Is stainless steel pipe welded or seamless pipe

Stainless steel pipes can be either welded pipes or seamless pipes

According to the different production processes, stainless steel pipes are mainly divided into two types: stainless steel welded pipes and stainless steel seamless pipes. The following are the main differences and characteristics of the two:

1. Production technology

‌Stainless steel welded pipe: It is made by curling and molding steel plates or steel strips and welded pipes. Common ones include straight-seater welded pipes and spiral welded pipes.

Stainless steel seamless pipe: It is made of round steel billets as raw material and is made through hot rolling perforation or cold rolling, cold drawing and other processes. The pipe body has no welds.

2. Appearance and accuracy

Stainless steel welded pipe: uniform wall thickness, high surface brightness and high accuracy, suitable for making thin-walled pipes.
‌Stainless Steel Seamless Pipe‌: The wall thickness is uneven, the surface brightness is low, and the wall thickness is usually thicker.

3. Performance and Usage

‌Stainless steel welded pipe: The pressure bearing performance is average, and it is mainly used for decoration, pillars, and low-pressure fluid transportation (such as water, oil, gas, etc.).

‌Stainless Steel Seamless Pipe‌: It has stronger corrosion resistance, pressure resistance and high temperature resistance, and is suitable for engineering, large equipment and high-voltage fluid transmission (such as power plants and nuclear power plant boilers).

4. Price

Stainless steel seamless pipe: the production process is complex and the price is high.
‌Stainless Steel Welded Pipe‌: The price is relatively low and the economy is better.

5. Pros and cons

‌Stainless steel welded pipe: Good surface effect, suitable for decoration and low-pressure applications, but there may be a risk of corrosion in the welding area.
‌Stainless Steel Seamless Pipe‌: Excellent performance, but uneven wall thickness, high production cost.
To sum up, stainless steel pipes can be either welded pipes or seamless pipes. The specific choice depends on the application scenario and performance requirements.