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Mismatch Defect in ERW steel tubes

Article · September 2014

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Article Caparo

Mismatch defects in
ERW steel tubes
By Abhishek Bhartim, engineer, Caparo Engineering India Limited and Sitaram Bainsla, intern, Caparo Engineering India Limited

These days the supply chain is increasingly demanding

zero defect supplies. Everyone among tier 1 and tier
2 suppliers in the automotive sector is endeavouring
towards producing defect free material. This, in the
case of welded mild steel tubes, has proved to be a
chimera. Despite every effort directed towards the
best manufacturing systems and with best technology
available, it is often seen that the tubes somehow fail
the customer’s needs, particularly in cases where there
is severe cold work being done on the tubes, like inward
flanging for reserve tubes (shock absorbers), or drifting
(in case of fuel filler tubes).

A lot of analysis has been done to address this issue of

weld failure in electric resistance welded (ERW) tubes,
and an assortment of issues and root causes has been
listed. We, in our capacity, have tried to study the same
problem. In the present study, our focus is on “mismatch
defect”, which we believe is the prime cause behind
such failures. Herein, we are discussing the defect,
where it is emanating from, and how is it going to affect
the weld quality or weld integrity in the ERW tubes.
Mismatch effect
This defect is quite elusive – ie it is very difficult to detect in
daily operation as, for example, at x = 0mm you may find a
sound weld, but at x = 5mm mismatch defect might be there
to seriously and adversely affect the integrity of weld. This
attribute of the tube makes it susceptible to failures at the
customer’s end.

1 Introduction 2 Possible reasons of mismatch

ERW tubes are manufactured by joining the two edges of
skelp. That the two edges remain parallel to each other while
welding is crucial. The uneven joining of the edges amounts
to “mismatch defect”.
Most tube mills employ scarfing tools to remove the extra
material squeezed out from the outer portion as well as from
the inner portion.
If mismatch defect is present in the tubes, this will subsequently
lead to significant thinning of the tubes in the weld area,
particularly, where the wall thickness of the tube is smaller,
say 0.9mm.
The thinning is not just because of the material removal
by scarfing tools, but it may be present because of other
processing steps like corrugation or bending. This may pose
serious implications if a mismatch defect is also present.
Here we attempt to list the various reasons that might be
attributed to the mismatch defect:
• Slit handling/improper slitting
• Work done by the break down passes
• Improper design for extremely light or heavy gauges
• Mill alignment
• Position of guide rolls
• Storage in the accumulator
• Forces applied by the squeeze rolls
2.1 Slit handling/improper slitting – Improper slit handling or
cutting leads to edge damage in the skelp. The damaged
edge while welding cannot remain parallel to the other edge
in the tube mill at welding stage. This subsequently leads to
mismatch defect in the tubes.
Edge damage due to handling

When this defect is present in the tube, it will show a tendency

towards cracking or splitting open when subjected to external
pressure like inward flanging or spinning (shock absorbers),
because of the mismatch defect.

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Caparo Article

2.2 Over storage in the floop (accumulator) – Over storage 2.5 Position of guide rolls – Arrangement of the guided rolls
in the accumulator is also a cause of slit edge waviness or is required to be correct. If the position of the guided rolls is
camber. In the accumulator the slit is bent in the “U” shape incorrect then un-centred slit can enter in the mill, another
so if the storage in the accumulator is more than desired potential reason for the mismatch defect.
there will be instances of bending or edge waviness. This
camber present in the skelp again leads to the mismatch
defect.

‘U’ bending in the floop Position of guide rolls

2.3 Work done by the break down passes – The breakdown 2.6 Weld rolls configuration – The configuration of the weld/
passes are the most important rolls in the tube mill. They are squeeze rolls must be appropriate. The pressure applied by
responsible for imparting the initial profile to the skelp. We the squeeze out roll must be the same. If the applied load is
know that for the same diameter (OD) of ERW tubes, more not equal then it can be a reason for the mismatch.
width of the skelp is required in thin gauge tubes than in thick
gauge tubes. Hence, if the same breakdown passes are used
for both kinds of tubes, there will be instances of untouched
and un-worked portions in the skelp, which might further
behave erratically. The problem will be compounded if other
defects such as skelp waviness or unaligned movements are
present.

Various types of welding rolls

A self-centring chuck, also known as a scroll chuck uses dogs

Breakdown pass (thin gauge)
Breakdown pass (thick gauge)
(usually called jaws), interconnected via a scroll gear (scroll
plate), to hold onto a tool or work piece. Because they most
often have three jaws, the term three-jaw chuck without other
qualification is understood by machinists to mean a self-
centring three-jaw chuck.

The term universal chuck also refers to this type. These chucks
are best suited to grip circular or hexagonal cross-sections
when very fast, reasonably accurate (±0.005" [0.125mm] TIR)
centring is desired.

Self centring mechanism used in tube mill

Breakdown pass (thin gauge) Breakdown pass (thick gauge)

2.4 Pressure applied by the rolls – The pressure applied by

the rolls sets on the edges of the slit must be equal. If the
pressure applied is not equal then there is going to be a length
and gauge variation in the slit edge – a possible reason for the
mismatch defect.

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Article Caparo

3 Effects of the mismatch defect:

• Variation in the vee length and vee angle
• Variation in the current circulation and non-uniform
heating of the edges
• Lap seams and thinning of the edges

3.1 Variation in the vee length and vee angle – Vee angle is
the angle between slit edges and the squeeze out rolls, and
vee length is distance between weld roll centre line and HF
Skin effect
coil.

such that the current density is largest near the surface of

the conductor, and decreases with greater depths in the
conductor.

The electric current flows mainly at the “skin” of the conductor,

between the outer surface and a level called the skin depth.

(b) Proximity effect – In a conductor carrying alternating

current, if currents are flowing through one or more other
Vee angle and vee length nearby conductors, such as within a closely wound coil of
wire, the distribution of current within the first conductor will
be constrained to smaller regions.
The vee angle and vee length affects the weld quality in high
frequency welding of tube and pipe. We need to understand
how the vee length and vee angle changes if there is a
mismatch defect present in the tubes.

Suppose at x = 0 is the centre point of the induction coil, and

at x = 100mm both the edges are joining; so the vee length
is 100mm.

If there is some waviness present in the skelp, it will effectively

change the position of the point where the two edges are
joining.

This, as a matter of fact, changes the vee length. Likewise,

because of the change in length, the vee angle also gets
changed.

Other than the slit waviness, other factors causing mismatch

defect may also be responsible for this change in the vee
length and vee angle. Proximity effect

The following weld defects can be attributed to it:

(a) Entrapments (black penetrators). This type of defect is

usually a metal oxide that has been trapped on the bond
plane instead of being squeezed out with the molten
metal.

(b) Open Seam. When the vee angle is too big, the strip
edges might not get sufficient weld heat. The edges
usually show a blue heat tint suggesting that some heat
was input. However, the edge face remains flat and
smooth, showing no signs of having been molten.

3.2 Variation in the current circulation and non-uniform

heating of the edges.

(a) Skin effect – This is the tendency of an alternating

electric current (AC) to become distributed within a conductor Heating and current flow

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Caparo
The resulting current crowding is termed as the proximity
effect. This crowding gives an increase in the effective
resistance of the circuit, which increases with frequency.
If the edges are not parallel to each other, and if there is a
mismatch defect present in the tubes, the proximity effect and
the skin effect will not work as desired.
This will effectively change the resistance of the tube, along
with the distribution graph, leading to highly potential chances
of “cold weld” or “paste weld” as the defect is known in the
common parlance of tube industries.
4 Acknowledgment
We thankfully acknowledge the staff and associates of Caparo
Engineering India Limited, Tube division, Dewas, India, for
their support and cooperation.
We also thank Mr Siddharth Mittal, GM, marketing, CEIL,
Dewas, without the support of whom this work could not have
seen its dawn.
5 References
a. Roll Forming Handbook (edited by George T. Halmos), 2006
b. Common HF welding defects, Robert K Nichols, PE, Thermatool
Corp
c. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chuck_(engineering)#Self-centering
d. Optimizing Efficiency in HF Tube Welding Processes, John
Wright, Electronic Heating Equipment, Inc
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Caparo – Information
Caparo is a diversified global association of businesses
with over €1.5bn turnover. With interests predominantly
in the design, manufacture and marketing of value added
steel and niche engineering products, Caparo’s wider
activities also encompass new product development,
materials testing services, hotels, media, furniture and
interior design, financial services, energy, medical
products and private equity investment.
The group was founded in 1968 by Indian-born British
industrialist, the Rt Hon Lord Paul of Marylebone, who
remains chairman.
Today, Caparo and its associates employ more than
10,000 people in their worldwide operations across
Europe, North America and Asia (including the Middle
and Far East).
Caparo – India
Number 46, Near Chennai Trade Centre,
Mount Poonamallee Road, Chennai, TN 600089, India
Website: www.caparo.com
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