We have been handling ERW tubing orders of varying sizes for many years now. Our business is in a place where we have the talent and experience to assist clients with all their needs. This has made us into the number one ERW steel tube supplier West Midlands has. In addition, the services we offer are cost effective for all kinds of applications.
Stainless steel has resistance to corrosion but it is not completely immune to it. When corrosion does happen here, it typically manifests in a localised state. It is not really uniform. Regardless, it is still important to understand how to detect the issue. Before you can do that though, there are detection considerations you must keep in mind. These are what we are going to focus on in this post.
Magnetic
Firstly, we will discuss stainless steel’s magnetic characteristics. These alloys don’t have the same magnetism that ferrous steel does. Some corrosion detection techniques rely on it, so you need to keep in mind you can’t use them with stainless alloys. For instance, MPI isn’t going to work on austenitic steels. It is the same with other non-ferromagnetic items.
The detection methods that you can use with stainless steel include Radiographic Testing and Infra-Red Thermography. You are better off choosing one of them.
Cracking and pitting
Another fact is that multiple corrosion detection techniques don’t pick up on stress corrosion cracking and pitting. Both of these complications are hard to find and can possibly lead to major failure.
If there is any danger of either problem, you have to use the most suitable detection methods. Some experts recommend using Ultrasonic Testing, Acoustic Emission, and Penetrant Dye Testing. If the top ERW steel tube supplier West Midlands has can help you, please let us know.
Removing insulation
There is also insulation removal to think about. There are corrosion detection strategies that demand direct contact with the steel. As such, if there is insulation, you may need to remove part or all of it. However, when you do, moisture gains an opening to move under the material. What this does is increase the chances of corrosion manifesting in the future.
Moreover, plugs that get cut into the insulation are not always replaced correctly. They are actually one of the leading causes of energy inefficiencies in tubing systems.
This produces something of a dilemma. There aren’t that many cases where you can thoroughly and accurately inspect for corrosion under insulation without cutting into it.
The most reputable ERW steel tube supplier in the West Midlands
At Union Steel Tubes, we have merchandise available in all sorts of sizes and qualities. This includes oval, round, rectangular, and square. We also want the best for each client. For this reason, we test every tube and only distribute them when they pass.
So, please give us a call if you would like to work with the best ERW steel tube supplier West Midlands has. You can ask us for advice about using tubing for various projects.
