Heat treating is a process pipe manufacturers follow to change the chemical and mechanical properties of metals, which changes the microstructure of the metals. Heat treating the metals is one of the most crucial steps when producing seamless tubes and pipes. Some metals and alloys become even more potent when you pass them through heat treatment. The surface becomes harder, and the metal becomes temperature resistant, malleable, and robust.
There are multiple heat treatment steps, including hardening, tempering, solution, aging treatment, annealing, and normalizing. With the advancement of technology and science, manufacturers follow the following aspects while heat-treating metals:
Eco-friendly heat treatment:
Previously, heat treatment used to cause environmental pollution. The process of heat treatment produces waste materials such as wastewater, salt, gas, dust, electromagnetic radiation, noise, etc. As you can understand, heat treatment causes harm to the environment. However, improved technology has helped seamless tube suppliers and manufacturers to reduce wastage and, thus, control the level of pollution. Developed countries now promote and employ clean or green heat treatment so that manufacturers can reduce the production of waste materials.
Apart from reducing waste materials, green heat treatment also allows the manufacturers to produce less carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide, carbon, cinder emissions, dust, etc. Even new technology has helped pipe fabricators choose fuel other than coal so that it produces less fume and less pollution.
Similarly, they have stopped using heavy oil. Instead, they choose light oil and natural gas that not only produce less pollution but also are more pocket-friendly because they cost less.
Most manufacturers of seamless tubes have also utilized the burning furnace waste utilization process. It allows them to optimize the structure of the burner that they use to complete the heat treatment. Also, when they maintain the fuel ratio in the burner, it produces minimum nitrogen oxide gases and carbon dioxide.
Pipe manufacturers also use carbonitriding substitute salt treatment, gas carburizing, and vacuum heat treatment technology to reduce waste. As a result, it produces less salt and CN-toxic water pollution. In addition, pipe fabricators choose synthetic oil that is water-soluble instead of heavy quenching oil. In case they cannot get their hands on water-soluble water, they can also use biodegradable vegetable quenching oil. The idea is to reduce or stop the use of mineral oil and, in turn, reduce pollution.
Precision heat treatment:
Precision heat treatment is a well-used process when it comes to heat-treating metals. It has two meanings. Firstly, precision heat treatment allows seamless tube suppliers and manufacturers to optimize the quality of the metals by changing the structure, material metallurgy details, state-of-the-art computerized simulation, and testing technology.
Another aspect of precision heat treatment is to improve the stability of the metals, maximize their ability to perform, enhance the product quality, and reduce the heat distortion to nil or zero.
Energy-efficient heat treatment:
Scientific management makes the decision to establish a specialized heat treatment plant to ensure total capacity and give full play to the equipment capacity. Scientific production and energy management are the most effective energy use with potential factors. Use a low-energy, short-cycle process rather than a long-cycle, energy-consuming process when heating primary energy in heat treatment. Producers of seamless tubes and pipes fully utilize heat waste during energy-efficient heat treatment.
Non-oxidation heat treatment:
Non-oxidation heat treatment is a process that manufacturers employ to control the production of carbon and protect the environment from alternative oxidizing. It also allows manufacturers to offer controlled environmental heating through nitrogen potential. As a result, you can expect an improved performance from the seamless pipes.
Non-oxidation heat treatment ensures that the faults caused by heat treatment, such as cracks, decarbonization, etc., get reduced significantly. Hence, the efficiency of the metal pipes increases while manufacturers can spend reduced time finishing.
Some of the non-oxidation heat treatments include vacuum quenching, vacuum & gas quenching, boriding, nitriding, low-pressure carburizing, carbon permeation, etc. These processes reduce distortion in the metals while increasing their life expectancy. As a result, when manufacturers produce seamless tubes from non-oxidation heat-treated metals, they last much longer than other pipes.
Color coding the pipes:
Even though it may seem trivial, color coding the pipes is one of the crucial steps to ensure safety and aid in logistics. Pipe fabricators not only color-code the finished products but also color-code the piping materials, such as flanges, valves, and pipe fittings, to simplify the process of identification.
For example, they have kept all the parts in their warehouse. Now, when they require the parts, they must make sure that each part they choose matches their counterparts or where they are supposed to go. Color coding allows them to streamline the otherwise complex process of identifying and executing the different components of materials.
Manufacturers produce different types of seamless tubes and pipes in a plant, from stainless steel to carbon alloy to aluminum pipes. Color coding each category and each part makes the whole process a lot easier and helps distinguish the parts effortlessly.
The closure:
The performance and life of the parts are ultimately impacted by the quality of heat treatment, which is directly correlated to the quality of subsequent processing. Leading steel pipe manufacturers with integrated heat treatment facilities can also offer heat treatment for seamless steel pipes. These businesses assist with consistent, repeatable results. Some of the most outstanding engineers and technicians in the business, with years of experience and knowledge to offer crucial support and a proper understanding of customer requirements, oversee the heat treatment operations in these plants. Hence, when you purchase seamless tubes and pipes from a reputable manufacturer, you can rest assured that you are getting superior quality products that will last long while performing throughout their lifespan.
