Pipe is manufactured in either welded and or seamless form. Welded pipe is made by taking a flat plate (or skelp) which then is rolled into a tubular shape and further welded to finalize the form. Seamless is taking a solid bar (ingot), piercing a hole through its length and then drawing through dies to form the final size.

General production process benefits

Advantages of Welded

1. Welded pipes are typically more cost effective than their seamless equivalents.

2. Welded pipes are usually more readily available than seamless. The longer lead time required for seamless pipes can not only make timing problematic, but it also allows more time for the price of the materials to fluctuate.

3. The wall thickness of welded pipes is generally more consistent than that of seamless pipes.

4. The internal surface of welded tubes can be checked before manufacturing, which isn’t possible with seamless.

Advantages of Seamless

1. The main perceived advantage of seamless pipes is that they don’t have a weld seam.

2. Seamless pipes provide peace of mind. Although there should be no issues with the seams of welded pipes supplied by reputable manufacturers, seamless pipes prevent any possibility of a weak seam.

3. Seamless pipes have better ovality or roundness, than welded pipes.