What is ASTM A106 | ASTM A106 Standard

1. Hot Rolling

To manufacture ASTM A106 standard pipes, we start with solid steel bars that are cut into billets of precise weight. Then, they are loaded into and heated in a natural gas-powered rotary hearth furnace and heated until it is between 1250℃ and 1280℃. The heated steel then moves to the barrel-type piercer which transforms the material into a hollow bloom. This is achieved through a process known as the management effect. Next, the hollow bloom enters the premium quality finishing mill to be elongated. It is then pushed into an induction furnace to reheat to a homogenous temperature before it is transferred to the stretch-reducing mill where the ASTM A106 pipes outside diameter are reduced to match its specific end customer needs.

2. Heat Treatment

This step is where we ensure the hardness and toughness of the steel pipe. This begins in the Austenizing Furnace where the pipe is reheated to a temperature above the Austenite transformation temperature. It then enters the quenching process where water sprays are used to rapidly cool the pipes from approximately 900℃ to ambient temperature causing a rapid phase transformation in the steel. The resulting Marin Siddik phase in the ASTM A106 steel pipe is very strong and brittle, so the pipe is then reheated to a temperature lower than its transformation point in the tempering furnace to recover the steel ductility and adjust the mechanical properties to offend the required range. The pipe then moves to the resizing machine to achieve the dimensional tolerances required before straightening. In the straightening machine, the final straightening required an ovalization to be achieved. Leaving the pipe in its final state before being checked and tested.

3. Finishing

Our automated line performs strict tests and verifications to ensure the ASTM A106 steel pipe meets our level of quality and our customer’s specific requirements. First, hydrostatic testing is performed to ensure that it will meet specified pressure requirements before being subject to electromagnetic inspection to detect defects internally and externally. Ultrasonic testing then uses high-frequency sound energy to conduct wall thickness measurements. The pipe is then faced and beveled to help start the threading process. During threading, the pipe remains in a fixed position as an automated rotating headstock goes to work. All threads are then visually inspected and automated dimensionally controlled by state-of-the-art inspection equipment. Automated specialized equipment is then used during coupling and makeup to obtain the final ASTM A106 pipe and coupling joint. Next, a drift test is performed to ensure there won’t be any clogging within the pipe. Now the pipes receive lacquering and/or varnishing to prevent corrosion during storage or transportation. Then, measuring weighing and stenciling are implemented to identify each pipe based on the heat and pipe number, including all the marking requirements to comply with our pipe tracer technology. Finally, the pipe is then automatically bundled and ready for delivery to its assigned service center ready for distribution to the customer.