Solar racking does not only run on channel — it runs on pipe too. High frequency (HF) welded pipe, also called ERW tube, is used across solar mounting, offshore photovoltaics, prefabricated buildings and animal husbandry structures. A tube mill is a bigger purchase than a channel line, so here is what to check before you order.
1. What HF welding gives you
High-frequency alternating current heats the edges of the steel strip and squeezes them into a strong, continuous longitudinal weld. The result is pipe with no seams to inspect one by one, at speeds a press-and-weld line cannot match: 0–80 m/min on our standard configuration (up to 100 m/min for lighter specs).
2. The line flow — and the part most buyers miss
The full flow: 12-ton hydraulic decoiler with coil car and coil head shovel, press and leveler (2+5), coil head shear and welding, a horizontal loop accumulator, 7 forming stations, 6 sizing stations, the HF welder, external burr removal, cooling, straightening, fixed-length cold saw cutting, outer table and auto stacker.
The loop accumulator is the part to understand: it buffers coil so the welder never stops while you change coils or handle defects upstream. Continuous welding is the difference between a pipe plant and a demo line — ask exactly how the accumulator is sized.
3. Spec the pipe, not the machine
Start from the pipe range your racking market actually buys — the forming and sizing stations are built around that range. Our line runs galvanized, PPGI and carbon steel strip with 200 kW × 2 main motors, Siemens PLC and Yaskawa inverters on a casting frame with Cr12Mov rollers.
4. Space and power — budget for both
A tube mill is a building-scale project: plan about 100 m × 200 m of factory area, and check your power intake before you sign — the drive package alone is 2 × 200 kW.
FAQ
- Q: What is the line speed? A: 0–80 m/min nominal, up to 100 m/min for lighter pipe specs.
- Q: What is the delivery time? A: 60 days after contract confirmation.
- Q: How much factory space is needed? A: About 100 m (length) × 200 m (width).
Send us the pipe range and volume your market needs, and we will configure the mill and send a quotation. View our high frequency welding pipe making machine.
