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Pipe and tube products are produced
through a variety of forged, seamless,
and welded manufacturing processes.
Nearly every conceivable type of metal
may be used in the production of pipe
and tube products, ranging from cast
iron to high temperature super alloys.
Applications vary from underground
sewage systems to nuclear reactors,
oil well casings, and copper water pipes
in the home.
The nearly infinite range of sizes and
applications requires many different
tests to verify manufacturing processes
and suitability for end use. There are
also numerous specifications pertaining
to the end products in which pipes or
tubes are used. Standards organizations
such as ASTM, ISO, EN, API, and JIS
have all published test methods for pipe
and tube testing. Tests may be required
at ambient, sub-zero, and elevated
temperature depending upon the
material and application.
Compression
The Challenge
Compression tests are used to evaluate the
ductility and structural rigidity of a pipe.
Determining the ability of a buried pipe or
tube to withstand forces such as earthquakes
or heavy equipment driven over it is important
in proper product selection. To simulate
compressive loading service conditions, force
is applied to partially or fully-flatten the test
sample. Common pass/ fail criteria involve
inspecting the surface of the pipe for cracks
or breaks.
Our Solution
Rings are cut as cross-sections from the pipe
and tested between parallel compression plates
to determine the amount of force needed to
deform (crush or flatten) the specimen. For
large pipe samples (such as sewer lines or
oil transfer lines) Instron
series universal
testing machine with open-front crossheads and
in-head wedge grips for testing full pipe samples.
d
d
Curved grip faces match the ID and OD of pipe
samples to provide a secure grip when testing
unflattened samples.
d
Axial testing of cross-sectional area of pipe.
d
Tension
The Challenge
The size and shape of pipe products present
unique tensile testing challenges. Without
proper test equipment, operators may
inadvertently crush the ends of a sample while
gripping. Furthermore, because full pipe
samples are typically larger than solid round
samples, they require grips with a large
opening. Some pipe samples are so large that
operators must cut a reduced section from the
pipe sidewall. These sidewall samples can be
fashioned in the form of flat strip specimens or
machined round specimens.
Additionally, it can be difficult to find
an extensometer designed for pipe and
tube testing.
Finally, due to pipe curvature there is a
greater outer diameter (OD) surface area
than inner diameter (ID) surface area. This
must be taken into account when computing
the cross-sectional area of the specimen for
stress calculations.
Our Solution
To prevent the test machine's grip jaws from
crushing full pipe samples, metal plugs are
commonly inserted into the ends of pipe
(reference: ASTM A 370). This technique is
commonly used on pipe under 50 mm (2 in)
in diameter. Using this method, operators can
select from a wide variety of Instron
wedge
grips with V-grooved jaws:
g Instron's high capacity hydraulically
powered testing machines with in-head
crosshead grips provide an economical
solution for testing large full pipe samples.
g Instron's external hydraulically actuated
grips are ideal for fast loading of larger
pipe samples.
g Smaller-diameter specimens can be
tested in a variety of Instron external
wedge-action grips. These grips can be
mechanically, pneumatically, or
hydraulically clamped.
When testing flat samples (cut from the side
wall of a pipe) operators can flatten the
specimen ends and use either Instron's
conventional grip faces or grip faces with
curved surfaces. Instron manufactures curved
faces to match the customer's sample.
Instron's software-driven sample type selection
allows for simple entry of specimen
dimensions to automatically calculate the
correct area for either a full-section pipe or a
machined specimen section. This feature
eliminates the need for tedious manual
calculations and reduces the risk of errors.
Instron offers a range of extensometers
designed for testing large diameter specimens
up to 89 mm (3.5 in). These extensometers
feature a heavy-duty frame design for
industrial applications.
In addition, to testing full pipe samples and
sections, several standards require
manufacturers to perform a tension test on the
welded seam of a pipe. For more information
on tension testing of welds please see the Welds
section (page 32).
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29
Hardness
The challenge
From massive transport piping to small
diameter thin-walled medical tubing, the
hardness of fabrication material is critical in
ensuring performance and durability. As an
important characteristic of tubing, hardness
contributes to the rigidity, strength, density,
and microstructure of the dedicated material.
Because of the variety of diameters, wall
thicknesses, and materials, pipe and tube
testing is challenged by fixturing and
mounting techniques as well as specialized
industry standard requirements. Improper
support or location of the material can result
in compromised test results and potentially
inaccurate data. Further complicating the
situation are differing requirements for testing
the internal or external wall or a cross-section
of the pipe end, and ensuring that the curved
geometry does not adversely effect testing.
Our Solution
The most common method of hardness testing
pipe and tube is the Rockwell
hardness test.
As the originator of the Rockwell tester,
Wilson
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