Mannesmann Piercing Process
A heated cylindrical billet is fed between two convex-tapered rollers, which are rotating in the same direction.
The rollers are usually 6¡Æ askew from parallel with the billet's longitudinal axis.
The rollers are on opposite sides of the billet and the surface of their largest cross sections are separated
by a distance slightly smaller than the outer diameter (OD) of the original billet. The load imparted by the rollers
compresses the material and the 6¡Æ skew provides both rotation and translation to the billet. The friction
from between the rollers and the billet is intentionally high and many times increased with knurling of the rollers.
This friction sets up stresses varying radially through the billet cross section with the highest stresses are
at the OD and the central axis. The stress exceeds the yield strength of the billet and cause circumferential
fissures to propagate at various radii near the OD and a central longitudinal void to form at the axis. A tapered
mandrel is set inside and a short distance from the start of the central void. This mandrel forces the material
outward and compresses the material against the back side of the tapered rollers. This compressive loading
fuses the various circumferential fissures and sets the initial internal diameter and OD values. The newly
formed tube is then cooled and can be cold worked to further refine the diameters and to gain the desired
yield strengths.
Mannesmann mills can produce tubes as large as 300 mm (12 in) in diameter.
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