applications
Suggestions: RathGibsons high purity
and ultra high purity welded tubing
and pipe are specifcally designed
for industries with hygienic
applications, such as Pharmaceutical,
BioPharmaceutical, and Food and
Beverage. Seamless tubing and pipe
can be specifed for use with small
diameters.
7. OD Cosmetic
a. Requiring OD Polishing
b. OD compression fttings to seal at
high pressure
Suggestions: RathGibsons Welded
tubing and pipe are offered with special
fnishes that meet any cosmetic OD
requirements. Seamless tubing and pipe
for small diameters are also available.
8. ID Cosmetic
a. Hydraulic fare seal ends
Suggestions: Seamless tubing and pipe
from RathGibson will meet your most
demanding cosmetic ID requirements.
RathGibson also offers Welded tubing
and pipe that are ID polished that also
ft this need.
Table 1: Attributes Summary
Process Conditions Evaluation
The selection of welded, welded & drawn, or seamless tubing and
pipe would not be complete without evaluating process conditions
for the leak risk. Consideration should be given to possible
corrosion as well as to any potential hazards, as these factors will
infuence the selection of tubing type, the amount of non-destructive
examination (NDE), and the need for corrosion evaluation.
Attribute Seamless Welded & Drawn Welded
Wall Tolerances
OD Tolerances
Heavy Wall/OD
Cost
Grain Structure
2 Data shown is typical, and should not be construed as limiting or necessarily suitable for design. Actual data may vary from those shown herein.
Table 2: Quality Tests Performed by
RathGibson
Sometimes, the selection process between
Welded, Welded & Drawn, and Seamless
can seem challenging. Based on a world
class quality control program, RathGibson
produces each product type to meet the
most demanding quality, budgetary, and
delivery needs. Trusting a respected
and experienced manufacturer such as
RathGibson is the frst and best step in
determining the ideal tubing and pipe to
ft your specifc quality requirements.
Test Type
Strength Tensile Destructive
Burst
Hardness Rockwell Destructive
Micro
Soundness Eddy Current NDE
Ultrasonic
Testing
X-Ray
Leak &
Strength
Hydrostatic NDE
Leak Air Under Water NDE
Pressure Decay
Bend Testing Reverse Bend Destructive
Flattening
Reverse
Flattening
Flange
Dimensional OD, Wall,
Straightness
NDE
Metallurgical Grain Size Destructive
Sensitization
Corrosion
Phase Balance
or Intermetallic
Metallographic
3 Data shown is typical, and should not be construed as limiting or necessarily suitable for design. Actual data may vary from those shown herein.
RNB071035482511
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(Corporate Headquarters)
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(Sales)
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(Sales)
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(Sales)
RathGibson
www.RathGibson.com
sales@rathgibson.com
Data shown is typical, and should not be construed as limiting or necessarily suitable for design.
Actual data may vary from those shown herein.
The information herein was correct at the time of publication and is subject to change without notice.
2010 RathGibson, LLC.