High-efficiency Studded Tubes For Industrial Heat Transfer
Stud finned tubes enhance heat transfer in heat exchangers with welded studs, offering high efficiency and corrosion resistance.
High-efficiency Studded Tubes For Industrial Heat Transfer
Stud finned tubes enhance heat transfer in heat exchangers with welded studs, offering high efficiency and corrosion resistance. ideal for petrochemical, power, and boiler applications.
Stud Finned Tube, also known as nail head finned tube or studded tube, is a specialized heat exchanger fin designed to maximize thermal transfer by welding cylindrical or elliptical studs onto the surface of a base tube. Manufactured using resistance welding, these studded tubes feature a square or hexagonal stud arrangement, ensuring high heat transfer efficiency and self-cleaning properties. Conforming to standards like ASTM A335, A213, and API 661, Stud Finned Tubes are widely used in petrochemical refineries, power plants, and boiler systems, providing robust corrosion resistance and boiler pipeline protection in high-temperature environments up to 1200°C.
The production process involves welding studs onto seamless or welded base tubes using an automatic stud welding machine, ensuring a strong mechanical bond. Base tube outer diameters range from 60mm to 200mm, with stud diameters of 6mm to 16mm and stud heights of 10mm to 50mm. Tube lengths can reach up to 16 meters, with surface treatments like varnishing, black coating, or 3LPE to enhance corrosion resistance. Materials for the base tube include carbon steel (A179, A192), stainless steel (TP304, TP316), and alloy steel, while studs are typically steel or aluminum. The studded design creates turbulent flow, reducing fouling and improving heat transfer efficiency in air cooled exchangers and fired heaters.
Stud Finned Tubes undergo rigorous testing, including tensile, flattening, hardness, and hydrostatic tests, to ensure compliance with ASTM A450/A450M and API 661 standards. The cantilever structure of the studs vibrates under airflow, preventing soot accumulation, while the turbulent scouring of flue gas enhances heat transfer efficiency by up to 8 times compared to plain tubes. These tubes are suitable for high-pressure (up to 15 MPa) and high-temperature applications, such as waste heat recovery, hydrogen coolers, and petrochemical furnaces. Their robust construction withstands abrasive materials and corrosive fluids, making them ideal for harsh industrial conditions.
Compared to other finned tubes like L-type or extruded fins, studded tubes offer superior heat transfer in high-fouling environments due to their self-cleaning capability and robust stud attachment. They are particularly effective in applications requiring resistance to hydrogen sulfide corrosion and thermal stress, such as oil and gas pipelines and refinery furnaces. Available configurations include cylindrical or elliptical studs with customizable spacing and angles to optimize heat transfer for specific project needs. The tubes can be fabricated into complex shapes like elbows or reducers under ASTM A234 standards, ensuring compatibility with intricate piping systems.
Addressing challenges like pipeline wear, fouling, and thermal inefficiency, Stud Finned Tubes provide a reliable and efficient solution for thermal transfer tubes. Their high heat transfer efficiency, combined with low maintenance needs, makes them a preferred choice for engineers seeking durable boiler pipeline protection in extreme environments. Whether in fired heaters, air-cooled condensers, or chemical processing systems, these tubes deliver unmatched performance, safety, and longevity.
Stud Finned Tube, also known as nail head Finned Tube (also known as needle-shaped tube, nail-shaped ribbed tube), adopts a square or hexagonal arrangement and is equally divided into cylindrical needles welded on the surface of the heat exchange tube. The square or hexagonal reinforced heat exchange nail head tube is assembled and welded to form a high-efficiency and energy-saving needle tube heat exchange tube group.
Because the Stud Finned Tube pin rib is a cantilever structure with a compact structure, under the impact of the airflow, the pin rib vibrates, making it difficult for soot to accumulate; coupled with the strong turbulent scouring of the flue gas, the Stud Finned Tube heat exchange The element has high heat transfer efficiency and strong self-cleaning ability.
A series of studs are welded onto the surface of the steel pipe using an automatic studded tube welding machine to reinforce the heat exchange components. This process is characterized by two main features:
Compared to traditional studded tube manufacturing processes, square and hexagonal studded tubes enhance heat exchange elements through one-time welding. This innovation eliminates the issue of welding studs falling off due to stretching during tooling, resulting in a more secure weld and reduced risk of stud detachment. Various factors, such as the diameter, length, longitudinal spacing, number, and angle of inclination of the welding studs, affect the heat transfer of studded tubes and must be systematically considered for practical application.
Square and hexagonal circumferential welding and stud-shaped tubes are arranged evenly to maximize the expansion surface area, resulting in improved heat transfer coefficients. This design is particularly effective for enhancing heat transfer in high-viscosity oil products, heavy oil, and similar mediums where the stud-shaped tubes disrupt fluid flow, facilitating better heat exchange.
A series of studs are welded onto the surface of the steel pipe using an automatic studded tube welding machine to reinforce the heat exchange components. This process is characterized by two main features:
Compared to traditional studded tube manufacturing processes, square and hexagonal studded tubes enhance heat exchange elements through one-time welding. This innovation eliminates the issue of welding studs falling off due to stretching during tooling, resulting in a more secure weld and reduced risk of stud detachment. Various factors, such as the diameter, length, longitudinal spacing, number, and angle of inclination of the welding studs, affect the heat transfer of studded tubes and must be systematically considered for practical application.
Square and hexagonal circumferential welding and stud-shaped tubes are arranged evenly to maximize the expansion surface area, resulting in improved heat transfer coefficients. This design is particularly effective for enhancing heat transfer in high-viscosity oil products, heavy oil, and similar mediums where the stud-shaped tubes disrupt fluid flow, facilitating better heat exchange.
U-bent Stud fin tubes are manufactured by Electrical Resistance Welding (ERW) of specially formed studs (round pins) arranged in rows around the tube. These studs can be supplied in a variety of sizes and shapes. Also known as pin fin tubes, they provide very high heat transfer efficiency—typically 2–3 times that of bare pipes. This significantly increases the surface heat transfer coefficient of flue gases to furnace tubes while reducing the amount of bare pipe required in industrial processes.
Our U-bend tubing is engineered to provide efficient coolant or fluid flow reversal at a 180-degree angle in confined spaces, ensuring optimal performance in compact systems.
| Sr. No | Particulars | Range |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Base Tube Material | Stainless Steel, Carbon Steel, Alloy Steel, Titanium, Copper, Duplex Stainless Steel, & Inconel etc. (all material in the theoretical limit) |
| 2 | Base Tube Outside Diameter | 60 mm to 200 mm |
| 3 | Base Tube Thickness | 3 mm to 12.70 mm (corrected spacing for consistency) |
| 4 | Base Tube Length | 2000 mm (Min) to 15000 mm (Max) |
| 5 | Stud Material | Carbon Steel/Stainless Steel/Alloy Steel |
| 6 | Stud Thickness | 6 mm to 16 mm |
| 7 | Stud Density | 15.88 mm or 63 Studs Per Plate Per Meter (Can Be Customized to Clients Requirements) |
| 8 | Stud Height | 12.7 mm to 63.5 mm |
| 9 | Bare Ends | As per Client Requirement |
| Materials | Grade |
|---|---|
| Carbon Steel Tubes | A179, A192, SA210 Gr A1/C, A106 Gr B, A333 Gr3/Gr6/Gr8, A334 Gr3/Gr6/Gr8, 09CrCuSb, DIN 17175 St35.8/St45.8, EN 10216 P195/P235/P265, GB/T3087 Gr10/Gr20, GB/T5310 20G/20MnG |
| Alloy Steel Tubes | A209 T1/T1a, A213 T2/T5/T9/T11/T12/T22/T91, A335 P2/P5/P9/P11/P12/P22/P91, EN 10216-2 13CrMo4-5/10CrMo9-10/15NiCuMoNb5-6-4 |
| Stainless Steel Tubes | TP304/304L, TP316/TP316L, TP310/310S, TP347/TP347H |
| Copper Tubes | UNS12200/UNS14200/UNS70600, CuNi70/30, CuNi 90/10 |
| Titanium Tubes | B338 Gr 2 |
Note: The above grades are theoretical limits. The actual grades may vary depending on the material and production process.
API Standard 661 (Air-Cooled Heat Exchangers for General Refinery Service) or Delivery Conditions (TDC).
We offer you a broad portfolio of materials and can expand our offerings at any time to meet your specific needs regarding thermal conductivity, mechanical properties, or corrosion resistance.
For Aluminum L-Foot finned tubes, the fin material is aluminum, either 1100-0. The tube material is generally carbon steel, stainless steel, or brass; however the tube can be of any material.
For Welded Helical Solid and Welded Helical Serrated finned tubes, the fin and tube materials can be any combination that can be welded together using HIGH FREQUENCY WELDING process.
The materials chosen for a given application are a function of service temperature, corrosive environment, and/or erosive environment. Common tube materials used for our welded product lines include: carbon steel, carbon moly, chrome moly, stainless steel, Inconel, and Incoloy. Common fin materials include: carbon steel; stainless steels of types 304, 310, 316, 321, 409, and 410; Nickel 200, and Inconel.
We offer you a broad portfolio of materials and can expand our offering at any time to meet your specific needs regarding thermal conductivity, mechanical properties, or corrosion resistance.
| Material | Grade |
|---|---|
| Carbon Steel Tubes | A179, A192, SA210 Gr A1/C, A106 Gr B, A333 Gr3/Gr6/Gr8, A334 Gr3/Gr6/Gr8, 09CrCuSb, DIN 17175 St35.8/St45.8, EN 10216 P195/P235/P265, GB/T3087 Gr10/Gr20, GB/T5310 20G/20MnG |
| Alloy Steel Tubes | A209 T1/T1a, A213 T2/T5/T9/T11/T12/T22/T91, A335 P2/P5/P9/P11/P12/P22/P91, EN 10216-2 13CrMo4-5/10CrMo9-10/15NiCuMoNb5-6-4 |
| Stainless Steel Tubes | TP304/304L, TP316/TP316L, TP310/310S, TP347/TP347H |
| Copper Tubes | UNS12200/UNS14200/UNS70600, CuNi70/30, CuNi 90/10 |
| Titanium Tubes | B338 Gr 2 |
Our finned tubes
The “G” stands for “grooved,” referring to the method of attaching the fin to the tube. The
fin strip is wound into a groove and securely locked in place by closing the groove with the
base tube metal.
This design guarantees efficient heat transfer, even at high temperatures, with a maximum
operating temperature of 450ºC.
The “L” stands for “L-footed,” referring to the shape of the fin and how it’s attached to
the base tube. The strip material is precisely deformed under tension to create optimal
contact pressure between the fin’s foot and the base tube.
This maximizes heat transfer efficiency and significantly enhances the corrosion protection
of the base tube. Maximum operating temperature: 150ºC.
A KL fin is a specialized type of finned tube. It combines the benefits of L fins and G fins
for enhanced heat transfer and mechanical stability.
After the fin is applied, the fin foot is knurled into the matching knurling on the base
tube, strengthening the bond between the fin and tube and improving heat transfer
efficiency. Maximum operating temperature: 260ºC.
The “LL” stands for “overlapped L-footed fin,” describing the method of attaching the fin to the base tube.
Similar to the L fin, but with the added feature of overlapping the fin foot to fully enclose the base tube, this design offers superior corrosion resistance.
LL fins are often used as a cost-effective alternative to more expensive extruded fins in corrosive environments. Maximum operating temperature: 180ºC.
A crimped fin has a wavy, non-tapered shape that increases surface area and airflow turbulence, enhancing heat transfer efficiency.
The fin is wrapped under tension around the base tube, forming a crimp at the foot, and is then welded to the tube at the strip ends. Maximum operating temperature: 250ºC.
Created by extrusion, an extruded fin offers a strong, integrated bond between the fin and the base tube. Formed from a bi-metallic tube, it typically has an aluminum outer layer and an inner tube of various materials.
The fin is rolled from the outer tube, providing excellent heat transfer properties, durability, and corrosion protection. These fins are ideal for demanding thermal applications, with a maximum operating temperature of 280ºC.
In an integral low fin, the fins are directly formed from the base tube material, creating a low-profile design.
This fin type increases the tube’s external surface area, improving thermal performance without requiring changes to the heat exchanger’s shell size, flow arrangement, or piping.
Integral low fins are created through direct extrusion from the tube material.
The maximum operating temperature for integral low fin tubes typically ranges between 200°C to 300°C, depending on the material used.
In a welded fin, the fins are attached to the base tube through welding. High-frequency (HF) welded spiral finned tubes are among the most commonly used, made by helically winding the fin strip around the tube and welding it continuously.
This process maintains the tube’s metallurgical integrity while ensuring a strong fin-to-tube bond, ideal for efficient heat transfer and long life.
These tubes are especially suited for fouling applications and environments where high mechanical strength and resistance to deformation are required.
Our factory is equipped with professional technical research and design personnel who can provide product optimization design and services.
Quality is the foundation of an enterprise. We adopt advanced production equipment and experienced technical personnel, constantly improve product technology, strictly control every processing step, and strive to compete with first-class quality products.
Testing instrument
Hardness tester
Drawing Machine
Component analyzer
Aluminium KL finned tube
L LL KL G production line
Production equipments
Extrusion equipment
Fin tube bending
Finned tubes are available in many types and configurations. Below is a detailed classification based on fabrication process, fin geometry, material, and applications.
Fin tubes are a type of heat exchanger used in many industries. They are made of aluminum cladded carbon steel and have brazed aluminum fins. The fins increase the surface area of the tubes, which allows them to transfer heat more efficiently. This makes them ideal for applications where high heat transfer rates are required.
Finned tubes are used in applications that involve the transfer of heat from a hot fluid to a colder fluid through a tube wall. They are used in condensers, coolers, and furnaces. The larger surface area means that fewer tubes are needed compared to the use of plain tubes.
The type of finned tube is chosen depending on the specific requirements of each process equipment unit. The fin type and combination of materials are chosen based on the specific requirements of each process equipment unit.
Finned tubes are used in applications where high heat transfer rates are required, such as in power plants and refrigeration systems. The fins increase the surface area of the tube, allowing for more efficient heat transfer between two fluids. This makes them an ideal solution for heat transfer applications where space is limited.
Finned tubes are used in condensers, coolers, and furnaces. The larger surface area means that fewer tubes are needed compared to the use of plain tubes. This can decrease the overall equipment size and can in the long-run decrease the cost of the project.
Finned tube heat exchangers can be used in a broad range of industries including oil & gas, power generation, marine and HVAC&R. They generally use air to cool or heat fluids such as air, water, oil or gas, or they can be used to capture or recover waste heat.
The biggest problem with using a finned tube heat exchanger is with the cleaning and maintenance of the outer surface of the tubes. Because of the fins, mechanical cleaning becomes very difficult and you would have to go for chemical cleaning.
Fin tubes are a type of heat exchanger that are used in many industries. They have a finned surface, which increases their surface area and allows them to transfer heat more efficiently. Finned tubes are typically used in two-phase heat transfer applications, such as condensation or evaporation.
Finned pipes are generally used for single-phase heat transfer applications. Both finned pipes
and finned tubes use fins to increase the surface area for heat transfer.
Finned tubes are used when the heat transfer coefficient on the outside of the tubes is
appreciably lower than that on the inside. They can reduce the equipment cost and also equipment
sizes.
There are several kinds of fin tubes, such as:
High fin tubes are better for applications where the temperature difference between two fluids is high. Low fin tubes are better for applications where the temperature difference is low.
High fin tubes are made of a metal tube surrounded by an aluminum or copper strip. The strip can be applied in different ways, including type L, type KL, type LL, type G (embedded), or type extruded. The higher the fin height, the more surface area and heat transfer capabilities.
Low fin tubes are made of a single material and have a smaller fin of about 1/16th of an inch. They are generally used in liquid to liquid or liquid to gas applications such as coolers, condensers, and chillers.
The profile of the fins has a significant effect on the performance of a finned tube heat exchanger. The larger the fins and the tighter the fin pitch, the more thermal conductivity is achieved.
Finned tubes are a series of tubes with fins on the outside. The fins increase the surface area for heat transfer, which increases the rate of heat exchange. Finned tubes are used in heat exchangers to transfer heat between hot and cold streams. The heat transfer rate depends on the temperature difference between the two fluids and the heat transfer coefficient between each of the fluids.
Finned tube heat exchangers are used in a variety of industries, including:
Finned tube heat exchangers can be used to:
Regular cleaning to prevent fouling, with coatings for corrosion resistance; inspect for wear in high-vibration areas.
Fin tubes are widely used in heat exchangers for industries such as petroleum, petrochemical, steel, power generation, and many more. Different fabrication technologies determine their cost, performance, and efficiency. Below are the main types of fin tube production methods.
Fabricated with punched single fins manually or mechanically placed on the base tube at a certain spacing.
Manual set: Relies on human force; easy to loosen.
Mechanical set: High pressure, stronger bonding, suitable for larger volumes, but noisy and less safe.
Hydraulic set: Quieter, safer, but higher cost and lower productivity.
Produced by winding a steel strip around the tube while applying high-frequency current (skin and proximity effects).
Heat brings the material to a plastic/melt state, ensuring strong bonding under pressure.
Advantages:
- High bonding strength
- Superior quality
- High automation & efficiency
- Widely used in waste heat recovery, power, metallurgy, oil & gas, and petrochemical industries
Made by extruding an outer aluminum or copper tube (muff) over a base tube. Rotating discs squeeze the fins
into a spiral in one operation.
Advantages:
- High production efficiency
- Strong fin-to-tube contact
- Low material cost
- High heat transfer performance
Available as single-metal (copper/aluminum) or bi-metal composite tubes.
Low fin tubes enhance heat transfer in compact hea...
Longitudinal finned tubes boost heat transfer effi...
Laser welded finned tubes enhance heat exchanger e...
Helical solid finned tubes enhance heat transfer e...
High fin tubes maximize heat transfer efficiency i...
L, ll, and kl finned tubes optimize heat transfer ...