LSAW Steel Pipe

LSAW Steel Pipe Forming Process:

JCOE and UOE are two commonly used molding processes for manufacturing LSAW steel pipe, and although they have some similarities, each has its own characteristics. Next, HSCO will take you through the two processes, UOE and JCOE, and the differences between the two.

UOE Forming Process:

The UOE process is a mature molding process that has been widely adopted, with a high degree of production automation, high productivity, and excellent and stable product quality, and it has three key steps: U-Forming, O-Forming, and Expanding.

● U-Forming: The steel plate is bent into a “U” shape using a hydraulic press.
● O-Forming: The “U” shape is further pressed into a circular “O” shape.
● Expanding: The pipe is mechanically or hydraulically expanded to its final diameter, ensuring uniform dimensions and relieving residual stress.

UOE Process Of LSAW Steel Pipe:

JCOE Forming Process:

The JCOE name comes from the four key steps in the molding process: J-Forming, C-Forming, O-Forming, and Expanding.

● J-Forming: The steel plate is bent into a “J” shape using a hydraulic press;
● C-Forming: Further pressing turns the “J” shape into a “C”;
● O-Forming: The “C” shape is closed into a circular “O” shape, forming the basic pipe body;
● Expanding: The O-shaped billet is welded internally and externally to form a complete weld seam. Finally, the pipe is expanded to its final size using mechanical or hydraulic equipment to ensure dimensional accuracy and eliminate residual stress;

The JCOE process is progressive forming, which changes the forming process of steel pipe from UO forming to JCO forming, in which the steel plate is deformed uniformly, residual stresses are low, and the surface does not produce scratches.

JCOE has advantages in the manufacture of thick-walled LSAW tubes and is more flexible, allowing the tube size to be adjusted according to the customer’s needs.

JCOE Process of LSAW Steel Pipe:

JCOE vs. UOE Forming Processes:

JCOE is a multi-step progressive pressure forming method. It uses multiple pressing steps to successively form the steel sheet into "J" and "C" shapes, ultimately pressing it into an "O" shaped round tube. The significant advantage of the JCOE process is its high flexibility; its forming dies are highly adaptable to changes in diameter and wall thickness, meeting the needs of small-batch, multi-specification users. Furthermore, the equipment investment for a JCOE production line is relatively small, but its production efficiency is lower, and the forming cycle for a single steel tube is longer.

In contrast, the UOE forming process uses a two-step continuous pressure forming method with U-shaped pre-pressing and O-shaped final pressing. Its production efficiency is extremely high, suitable for large-scale, assembly line production. However, the UOE process requires a very large investment and has high changeover costs, making it more suitable for large-volume, small-batch orders of a single specification or fixed length, allowing for the amortization of high equipment costs through stable production. UOE tubes perform better in terms of dimensional accuracy and residual stress control, making them the first choice in the high-pressure long-distance pipeline market.

In addition, RBE (Roll Bending and Expanding) is another LSAW steel pipe forming process, it is through the roll bending machine roll bending molding process, with a small investment in equipment, suitable for the manufacture of thick-walled steel pipe, but the dimensional accuracy is not as good as JCOE and UOE, the scope of application is limited.

LSAW Steel Pipe Production Equipment:

1. Edge Milling Machine
2. Pre Bending Machine
3. Pre Bending Machine
4. Gap Forming Press
5. Tack Welding Machine
6. Inside Welding Machine
7. Cleaning Machine
8. Long Seam Milling Machine
9. Outside Welding Machine
10. Calibration Press
11. End Facing Machine
12. Hydrostatic Test Machine
13. Ultra Sonic Test Machine
14. Radio Graphic Test Machine
15. Marking
16. Varnish Coating Machine