Difference Between ERW and UOE Steel Pipes

The difference between ERW straight seam resistance welded steel pipe and LSAW straight seam submerged arc welded (UOE) steel pipe:

1. The difference between raw materials and production capacity

The raw material of ERW steel pipe is hot rolled steel coil, and the raw material of UOE steel pipe is hot rolled steel plate. Therefore, ERW steel pipe can realize continuous pipeline operation, high production efficiency and low production cost; while UOE steel pipe is processed by steel plate, continuous pipeline operation cannot be realized, production efficiency is low, and production cost is high.

The ERW steel pipe is limited by the thickness of the coil. Generally, the maximum thickness that can be produced is 25mm, and the maximum caliber that can be produced is 660mm. The maximum thickness that UOE steel pipe can be produced is 40mm. The maximum production diameter is 1422mm.

2. Welding difference
No welding wire is required for ERW steel pipes; welding wire is required for UOE steel pipes.

3. Appearance difference
The inner and outer welds of ERW steel pipes need to be removed, which is beneficial to corrosion protection; leaving excess welds on the inner and outer walls of UOE steel pipes is not good for corrosion protection.

4. The difference between purchase cost and difficulty

The purchase cost of ERW steel pipes is low, and the cost of UOE steel pipes is very high, and the general price difference is 15% -25%. There are fewer domestic manufacturers of UOE steel pipes, which makes procurement difficult. When the diameter is less than 406mm, the difference in purchasing costs is even greater. There are many manufacturers of ERW steel pipes and the procurement difficulty is low. When the diameter is less than 406mm, the purchase cost will be greatly reduced.

5. Application differences
ERW steel pipes are mainly used in long-distance land transportation pipelines such as natural gas, refined oil, crude oil, and pulp. UOE steel pipes are mainly used in high-pressure submarine long-distance pipelines, high-cold areas, and land types II, III, and IV.