1. Standard pipe
Seamless
standard pipe is most commonly produced to the ASTM A 53 specification and is
generally intended for the low temperature and low pressure conveyance of
water, steam, natural gas, air, and other liquids and gases in plumbing and
heating systems, air conditioning units, automatic sprinkler systems, and other
related uses.
2. Mechanical pipe / precision tube
Mechanical
and precision tube and pipes are used in industrial equipment manufacturing and
the automotive sector. Tubes are made for specific applications and are
primarily made to order.
3. Pressure pipe / boiler tube
Seamless
pressure pipe is commonly produced to the ASTM A106 specification and is
intended for the conveyance of water, steam, petrochemicals, chemicals, oil
products, natural gas, and other liquids and gases in industrial piping
systems. It may carry these substances at elevated pressures and temperatures
and may be subject to the application of external heat.
Boiler
pipe is commonly used as heat exchangers in power plants and made to a variety
of international standards. The pipe may also be rifled to increase the
speed of flow. Common ASTM standards include A106, A179, A192, A199, A209,
A210, A213 and A335.
4. Hollow structural sections (HSS)
HSS
are predominantly used by the construction or OEM (Original equipment
manufacturers) sectors. These tubes can be round, square or rectangular in
shape. In the USA, these HSS are classified under the ASTM standards (ASTM A500
grade A/ grade B). In Europe, these HSS follow the EN standards (EN 10201-1/2),
but there are typically 3 different classifications for HSS in Europe based on
the grade of steel being used in the tube including, S235, S275 and S355.
Globally
major manufacturing regions for HSS include USA, Europe and China. Turkey is a
major exporter of HSS both to Europe, Middle East & USA. Many CIS
countries will also export HSS into Europe.
5. Welded precision tube and pipe
Welded
precision tube is predominately used for automotive and furniture applications.
Applications where precision tubes are being used in the automotive market
include car seatbelts (the base of the seatbelt), airbags etc. Precision tube
and pipe grades in the European market include EN 10305-2, cold drawn precision
tubes, or EN 10305-3, standard non-drawn precision tube.