Stainless Steel Coil Tube (Coiltube) — Flange-Connection Enhanced Series

1. Product Overview

The Stainless Steel Coil Tube (Coiltube) manufactured by Wenzhou Jixing Metal Materials Co., Ltd. (Product No. 1044) represents a high-performance continuous-length tubing solution engineered for demanding industrial piping and fluid conveyance applications. Unlike conventional straight-length stainless steel tubes, the coil tube is delivered in a continuous helical or spiral configuration, enabling on-site cold bending and forming without the introduction of heat-affected zones (HAZ) or weld seams at bends. This product line has been further enhanced through the incorporation of improved flange pipe connection methods, addressing longstanding challenges associated with traditional flange assemblies—including leakage risks, bolt preload inconsistency, and assembly complexity—thereby delivering superior sealing integrity, faster installation, and reduced lifecycle maintenance costs.

Key Innovation: The integration of an optimized flange connection architecture—featuring enhanced gasket seating geometry, improved bolt load distribution, and upgraded sealing surfaces—represents a significant advancement over conventional ISO 7005 / ASME B16.5 flange configurations, yielding measurable improvements in pressure containment reliability and thermal cycle durability.

2. Material & Properties

2.1 Base Material Grades

2.2 Mechanical Properties (Typical for Grade 316L)

Property Specification Test Standard
Tensile Strength (UTS) ≥ 485 MPa (70,300 psi) ASTM A923 / ISO 13888
Yield Strength (0.2% Offset) ≥ 170 MPa (24,650 psi) ASTM A923
Elongation (at Break) ≥ 40% ASTM A923 / ISO 13888
Hardness (Rockwell B) ≤ 95 HRB ASTM E140
Density 8.00 g/cm³ —
Thermal Conductivity (20°C) 16.3 W/(m·K) ASTM E1461
Maximum Service Temperature 870°C (1,598°F) —
Minimum Service Temperature −196°C (−321°F) —

2.3 Corrosion Resistance

3. Specifications

3.1 Geometric Dimensions

Parameter Range Notes
Outer Diameter (OD) 6.35 mm – 219.08 mm (¼" – 8") ASTM A269 / A270 / A312
Wall Thickness (WT) 0.25 mm – 12.70 mm (0.010" – 0.500") ±10% tolerance on WT
Coil Length (per Roll) 30 m – 300 m (98 ft – 984 ft) Customizable upon request
Coil Core Diameter 150 mm – 500 mm Adaptable to customer storage racks
Coil Outer Diameter ≤ 2,000 mm For transport stability
Dimensional Tolerance (OD) ±0.05 mm (≤ 25.4 mm OD); ±0.10 mm (> 25.4 mm OD) Per ASTM A213 / ASME B36.19M
Roundness ≤ 0.10% of OD Per ASTM A213
Flange Connection Type Weld Neck (WN), Slip-On (SO), Threaded (Thd), Lap Joint (LJ) ASME B16.5 / EN 1092-1 / ISO 7005-2
Flange Pressure Rating PN10 – PN400 / Class 150 – Class 2500 ASME B16.5

3.2 Surface Finish Options

Finish Type Surface Roughness (Ra) Application
Pickled & Passivated (P&P) 0.5 – 1.6 μm General industrial piping
Mechanical Polished 0.2 – 0.5 μm Food & beverage, pharmaceutical
Electrolytic Polished (EP) 0.05 – 0.2 μm Semi-conductor, ultrapure fluid
Bead Blasted / Matte 0.8 – 1.2 μm Architectural, decorative

4. Manufacturing Process

4.1 Coil Tube Production Workflow

  1. Raw Material Receiving & Inspection: Stainless steel strip or wire rod is sourced from certified mills (e.g., Outokumpu, POSCO, Tsingshan). Incoming material undergoes spectroscopic verification (OES) and mechanical property testing prior to acceptance.
  2. Coil Winding (Continuous Forming): Seamless or welded tube is continuously formed and wound onto precision steel cores using automated coil-winding machines. The winding tension is controlled to prevent deformation, ovality, or inter-coil contact damage. Tension control accuracy: ±5% of set value.
  3. Heat Treatment (Annealing & Pickling): Tubes are subjected to solution annealing at 1,050–1,150°C followed by rapid water quenching to dissolve carbides and restore full austenitic structure. Subsequent pickling (HNO₃/HF blend) removes scale and re-establishes the chromium oxide passive film.
  4. Precision Sizing & Straightening: Multi-roller sizing stations ensure dimensional conformance to ±0.05 mm OD tolerance. Inline roundness and straightness gauges provide real-time feedback to the control system.
  5. Flange Connection Fabrication & Integration: The improved flange connection system is fabricated as a pre-welded or field-installable assembly. Key improvements include:
    • Optimized gasket groove geometry with 3° included angle for enhanced radial compression
    • Staggered bolt hole pattern to minimize localized stress concentration
    • Hardened flange sealing face (HRC 30–35) for extended gasket life
    • Integrated torque-limiting bolt features for repeatable assembly preload
  6. Non-Destructive Testing (NDT):
    • Eddy Current Testing (ECT) per ASTM E3092 — 100% inline inspection of tube body
    • Penetrant Testing (PT) per ASTM E165 — Flange weld seams and critical joints
    • Ultrasonic Thickness Testing (UT) per ASTM E164 — Wall thickness verification
    • Hydrostatic Pressure Testing per ASTM A269 — 1.5× design pressure, 30-second hold
  7. Final Inspection, Packaging & Dispatch: Each coil is tagged with a unique lot identifier, Mill Test Certificate (MTC), and dimensional traceability record. Coils are wrapped in VCI (Vapor Corrosion Inhibitor) film, sleeved in kraft paper, and shrink-wrapped with protective end caps for shipping.

5. Applications

6. Quality Certifications & Compliance

6.1 System & Product Certifications

6.2 Testing & Inspection Protocols

Test Category Standard Frequency
Chemical Composition Analysis ASTM E1252 / E415 Per heat / per lot
Tensile Testing ASTM A923 / ISO 13888 Per heat
Impact Testing (Charpy V-Notch) ASTM E23 / ISO 148-1 Per heat (cryogenic service)
Intergranular Corrosion (IGC) ASTM A269 (Section 16) / ASTM G48 Per heat
Pitting Resistance (PREN) ASTM G48 Method A Per grade qualification
Flange Gasket Sealing Test ISO 15148-1 / EN 12266-1 Per connection design
Flame Spray / Burst Test ASTM A269 / EN 10217-7 Per batch (hydrostatic)
Dimensional & Surface Finish Audit ASTM A213 / ASME B36.19M 100% inline

7. Unique Selling Points

  1. Continuous-Length Advantage: The coil format eliminates butt-weld joints in straight runs, reducing potential failure points by up to 60% compared to standard pipe with flanged splices, and enabling complex on-site routing without thermal distortion.
  2. Enhanced Flange Connection Architecture: The proprietary improved flange connection design—incorporating optimized gasket seating geometry, staggered bolt patterns, and hardened sealing faces—delivers a 40% improvement in pressure containment reliability and 25% reduction in assembly time versus conventional flange joints.
  3. Full Traceability: Every coil is accompanied by a comprehensive Mill Test Certificate with heat-number traceability, chemical composition, mechanical properties, and NDT results, ensuring complete supply chain accountability.