People have been using pipes for thousands of years. Perhaps the earliest use was for ancient agronomists to divert water from streams and rivers to their fields. Archaeological evidence suggests that as early as 2000 BC, the Chinese used reed pipes to carry water where they wanted. The first lead pipes were built in Europe in the first century AD. In tropical countries, bamboo tubes are used to transport water. Colonial Americans used wood for similar purposes. In 1652, Boston built its first waterworks out of hollow logs.
The development of modern welded steel tubes dates back to the early 19th century. In 1815, William Murdoch invented a system of coal lamps. In order to make these lights available throughout London, Murdoch used discarded muskets to connect the barrels. He carries gas by this continuous pipe. When his lighting system proved successful, a greater demand was created for long metal tubes. In order to produce enough pipes to meet this demand, various inventors began to work on developing new pipe manufacturing processes.
An early notable method for producing metal tubes quickly and inexpensively was patented by James Russell in 1824. In his method, tubes were created by joining together opposite edges of a flat iron strip. The metal was first heated until it was malleable. Using a drop hammer, the edges folded together and welded. The pipe was finished by passing it through a groove and rolling mill.
Russell's method was not used for long, because in the following year, Comelius Whitehouse developed a better way of making metal tubes. This process, known as butt welding, is the basis of our current pipe making process. In his method, thin sheets of iron are heated and drawn out of a tapered opening. As the metal passes through the opening, its edges curl up, forming a pipe shape. The ends of the pipe were welded together. The first manufacturing plant using this process opened in Philadelphia in 1832.
Gradually, improvements were made in the Whitehouse method. One of the most important innovations was introduced by John Moon in 1911. He suggested the continuous process method in which a manufacturing plant could produce pipe in an unending stream. He built machinery for this specific purpose and many pipe manufacturing facilities adopted it.
With the development of pipe welding technology, the demand for seamless metal pipe also arose. Seamless pipe refers to the pipe without welding seam. They are first made by drilling a hole in the center of a solid cylinder. This method was developed in the late 19th century. These types of tubes are ideal for bicycle frames because their walls are thin and light, but strong. In 1895, the first seamless steel pipe factory was built. As bicycle manufacturing gives way to car manufacturing, petrol and oil pipelines still need seamless pipes. As more oil reserves are discovered, the need becomes greater.
As early as 1840, steelworkers were making seamless steel tubes. One way is to drill a hole in a solid round metal blank. The blank is then heated and stretched through a series of molds to form a tube. This method is inefficient because it is difficult to drill holes in the center. This results in an uneven pipe, with one side thicker than the other. An improved method was patented in 1888. In this process, the solid mouth is cast around the fireproof brick core. When it cools, the brick is removed, leaving a hole in the middle. Since then, new drum technology has replaced these methods.