Steel pipelines are used in so many industries and they transport water, gas, oil etc. over large distances. There is a complex manufacturing process for steel pipeline systems that includes engineering, fabrication and quality assurance through all stages.

First is the design and engineering phase.

This is where many experts will collaborate in order to develop comprehensive plans. These plans should be developed with regard to project specifications, environmental considerations and regulatory requirements. Some of the factors assessed in this stage are the route of the pipeline, operating conditions, properties of the fluid and anticipated loads. This will help determine the design parameters for the system. The pipeline configurations are modelled with finite element analysis and computer aided design. This will also help in optimising performance of the pipeline and analysing structural integrity. Some of the factors considered to ensure the efficiency and integrity of the pipeline system are diameter of pipeline, joint design and selection of material. You can reach out to Steel Mains to ask about how they source materials and how quality assurance procedures are carried out.

After finalising the design, you have to procure high quality materials.

You need to make sure that these meet project specifications and industry standards. Steel is the primary material used and this is sourced from reputed sellers. There is a testing and inspection procedure carried out so that the mechanical properties, dimensions tolerances and chemical composition of the steel can be verified. There are many manufacturing stages used to process steel coils or plates so that they can be prepared for fabrication. Some of these stages are edge preparation, cutting and forming so that the manufacturer can produce pipe sections as per required dimensions. The surface of the pipes will be prepared through chemical cleaning or abrasive blasting so that any contaminants can be removed. This will create a clean substrate to apply protective coatings. A critical stage in the manufacturing process is fabrication and this is where individual pipe sections are assembled and welded, preparing them for installation. Skilled welders will be involved in this stage so that approved procedures can be carried out to ensure consistency and precision in the welded joints.

The quality of the welded joints will be assessed

By non-destructive testing techniques like ultrasonic testing and radiographic testing. You need to protect steel pipelines from corrosion and this requires the use of coatings and corrosion protection measures. Some of the coating materials used are polyethylene, polypropylene and fusion-bonded epoxy. The coating has to be compatible with the fluids transported in the type and the environmental conditions. To ensure that uniform coverage is achieved, extrusion coating, powder coating or liquid coating are carried out. There will also be tests such as adhesion testing, dry film thickness measurement and holiday detection carried out to ensure the coating integrity. Quality assurance is carried out in all stages so that the manufacturing process  adheres to regulatory requirements, design specifications and industry standards.