ASTM A333

[SJones]

Can a forging that has been machined and bored be certified as meeting the requirements of ASTM A333?

Steve Jones
Materials & Corrosion Engineer

http://www.pdo.co.om/pdo/

 

[BigInch]

You are only boring the ends of ASTM A333 pipe, for example, to reduce its wall thickness for welding it to a thinner adjoining pipe or fitting, correct?

ASTM A333 is a certification specifying that appropriate steel and alloys were formed into seamless pipe and it is suitable for cold temperatures, so machine boring the pipe does not modify the ASTM A333 specification under which it was originally produced, therefore the machined pipe would still comply with ASTM A333.

BigInch-born in the trenches.

http://virtualpipeline.spaces.msn.com

 

[metengr]

Can a forging that has been machined and bored be certified as meeting the requirements of ASTM A333?

Reply;
Yes, ASME SA 333 does not prohibit it. Also, you can review ASME SA 999 which describes general requirements for Alloy and Stainless Steel pipe. Forged and bored, cast, seamless and welded are all identified.

 

[SJones]

Thanks for that - got a bit lazy in my haste. So, it is possible to dual certify material both as a forging and as a pipe. Interesting. I wonder if that was really meant by "seamless process" as stated in A333?

Steve Jones
Materials & Corrosion Engineer

http://www.pdo.co.om/pdo/

 

[BigInch]

They primarily address the material, but the blanket coverage titles of similar specs indicate such is common as,

ASTM A53,
Standard Specification for Pipe, Steel, Black and Hot-Dipped, Zinc-Coated, Welded and Seamless

ASTM A105
Standard Specification for Carbon Steel Forgings for Piping Applications

ASTM A106.
Standard Specification for Seamless Carbon Steel Pipe for High-Temperature Service

For ASTM A333, I see this at

http://www.TechStreet.com

quote] ASTM A333/A333M-05 Standard Specification for Seamless and Welded Steel Pipe for Low-Temperature Service
ASTM International 01-Mar-2005 7 pages

----------------------------------------
1.1 This specification [COLOR=white red]covers nominal (average) wall seamless and welded carbon and alloy steel pipe intended for use at low temperatures [/color]. Several grades of ferritic steel are included as listed in Table 1. Some product sizes may not be available under this specification because heavier wall thicknesses have an adverse affect on low-temperature impact properties.[/quote]

I don't have a copy of A333, so I can't say how specifically it addresses seamless pipe fabrication process.

BigInch-born in the trenches.

http://virtualpipeline.spaces.msn.com

 

[SJones]

A333 states
"The pipe shall be made by the seamless or welded process". I'm not sure whether the "seamless process" was meant to include forging and boring even though it is alluded to by association with A999

Steve Jones
Materials & Corrosion Engineer

http://www.pdo.co.om/pdo/

 

[BigInch]

That's a tough one. Normally these would be extrusion or UOE processes. Could be wrong, but I believe that "boring" a pipe from a forged material (being that it is not a very efficient process) would be so unusual that it would not be included in an ASTM standard. Counting on an allusion to that possibility may be stretching it.

BigInch-born in the trenches.

http://virtualpipeline.spaces.msn.com

 

[metengr]

My thought on this is that seamless can include forged and bored pipe, as well as extruded or piercing operations to achieve the same result. One can always machine an existing seamless pipe on the OD and ID surface, if practical, and it doesn’t change the final product form. Seamless, is what it is, and if pipe is produced from a forged billet, and can meet the mechanical property requirements for this specification, this is not in conflict.

 

[stanweld]

Seamless pipe can be made forged (Pilcher Process), extruded, drawn, cast, forged and bored. Welded pipe to A333 may not use filler metal additions.

A-999, 10.2 specifically includes forged and bored pipe as a method of manufacture.

 

[BigInch]

Thanks for the clarification. I still think boring more than the end bevel area is probably not the most cost effective way to make a lot of it, though it may serve in a pinch.

BigInch-born in the trenches.

http://virtualpipeline.spaces.msn.com

 

[stanweld]

BigInch:
Agreed. I can only recall a couple of instances when we purchased such pipe. Needed small quantity ASAP; only way to get the material in time to complete the work on schedule. Quite expensive as I recall.

 

[SJones]

A pilger mill should be able to produce a pipe in the process itself and, therefore, wouldn't have an intermediate forging 'status'. It would go from ingot (billet) to pipe. If one has to machine a forging to meet A333, would the resultant pipe not be dual certified: A333 plus the forging standard? I've never come across this before. We need a full suite of API 10k piping up to about the DN350 83 mm WT size.

Steve Jones
Materials & Corrosion Engineer

http://www.pdo.co.om/pdo/

 

[metengr]

Seamless pipe can be made forged (Pilcher Process), extruded, drawn, cast, forged and bored. Welded pipe to A333 may not use filler metal additions.

A-999, 10.2 specifically includes forged and bored pipe as a method of manufacture.

I am in total agreement with the statement above by stanweld. We have purchased pipe that was indeed dual certified to ASME SA 333 and SA 369.

 

[metengr]

Two corrections;

Pilger process, not Pilcher, and SA 335 not SA 333.

 

[stanweld]

A pilger mill does produce the pipe but the ID and OD will no doubt require machining/grinding to remove all the surface flaws; at least the pipe so manufactured that I've seen certainly did. By the way we also purchased forged and bored pipe, small bore pipe with very heavy wall thickness. There was simply no other method of manufacture.

 

[SJones]

Thanks guys. I'm convinced (almost).

Steve Jones
Materials & Corrosion Engineer

http://www.pdo.co.om/pdo/