Cold drawn seamless pipe is a kind of seamless pipe and is a cold processed product. The quality standards of cold-drawn seamless steel pipes are mainly reflected in their dimensional accuracy, surface quality, mechanical properties, chemical composition and non-destructive testing. Since cold-drawn seamless steel pipes are usually used in precision mechanical structures, hydraulic systems, automotive parts and other fields with high requirements for accuracy and surface quality, the standards for their implementation are also more stringent. The following is a carefully summarized quality standard for cold-drawn seamless steel pipes commonly used in China, the United States and Europe.
Chinese National Standard (GB) for Cold Drawn Seamless Steel Pipes
GB/T 3639 "Cold drawn or cold rolled precision seamless steel tube" is the most important quality standard for cold drawn seamless steel tubes in China. This standard specifies the various indicators of cold drawn or cold rolled precision seamless steel tubes in detail:
1. Dimensional accuracy and allowable deviation
Tolerance of outer diameter and wall thickness: GB/T 3639 has clear provisions for the allowable deviation of outer diameter and wall thickness, which are usually divided into different accuracy levels (such as ordinary accuracy and high accuracy), and the tolerance range is much smaller than that of hot-rolled steel pipes.
Wall thickness unevenness: The range of wall thickness deviation is specified to ensure uniform wall thickness of steel pipes.
Ovality: It limits the degree to which the cross section of the pipe deviates from the true circle.
Curvature: There are strict restrictions on the curvature per meter and the curvature of the entire length to ensure the straightness of the steel pipe.
2. Surface quality
Appearance requirements: The inner and outer surfaces of the steel pipe should be smooth, and no defects such as cracks, folds, scars, delamination, indentations, scratches, hairlines, etc. are allowed. A small number of local defects are allowed, and their depth and height are strictly limited.
Surface roughness: For precision tubes, there are usually clear requirements for the inner and outer surface roughness (Ra value) to meet the requirements of cleanliness and fluid resistance in hydraulic systems and other occasions.
3. Mechanical properties
Tensile strength (Rm): The ability of a steel pipe to resist tensile failure.
Yield strength (ReH/ReL): The stress at which steel begins to undergo plastic deformation.
Elongation (A): The ability of a material to undergo plastic deformation.
Hardness: The ability to resist plastic deformation or scratches.
Impact toughness: The ability to resist impact loads at low temperatures or under specific conditions (may be required depending on the steel grade and use).
Delivery state: GB/T 3639 specifies a variety of delivery states, which achieve different mechanical properties through different heat treatments (such as +C: cold drawn/hard state; +LC: cold drawn/soft state; +SR: cold drawn and stress relieved; +A: soft annealing; +N: normalizing).
4. Chemical composition
It specifies the content range of carbon, silicon, manganese, phosphorus, sulfur and other elements of the steel grades used (such as 10#, 20#, Q345B, 20Cr, 40Cr, etc.) to ensure the basic performance of the material.
5. Nondestructive testing
According to standard requirements or order contracts, nondestructive testing such as ultrasonic flaw detection and eddy current flaw detection is performed on steel pipes to ensure that there are no defects such as cracks and inclusions inside.
6. Flattening test, expansion test
It is used to uate the plastic deformation capacity of steel pipes.
7. Water pressure test
Check whether the steel pipe can withstand the specified internal pressure without leakage.
Other relevant international standards for cold drawn seamless steel pipes
In addition to GB/T 3639, there are other important international quality standards for cold drawn seamless steel pipes:
ASTM A519 "Seamless Carbon and Alloy Steel Tubes for Mechanical Use" (American Standard)
Widely used in mechanical engineering and pressure applications, it covers cold-finished and hot-finished seamless steel tubes of various carbon steel and alloy steel grades, with detailed provisions for dimensional tolerances, mechanical properties, chemical composition, surface quality and non-destructive testing.
EN 10305-1 "Steel tubes for precision applications - Technical delivery conditions - Part 1: Cold-drawn seamless steel tubes" (European standard):
This standard is specifically for cold-drawn seamless steel tubes for precision applications, emphasizing dimensional accuracy and surface roughness. It also specifies a variety of delivery states (+C, +LC, +SR, +A, +N) and their corresponding mechanical properties.
Read more: Cold Drawn Seamless Tube Specifications
Chinese National Standard (GB) for Cold Drawn Seamless Steel Pipes
GB/T 3639 "Cold drawn or cold rolled precision seamless steel tube" is the most important quality standard for cold drawn seamless steel tubes in China. This standard specifies the various indicators of cold drawn or cold rolled precision seamless steel tubes in detail:
1. Dimensional accuracy and allowable deviation
Tolerance of outer diameter and wall thickness: GB/T 3639 has clear provisions for the allowable deviation of outer diameter and wall thickness, which are usually divided into different accuracy levels (such as ordinary accuracy and high accuracy), and the tolerance range is much smaller than that of hot-rolled steel pipes.
Wall thickness unevenness: The range of wall thickness deviation is specified to ensure uniform wall thickness of steel pipes.
Ovality: It limits the degree to which the cross section of the pipe deviates from the true circle.
Curvature: There are strict restrictions on the curvature per meter and the curvature of the entire length to ensure the straightness of the steel pipe.
2. Surface quality
Appearance requirements: The inner and outer surfaces of the steel pipe should be smooth, and no defects such as cracks, folds, scars, delamination, indentations, scratches, hairlines, etc. are allowed. A small number of local defects are allowed, and their depth and height are strictly limited.
Surface roughness: For precision tubes, there are usually clear requirements for the inner and outer surface roughness (Ra value) to meet the requirements of cleanliness and fluid resistance in hydraulic systems and other occasions.
3. Mechanical properties
Tensile strength (Rm): The ability of a steel pipe to resist tensile failure.
Yield strength (ReH/ReL): The stress at which steel begins to undergo plastic deformation.
Elongation (A): The ability of a material to undergo plastic deformation.
Hardness: The ability to resist plastic deformation or scratches.
Impact toughness: The ability to resist impact loads at low temperatures or under specific conditions (may be required depending on the steel grade and use).
Delivery state: GB/T 3639 specifies a variety of delivery states, which achieve different mechanical properties through different heat treatments (such as +C: cold drawn/hard state; +LC: cold drawn/soft state; +SR: cold drawn and stress relieved; +A: soft annealing; +N: normalizing).
4. Chemical composition
It specifies the content range of carbon, silicon, manganese, phosphorus, sulfur and other elements of the steel grades used (such as 10#, 20#, Q345B, 20Cr, 40Cr, etc.) to ensure the basic performance of the material.
5. Nondestructive testing
According to standard requirements or order contracts, nondestructive testing such as ultrasonic flaw detection and eddy current flaw detection is performed on steel pipes to ensure that there are no defects such as cracks and inclusions inside.
6. Flattening test, expansion test
It is used to uate the plastic deformation capacity of steel pipes.
7. Water pressure test
Check whether the steel pipe can withstand the specified internal pressure without leakage.
Other relevant international standards for cold drawn seamless steel pipes
In addition to GB/T 3639, there are other important international quality standards for cold drawn seamless steel pipes:
ASTM A519 "Seamless Carbon and Alloy Steel Tubes for Mechanical Use" (American Standard)
Widely used in mechanical engineering and pressure applications, it covers cold-finished and hot-finished seamless steel tubes of various carbon steel and alloy steel grades, with detailed provisions for dimensional tolerances, mechanical properties, chemical composition, surface quality and non-destructive testing.
EN 10305-1 "Steel tubes for precision applications - Technical delivery conditions - Part 1: Cold-drawn seamless steel tubes" (European standard):
This standard is specifically for cold-drawn seamless steel tubes for precision applications, emphasizing dimensional accuracy and surface roughness. It also specifies a variety of delivery states (+C, +LC, +SR, +A, +N) and their corresponding mechanical properties.
Read more: Cold Drawn Seamless Tube Specifications
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