What is ERW Pipe?
Technical Analysis of High Frequency Electric Resistance Welded Pipe
ERW steel pipe (Electric Resistance Welded Pipe) is a welded steel pipe made by high-frequency electric saw welding process. Unlike submerged arc welding (SAW) or spiral welded pipes, the core technical features of ERW steel pipes are:
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Technical indicators |
Data Range |
Applicable standards |
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Production speed |
46-152 m/min |
ASTM A53 |
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High frequency current frequency |
30-500 kHz |
API 5L |
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Heat affected zone of weld |
0.5-1 mm |
EN 10219 |
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Wall thickness tolerance |
±3% |
JIS G3444 |
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Post-weld heat treatment |
Online annealing process |
GB/T 3091 |
ERW Pipe Meaning
The engineering value behind industry terms
As a professional term in the field of industrial pipelines, ERW steel pipe carries three core values:
Breakthrough in materials science
The breakthrough of high-frequency welding technology lies in solving the three major pain points of traditional welding:
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Welding thermal deformation |
Reduced to 80% |
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Material loss rate |
Within 0.5% |
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Weld impact toughness |
Increased to 95% of the parent material |
Benchmark for engineering economy
Compared with seamless steel pipes, the advantages of ERW steel pipes
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Production costs |
35-40% reduction |
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Wall thickness uniformity |
Improved to ±3% |
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It has significant cost-effectiveness advantages in the fields of oil and gas transportation (X70 and above steel grade), building structures (ASTM A500), etc. |
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Sustainable development practices
In order to protect the environment and reduce costs, the ERW production line uses a waste heat recovery system to achieve the goal of reducing energy consumption by 25%, and the scrap steel reuse rate is as high as 99.8%. According to data from the U.S. Department of Energy, the carbon emissions of gas pipelines built using ERW are 18% lower than those of other types of welded pipes.
Application scenarios and technological evolution
In the field of new energy, ERW steel pipes are breaking through traditional cognition:
- Pipes for offshore wind power monopiles: Q690D high-strength steel ERW pipes with a diameter of 8 meters and a wall thickness of 120 mm have been mass-produced
- Hydrogen energy pipelines: Hydrogen embrittlement-resistant ERW pipes developed through the TMCP process, and the hydrogen-induced cracking (HIC) test has passed the NACE TM0284 standard
- Digital operation and maintenance: Intelligent ERW pipes with RFID chips can realize real-time monitoring of stress status
The global ERW steel pipe market is expected to reach US$92 billion in 2025, of which emerging fields such as deep-sea oil and gas development, CCUS carbon capture projects, and modular buildings will contribute 65% of the incremental demand. As the world’s largest ERW pipe producer, China has achieved breakthrough progress in X100 steel grade and -60℃ low-temperature resistant pipes.
Summarize
The development history of ERW steel pipe is extremely representative. From the first low-frequency pipe welding machine in 1920 to the intelligent engineering that integrates AI weld detection in 2025, the development of ERW is essentially a microcosm of the evolution of modern industrial technology. Inspired by the dual carbon goals, ERW steel pipe is reshaping the future of the global pipeline industry with three-dimensional breakthroughs in material innovation, process innovation, and application development.
