One of the terms you may hear when you are looking for ERW tube is full body normalising. This is a finishing process that can provide a number of benefits. We want to take a closer look at what it is and why it is something that people may want for their tubing.
What is full body normalising?
The process to make ERW tubes is rather simple. It begins with coil or strip steel. The edges need preparation so they are suitable for welding. Then the steel goes through a series of rollers to form it into a tube. An electric current heats the edges and then pressure forces them together. This combination of heat and force creates a bond between the edges. Finally, any flash metal along the seam will be removed.
Full body normalising happens once the process above is complete. What happens is the tube passes through induction furnaces to heat it to a high temperature, usually over 900 Celsius. Then the size can be reduced, the tube can be cut to get the right length, and then it can be cooled.
Benefits
The normalising process provides a number of advantages. Firstly, it can leave the ERW tube with a fine grain and uniform microstructure. This is important to ensure the material doesn’t have issues such as hard or weak spots. It eliminates problems like residual stresses and means consistent hardness. The tensile and yield properties will also be consistent.
The grain refinement from full body normalisation can also help improve some forms of corrosion resistance. This is because it prevents variations in the hardness and grain, even in the heat affected zone.
Talk to us about ERW tube
At Union Steel Tubes we work very hard to make sure our products are very high quality. We also help our clients to improve their knowledge. As a result they can make a more informed choice when they decide what tubing they need.
If you have any questions about ERW tube or would like to order, please contact us. We can arrange next day delivery on most sizes of tubing. In some cases we can even provide same day services if we have the tubes in stock.
