1. Origin stage (early 20th century, 1930s)

At the beginning of the 20th century, the steel industry was in a stage of rapid development, and strip rolling technology began to rise. With the increase in strip steel production and gradual improvement in quality, people have begun to explore new methods of using strip steel to manufacture steel pipes. During this period, although welding technology was still in a relatively early stage, the basic principles of arc welding had already been applied to some simple metal connections.

In the 1930s, the concept of spiral seam welded steel pipes was initially formed by combining welding technology with strip rolling technology. The initial production process of spiral seam welded steel pipes was relatively simple, mainly by forming narrow strip steel into billets through a simple spiral curling method, and then using manual arc welding or preliminary automatic arc welding for welding. However, due to limitations in welding equipment and processes at the time, the quality of the welds was poor, and the strength and sealing of the steel pipes were not ideal. These early SSAW Steel Pipes were mainly used in fields such as water supply, drainage, and ventilation pipelines that did not require high pressure.

2. Initial development stage (1940s and 1950s)

During and after World War II, the rapid recovery of industry led to a significant increase in demand for various types of pipes. This has led to further development in the production technology of spiral seam welded steel pipes. During this period, welding equipment was improved and automatic submerged arc welding technology began to be applied in the production of SSAW steel pipes. Automatic submerged arc welding utilizes the arc under the flux layer for welding, which can effectively protect the weld seam and reduce the impact of air on welding quality.

With the application of submerged arc welding technology, the weld quality of SSAW steel pipes has been significantly improved, and the strength and pressure resistance of the steel pipes have also been correspondingly enhanced. At the same time, the quality and specifications of the strip steel are constantly improving, providing wider and thicker strips for the production of large-diameter and high-pressure spiral seam welded steel pipes. During this period, SSAW steel pipes began to be applied in some medium and low pressure oil and gas pipelines and chemical pipelines, and their importance in the industrial field gradually became prominent.

3. Technological Innovation Stage (1960s and 1970s)

In the 1960s, with the global boom in oil and gas exploration and development, the demand for long-distance, large-diameter, and high-pressure pipelines increased sharply. This has driven a significant innovation in SSAW steel pipe production technology. In terms of forming technology, more advanced spiral forming machines have emerged, which can accurately control the spiral curling angle and speed of the strip steel, improving the forming quality of the pipe blank.

Welding technology has also made new breakthroughs, and double wire submerged arc welding technology has begun to be applied in the production of SSAW steel pipes. Double wire submerged arc welding uses two welding wires to weld simultaneously, which can improve welding speed and better control the shape and quality of the weld seam. In addition, during this period, research on heat input control and flux performance optimization in the welding process has also achieved results, further improving the toughness and strength of the weld seam.

In the 1970s, with the initial application of computer technology in industrial control, some parameters in the SSAW steel pipe production process began to be automatically controlled. For example, the speed, welding current, voltage and other parameters of the forming machine can be adjusted through a simple computer control system, which makes the production quality of steel pipes more stable. During this period, the application scope of SSAW steel pipes in oil and gas transmission pipelines further expanded, and they also began to occupy an important position in the pipeline systems of some large-scale chemical plants.

4. Maturity and diversification stage of technology (1980s and 1990s)

In the 1980s, the forming and welding processes of SSAW steel pipes continued to develop and mature. In terms of forming, various advanced forming technologies have been developed, such as three roll bending forming and four roll bending forming. The three roll bending forming technology uses three rolling rolls to accurately bend the strip steel, which can better control the helix angle and roundness of the steel pipe; The four roll bending forming adds an adjusting roller on the basis of the three rolls, further improving the accuracy and flexibility of the forming.

In terms of welding processes, technologies such as multi wire submerged arc welding and narrow gap submerged arc welding are widely used. Multi wire submerged arc welding uses three or more welding wires for welding, which can improve the welding speed while ensuring the quality of the weld seam; Narrow gap submerged arc welding is suitable for welding thick walled steel pipes. By reducing the weld seam gap, the amount of welding material used is reduced, and the welding efficiency and quality are improved.

In terms of quality inspection, non-destructive testing technology has been widely used. Ultrasonic testing, radiographic testing, and other methods are used to detect defects in steel pipe welds and internal walls, which can promptly detect small cracks, pores, and other issues, ensuring the quality of steel pipes. At the same time, anti-corrosion technology has also made progress, such as using epoxy powder coating, three-layer PE coating and other methods to improve the corrosion resistance of steel pipes. During this period, the application of SSAW steel pipes in fields such as marine engineering and urban centralized heating gradually expanded.

5. High performance and intelligent development stage (from the beginning of the 21st century to present)

In the 21st century, with the development of the global economy and the continuous growth of energy demand, the performance requirements for SSAW steel pipes are becoming increasingly high. In terms of materials, alloy steels with special properties have been developed for the manufacture of steel pipes, which exhibit excellent low-temperature toughness and resistance to hydrogen induced cracking. For example, in oil and gas pipelines in high-altitude regions, the new SSAW steel pipe can effectively prevent the pipeline from cracking at low temperatures.

Intelligent technology is widely used in production processes. Robot welding technology has begun to be tested in some large SSAW steel pipe production enterprises. Robots can accurately control welding paths and parameters, improving welding quality and efficiency. Meanwhile, through IoT technology, various data during the steel pipe production process, such as raw material information, production process parameters, quality inspection data, etc., can be collected in real-time and remotely monitored.

In terms of application areas, SSAW steel pipes are playing an increasingly important role in the field of new energy, such as the infrastructure of offshore wind power and hydrogen energy transmission pipelines. Moreover, with the increasing environmental requirements, SSAW steel pipe production enterprises are constantly improving their production processes, reducing energy consumption and environmental pollution, and promoting the sustainable development of the industry. At the same time, relevant international and domestic standards are constantly being updated and improved to meet the market's demand for high-quality SSAW steel pipes.