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Do you know the OD minus 2 times WT (schedule) pulling it through sizing rolls. No
difference between Pipe determines the inside diameter matter what its final shape, it al-
and Tube? (ID) of a pipe, which determines ways starts out round! Tubes are
the liquid capacity of the pipe. In indicated with an outer diameter
People often think that both our industry, when we talk about (OD) and wall thickness (WT), in
are the same. They both can be the pipe, we tend to call out an inches or in millimeters. In our
seamless or welded. However, (ID) and schedule, like 2-inch industry, buyers often refer to
there are significant differences schedule 40, or 14 inch extra the item they want as an (OD)
between pipe and tube. A pipe heavy. Examples of walls or and wall thickness (WT). Exam-
is round. A tube can be round, schedules are Sch. 40, Sch. 80, ples of wall thicknesses are 11
square, rectangular or oval in Sch. Standard (STD), Sch. XS/ gauge, 1/4”, 3/8” and 5/8”. Tub-
shape. Pipes are primarily de- XH, and Sch. XXS. Most pipe ing is sold in 20, 24, 40 and 48-
signed to carry fluids and gases, is sold in 21 or 42-foot lengths. foot lengths, but can be easily
regardless of what industry they produced in custom lengths.
are deployed. Tubes can also What is Tubing?
transport fluids and gases but
are typically designed for many The word tube refers to round,
more applications than the pipe, square, rectangular and oval
including industrial, medical, aer- hollow sections that are used
ospace, military, transportation for pressure equipment, for me-
and architecture and construc- chanical applications, and for
tion. instrumentation systems. Steel
tubing can be made from various
What is Pipe? raw materials, like iron, carbon,
manganese, vanadium, and zir-
Pipe has been produced in the conium. Like pipe, tubing can
US since the early 1800s. Pipe be produced as either seamless
is a hollow section with a round or welded. Seamless tubing is a
cross-section, primarily made for solid block of steel that is rolled
the transportation of products. into a round shape and then
The products include fluids, gas, pierced and stretched into its fi-
pellets, powders and more. But nal length. Think of taking a wad
steel pipes are used in a varie- of Play-Doh and rolling it into a
ty of ways. They are used un- cylinder. Then push your finger
derground for transporting water through the middle and make it
and gas throughout cities and longer with the extra doh. That’s
towns. They are also specified in how it’s produced, but it’s hot
construction to protect electrical and spinning and completely
wires. Steel pipes can be strong, done with machines. Welded
but lightweight. This makes them steel tubing, on the other hand,
great for bicycle frames. They are is made from the coil. The coil is
also used in the making of parts slit and then rolled up into a round
for automobiles, refrigeration shape and the ends are welded
units, heating and plumbing sys- together. From there, the tubing
tems, flagpoles and street lamps, can simply be cut to a certain
just to name a few. The most length as round tubing, or it can
important dimension for a pipe is be further deformed into other METAL EXPLAINED
the outer diameter (OD) togeth- shapes, such as square, rectan-
er with the wall thickness (WT). gular, oval, etc. This is done by WITH EDDIE TOTH

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