What is a seamless condenser tube?
Seamless condenser tube is a steel pipe manufactured through a seamless process, which means there are no welds in the entire pipe. This design enhances the strength and pressure resistance of the pipe, making it ideal for use in applications with high reliability and efficient heat transfer, especially heat exchange equipment in the condensation process.
Manufacturing process
1. Raw material preparation
The first step in manufacturing seamless condenser tubes is to select and prepare suitable raw materials. Typically high quality carbon steel, stainless steel or alloy steel blanks are used. These billets are tested for chemical composition and physical properties based on the requirements of the final product to ensure compliance with standards.
2. Billet heating
The steel billet is heated to a certain temperature, usually around 1200°C, to soften it for processing. Heating uniformity is important to avoid cracks or other defects in the material during subsequent processing.
3. Perforation
The heated steel billet is pierced through a piercing machine to form a hollow capillary tube. This is the most critical step in seamless pipe manufacturing and needs to be performed by a rotary punch (such as a jacking machine), which ensures uniformity and dimensional accuracy inside the capillary tube.
4. Rolling
After the capillary tube is perforated, it will be rolled multiple times. The capillary tube is further processed through a tube rolling mill to achieve the required wall thickness and outer diameter. The rolling process includes the following steps:
Rough rolling: initially forming the size and shape of the capillary tube.
Finish rolling: further improve the dimensional accuracy and surface quality of the capillary tube.
5. Cold drawn or cold rolled
In order to further improve the dimensional accuracy and surface quality of seamless condenser tubes, the capillary tubes are usually cold drawn or cold rolled. Cold drawing involves drawing and shaping the capillary tube through one or more dies, while cold rolling involves fine rolling through a series of rollers. Both processes can significantly improve the mechanical properties and surface finish of the pipe.
6. Heat treatment
Heat treatment is an important step to improve the mechanical properties and internal structure of pipes. Common heat treatment processes include annealing, normalizing, quenching and tempering. Through heat treatment, the internal stress of the material can be eliminated, its toughness and strength can be improved, and the performance of the pipe can be improved.
7. Straightening and cutting
Heat-treated pipe may have slight bends and require straightening. After straightening, the pipe is cut to the length required by the customer.
8. Surface treatment
The surface treatment of seamless condenser tubes includes cleaning, pickling and coating to remove surface scale and impurities to prevent corrosion. Depending on the different needs of customers, surface treatments may vary.
9. Inspection
In order to ensure the quality of seamless condenser tubes, strict inspection is required at every step in the manufacturing process. The final product tube must undergo various non-destructive testing, such as ultrasonic testing, eddy current testing and X-ray testing, to ensure there are no cracks, bubbles or other defects. In addition, dimensions, wall thickness and mechanical properties need to be tested to ensure compliance with standards and customer requirements.
10. Packaging and storage
The inspected and qualified seamless condenser tubes will be packaged according to customer requirements and usually protected with waterproof and anti-corrosion materials. After packaging, the pipes are stored in a dry, ventilated warehouse to protect them from moisture and corrosion.
