Stainless Steel Seamless Pipe Pros & Cons
1. Seamless pipes are manufactured out of a solid block of steel and do not have any weld seam (not easy to subject to corrosion, erosion and, general failure).
2. Stainless Steel Seamless Pipes have more predictable and precise shapes, in terms of roundness and ovality, compared to welded pipes.
3. The main disadvantage of seamless steel pipes is that their cost per ton is higher than the cost of ERW pipes of the same size and grade (Seamless vs ERW pipe compete in the range 2 to 20 inches)
4. Delivery times may be longer, as Seamless pipe manufacturing process is more complex
Seamless pipes may have an inconsistent wall thickness across their length, indeed the general tolerance is +/- 12.5%
SS ERW Pipe Pros & Cons
1. Welded pipes are cheaper than seamless (ERW HFI type), as they are manufactured using steel coils as feedstock manufacturing plants
2. Stainless steel Welded pipes have shorter lead times than seamless pipes
3. SS Welded pipes have a consistent wall thickness, as they are manufactured using coils (ERW) or plates (LSAW), both subject to tight tolerance control
4. The major “defect” attributed to welded steel pipes is that the presence of a weld seam constitutes a weakness factor (subject to corrosion, erosion and, general failure).
