Analysis Of The Core Differences And Characteristics Between Spiral Welded Pipes And Straight Seam Welded Pipes

Release time：

2026-03-24

I. Core Conclusion

Spiral welded pipes and straight seam welded pipes are both major types of welded steel pipes. The core difference lies in the shape of the weld (spiral vs. straight seam), which leads to significant variations in production processes, raw material requirements, product characteristics, and application fields. In general:

Spiral welded pipes: With the advantages of large diameter, high strength, and suitability for high-pressure scenarios, they are suitable for oil and gas transportation and large-scale structural engineering;

Straight seam welded pipe: With high production efficiency, low cost and flexible specifications as its core advantages, it is suitable for medium and small-sized diameters, low-pressure fluid transportation and general structural scenarios.

II. Specific Differences and Characteristics

1. Differences in production processes

• Spiral welded pipe:
The process involves spiral bending combined with double-sided submerged arc welding. The steel strip coil is rolled into a spiral tube blank by a spiral forming machine, and then welded on both the inner and outer sides using submerged arc welding. The weld length is approximately 1.3-1.6 times the circumference of the pipe (that is, 30%-100% longer than the straight seam pipe).

Key processes: Steel strip straightening → Spiral forming → Inner and outer submerged arc welding → Ultrasonic testing → Hydraulic test.

Features: Special spiral forming machines are required, the production process is long, and high precision in forming is demanded.

• Straight seam welded pipe:
The process involves straight bending and welding techniques (such as JCOE forming and high-frequency resistance welding). The steel strip or plate is directly rolled into a cylindrical shape and then welded along the straight seam using submerged arc welding (LSAW) or high-frequency resistance welding (ERW). The weld length is equal to the circumference of the pipe (the shortest).

Key processes: Strip straightening → Straight seam forming → Welding (submerged arc/ high-frequency) → Inspection → Diametric measurement.

Features: The production process is simple, the flow is short, and the efficiency is high (for example, the speed of ERW units can reach 10-20 m/min).

2. Differences in Raw Material Requirements

• Spiral welded pipe:
The main raw materials are hot-rolled coil plates (such as Q235B, X70/X80 pipeline steel). Since the spiral forming process requires withstanding significant bending stress, the plasticity, toughness and surface quality of the steel plates are required to be higher (such as lower carbon content, better weldability).

• Straight seam welded pipe:
The raw materials can be hot-rolled steel strips, steel plates or cold-rolled steel strips (such as Q195, Q235, Q345). The plasticity requirement for the raw materials is slightly lower (especially for high-frequency resistance welded pipes, thinner steel strips can be accommodated).

3. Differences in Product Features

Dimensions	Spiral welded pipe,	Straight seam welded pipe
Welding seam shape	Spiral shape, with long weld length (1.3 - 1.6 times the circumference)	Straight shape, with short weld length (equal to the circumference)
Strength and rigidity	Spiral welds distribute stress, with higher overall compressive and bending strength	Spiral welds concentrate stress, with slightly lower strength (but higher than seamless pipes)
Diameter range	Capable of producing large diameters (Φ219 - 3660mm)	Suitable for medium and small diameters (Φ20 - 610mm)
Production efficiency	Low (slow spiral forming speed, approximately 5 - 10m/min)	High (high-frequency resistance welding can reach 20 - 40m/min)
Cost	Lower (producing large diameters with narrow strip steel, high material utilization rate)	Lower (simple process, short flow)

4. Differences in application fields

• Spiral welded pipe:
Due to its large diameter, high strength and high pressure resistance characteristics, it is mainly used for:

Oil and gas transportation (such as the West-to-East Gas Pipeline, using X70/X80 grade spiral welded pipes);
Large-scale structural engineering projects (such as bridge foundation piles, wharf walkways, and high-rise building steel structures);
Water conveyance (such as the large pipelines of the South-to-North Water Diversion Project).

• Straight seam welded pipe:
Due to its flexible specifications and low cost, it is mainly used for:

Low-pressure fluid transportation (such as urban water supply and drainage, gas pipelines, using Q235B straight seam pipes);
General structural engineering (such as construction scaffolding, bicycle racks, furniture supports);
Mechanical manufacturing (such as automotive transmission shafts, motor housings).

III. Summary

The choice between spiral welded pipes and straight seam welded pipes should be determined based on the specific requirements of the scenario (diameter, pressure, strength):

If a large diameter, high pressure, and high strength is needed (such as for oil and gas transportation), then spiral welded pipes should be selected

If you need medium and small-sized pipes with low pressure and low cost (such as in urban pipelines or general structures), choose butt-welded pipes.

The differences in the processes and raw materials of the two are all centered around the "welding seam shape", and ultimately serve the needs of different application scenarios.

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