Why Is Welded Steel Pipe Cheaper Than Seamless Steel Pipe?

Seamless steel pipe is made by perforating a whole round steel bar, and there is no weld on the surface. It is called seamless steel pipe. Welded steel pipe is a steel pipe made by bending and deforming steel strips or steel plates into round, square and other shapes and then welding them, with seams on the surface. ‌This type of steel pipe is usually made of steel plates or strips as blanks by arc welding, high-frequency or low-frequency resistance welding and other methods. So which of these two steel pipes is cheaper? Generally speaking, welded steel pipes are cheaper than seamless steel pipes.

Manufacturing cost

1. Seamless steel pipe

Its manufacturing process is relatively complicated, requiring multiple processes such as perforation, hot rolling, and cold rolling, and has high requirements on the quality and uniformity of raw materials. These processes and raw material costs make the manufacturing cost of seamless steel pipes relatively high.

2. Welded steel pipe

Its manufacturing process is relatively simple, mainly by curling steel plates or steel strips and then welding them. This process is not only highly efficient, but also has relatively low raw material costs, so the manufacturing cost of welded steel pipes is usually low.

Market demand and supply

1. Seamless steel pipes

Due to their high strength, corrosion resistance and good pressure bearing capacity, they are widely used in high-end fields such as oil, natural gas, chemical industry, and electricity. These industries have high requirements for the quality and performance of pipelines, so the market demand for seamless steel pipes is relatively stable, but the supply is relatively small, resulting in relatively high prices.

2. Welded steel pipes

Its application areas are relatively wide, including construction, agriculture, machinery manufacturing and other industries. Since these industries have relatively low requirements for the quality and performance of pipelines, the market demand for welded steel pipes is large. At the same time, due to the simple manufacturing process of welded steel pipes, the supply is relatively sufficient, resulting in relatively low prices.

Specific manifestations of price differences

Under the same specifications and materials, the price of seamless steel pipes is usually a certain percentage higher than that of welded steel pipes. This price difference mainly reflects the differences between the two in terms of manufacturing costs, market demand and supply.

However, it should be noted that the price is not absolutely fixed. With the changes in market supply and demand, fluctuations in raw material prices, and improvements in production processes, the prices of seamless and welded steel pipes will also change accordingly.

Summary

To sum up, welded steel pipes are cheaper than seamless steel pipes. This price difference is mainly due to the differences in manufacturing costs, market demand and supply. However, in specific applications, the type of steel pipe to be selected depends on the specific use environment and requirements.