Measurement and Characterization of the Initial Geometric Imperfections in High Strength U-ing, O-ing and Expanding Manufactured Steel Pipes

Abstract

The geometric imperfections in high strength U-ing, O-ing and expanding (UOE) manufactured pipes are investigated in this paper using a high-resolution 3D surface scanner, and a reverse engineering and inspection software. The geometric analyses show that the initial imperfection patterns in the UOE manufactured pipes are not at all random, although the magnitudes of imperfections may vary across specimens. These patterns of outside radii and pipe wall thickness imperfections consistently appear along the length of the specimens regardless of their D/t ratios and manufacturer. The sources of these imperfections can potentially be traced back to the UOE manufacturing process.