Mechanical expanding of LSAW steel pipe
Mechanical expanding is an effective process used in the manufacture of large diameter, high precision cylindrical tube part. It is
widely used in line pipe, aerospace engines casing and other mechanical products manufacturing.At present, the world's most
advanced several large 121 LSAW steel pipe flaring processes are all adopt the way of mechanically expanding,
the main reasons are as below:
(1) Mechanical expanding greatly reduces the weight and dimensions of equipment, with simple structure, small investment, small
covers, easy to replace mold, simple maintenance,and especially do enlargement of non-standard diameter pipe.
(2) The water pressure expanding as the outer pipe is limited by the mold, sometimes weld metal is pressed into the tube.
(3) Mechanical expanding, the mold is in contact with the pipe wall, and the curved shape after expansion is better than water pressure
expansion pipe. Regardless of the wall thickness and yield strength, it can produce a constant inner diameter steel pipe.
(4) For the thick wall, high strength steel pipe, mechanical expanding is much easier than the hydraulic diameter enlarging; the mold
of mechanical expanding head can be adjusted to accommodate a range of thickness steel pipe without having to replace the
enlarged diameter mold.
(5)The energy costs of the hydraulic expansion machine is much greater than the mechanical expansion machine.
(6) With the demand for large diameter products, hydraulic flaring efficiency dropped significantly, while the mechanical expanding
can manufacture large diameter thick walled steel pipe with high efficience, in terms of production efficiency, the advantage is more
prominent.
(7) the effect of mechanical expanding is ready for direct measurement and adjustment; mechanical expanding equipments all use
hydraulic transmission