Often employed in applications relying on rigid materials for the transport of water and other liquids, the stainless steel tube has come a long way since the earliest experiments. French scientist Léon Guillet extensively researched the making of stainless steel over 100 years ago. Today, the science is well developed, with many special stainless steel alloys being developed for specific uses.

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Desirable for Multiple Uses

The metal has many desirable qualities, especially in maintaining clean water, and is ideal for a wide range of applications. Stainless steel tube is also useful for providing structural support in vehicles and buildings. Tubes are generally manufactured according to highly standardized sizes and specifications, fit for purpose. Tubes and pipes differ only in the level of engineering invested in manufacture, with tubes being technically of a finely tuned engineering quality.

The Size and Quality of a Tube

There are three main processes for manufacturing tube, providing the possibility for a varying range of shapes, sizes and quality. Tubes may be formed in square, triangular or polygonal shapes, not only the typical cylindrical shape. Sometimes the tube may undergo additional processes to satisfy certain specifications and be composed of special alloys to handle various pressures.

Seamless Stainless Steel Tubes

There are two main types of tube, one of these being seamless. Manufactured through extrusion, the stainless steel is pressed through a die in the desired transmisyon shape of the tube. This type of tube is made through either hot or cold processes. This method is efficient and effective while also requiring extensive preparation.

As Welded or Mandrel Drawn

A second way to produce tubes is through welding. A rolled sheet of steel is conveyed through weld rollers with grooves around the circumference. Through the transmission of electricity to a contact point along the seam, a thin line seam is welded. Another method for forming tubes is by placing a small piece of metal called a mandrel within the tube to define its shape. As the tube passes through a die of smaller diameter, the tube shrinks to match the mandrel shape.

Usage across Industries

Stainless steel tube is relied upon for its versatility, high corrosion resistance and undeniably low maintenance costs. A wide variety of specific stainless steel classifications exist, and the range of tube uses is extensive across industries. The domestic, architectural and civil engineering, transport, chemical and pharmaceutical, petroleum and water treatment industries commonly use an extraordinary variety of tubes including stainless heat exchanger tubes, precision tubes and other special alloy tubes.

Above the Ordinary

The professional production of stainless steel tubes is highly developed and increasingly technical in nature. Activity in this field now requires the highest level of expertise. Serving the petrochemical industry, oil refineries, new developments in the automotive industry, precision instruments, and other highly specific requirements, this company provide a glimpse of the future and support the success of a range of industries worldwide.

Chassis dynamometers are the devices that measure the power and torque of an engine, without removing it from the vehicle's chassis.

A chassis dynamometer has one or two steel drums, called rollers, and the vehicle's wheel is placed between them.

But, after the engine's installation in the vehicle, it connects to several other items and devices, and it has to drive them, which absorbs some of its power. When the engine is tested with an engine dynamometer, which measures the power straight from the engine, it will show readings that are higher than the ones collected from a chassis dynamometer. In some cases, the power 'at the wheel' was 2 thirds from the power measured at the engine. Also, the fact that the rollers are made of steel is important, because the tires may slip, an the results will be quite altered in this situation.

Many of the parts from the transmission system absorb a small amount of the the engine's power. This is called transmission loss, and the modern dynamometers are built in such way that they can calculate this transmission loss approximately.

How do they do this? - With the help of special computer software.

This dynamometer software can calculate and predict transmission losses, and it can also simulate real life driving conditions, or even racing conditions. Or at least that's what it's developers say, because according to some mechanics and engine tuners it's not accurate at all, and its results are not true.

So, the most accurate and sure method of calculating transmission losses is to measure the engine's power with an engine dynamometer first, and then with a chassis dynamometer. The difference between these represents the real transmission loss.

Also be sure that the tires are properly inflated, because tires that are not inflated can absorb a lot of power and the dynamometer's readings will be inaccurate.