Stainless Steel Tube
Stainless steel tube is typically specified as OD (outside diameter) and WT (wall thickness) and mechanical properties of the base stainless steel material. It is resistant to many forms of corrosion, has hygienic sterile properties, high quality aesthetic appeal and exceptional strength.
Tube is manufactured in round, square and rectangular sections in a variety of wall thicknesses. It is usually manufactured by the processes of longitudinal welding, hot and cold drawing (seamless) or spiral welding.
Finishes or appearance range from unpolished to highly polished. Unpolished has a 2B mill finish, standard polished is a finely grit polished finish and there is a finer buffed finish giving close to mirror appearance. Finishes are selected to suit application and aesthetic appeal.
Stainless steel tube can be joined by welding, which facilitates rigidity in construction, or by the use of mechanical fittings which enables dismantling for hygienic cleaning.
Tube is usually annealed if extensive forming and bending is required, such as for bending or expanding. The tubular products system incorporates a comprehensive range of stainless steel fittings in the form of elbows, tees, reducers and flanges in various sizes, wall thickness, grades and finishes to suit tube dimensions and tolerances.
This tubing is produced direct off the continuous tube welding mill, using cold rolled stainless steel strip made to ASTM standards, wiith tube produced to commercial limits of straightness in standard or specific customer lengths. AW tube has a higher yield point than annealed tube and is generally used for decorative applications or in mildly corrosive conditions. It is not suitable for applications requiring significant flaring, expanding or bending.
Food quality tube is stocked by Atlas Specialty Metals. This tube at the point of manufacture goes through a process where the internal weld bead is rolled. The result is an improved internal finish along the weld, reducing the chance of a crevice where liquid or food product may be trapped. This assists with ‘clean in place’ (CIP) environment food and beverage process lines or other applications such as the pharmaceutical industry.Manufacturing specification: ASTM 1528.
This tube is produced by the same process as AW tube but is annealed to relieve stresses and improve ductility. Bright annealing is carried out in a controlled-atmosphere furnace, so that no oxide or scale is formed on the surface.
This tube is typically destined for heat exchanger applications and is produced in a similar way to AWA product except that the internal bead is rolled flush with the inside tube surface prior to annealing.
Cold drawn welded (CDW) and cold drawn welded annealed (CDWA) tube
Through cold drawing tube in the AW and AWA conditions, fine dimensional tolerances are achieved, with excellent uniformity of wall thickness and concentricity, grain structure and hardness.
