Tube is typically ordered outside diameter and wall thickness. Tubes can be square, rectangular, and round. There are a few key characteristics that separate tube from pipe: Shape

Both tubes and pipes can be cut, bent, flared and fabricated – check out our top 10 tips for ordering tubing and piping. Pipe is typically ordered using the Nominal Pipe Size (NPS) standard and by specifying a nominal diameter (pipe size) and schedule number (wall thickness). Tubing is usually ordered and held to tighter and more stringent tolerances and specifications than pipe. and wall thickness) only two may be specified with tolerances and the third is theoretical. Although tubing has three dimensions (O.D., I.D. Tubing is typically ordered to outside diameter and wall thickness however, it may also be ordered as OD & ID or ID and Wall Thickness. Tubing is generally used in applications where smaller diameters are required. Pipes accommodate larger applications with sizes that range from a ½ inch to several feet. The circular shape of the pipe makes the pressure force evenly distributed. Tubes can come in different shapes such as square, rectangular and cylindrical, whereas piping is always round. Smaller gauge numbers indicate larger outside diameters. The thickness of a tube is defined by a gauge number. The strength of a tube depends on the wall thickness. Tubes are typically ordered to outside diameter and wall thickness however, it may also be ordered as OD & ID or ID and Wall Thickness. The schedule number can be the same on different size pipe but the actual wall thickness will be different. The classification of pipes are schedule and nominal diameter. The circular shape of the pipe makes it efficient when handling pressure from the liquid flowing through. Knowing how much can flow through the pipe is key. Whereas pipes are normally used to transport gasses or liquids making it important to know the capacity. The outside diameter is important since it will indicate how much it can hold as a stability factor. Tubes are often put into applications such as medical devices that require precise outside diameters. Tubing is used in structural applications so the outside diameter becomes the important dimension. In some instances the terms may be used interchangeably, however, there is one key difference between tube and pipe, particularly in how the material is ordered and toleranced. Home » News » Difference Between Tube and Pipe Difference Between Tube and Pipe

Stainless steel pipe schedule