Boiler tubes are a critical component of any industrial boiler system, serving as the conduit for transferring heat from the combustion chamber to the water that circulates within the boiler. These tubes are typically made of high-quality steel or other heat-resistant materials to withstand the extreme temperatures and pressures present in a boiler system. The design and maintenance of boiler tubes are crucial to ensure efficient heat transfer and prevent potential failures that could lead to costly downtime or even safety hazards. Regular inspections, cleaning, and repairs are essential to keep boiler tubes in optimal condition and extend their service life.
 
In the pressure structure of the boiler, except for the drum, other parts are composed of boiler tubes of different lengths and diameters. Various types of boiler tubes have good safety and can support the normal operation of the boiler, thus reducing the occurrence of many accidents. However, the safety of boiler tubes is weakened due to processing defects and other reasons. Supervising and managing the production and processing of boiler tubes will help reduce processing defects and improve safety. 
 
Boiler tubes refer to steel materials that are open at both ends and have a hollow section, and their length and circumference are relatively great. They can be used in pipelines, machinery industry, containers, petroleum geological exploration, thermal equipment and chemical industry, and play a vital role in the development of agriculture and industry. According to the production method, boiler tubes can be divided into welded steel pipes and seamless steel pipes. According to the cross-sectional shape, boiler tubes can be divided into round tubes and special-shaped tubes.
 
General boiler tubes are used to make boiling water tubes, water wall tubes, large and small smoke tubes, superheated steam tubes for locomotive boilers, superheated steam pipes, etc. In addition, high-pressure boiler tubes are mainly used to make reheater tubes for ultra-high-pressure or high-pressure boilers, main steam tubes, air guide tubes and superheater tubes.
 
Defects in processing boiler tubes
(1) Defects in bending of boiler tubes
There are many processing techniques for boiler tubes, for example, bending, which plays an important role in the evolution of the processing techniques of boiler tubes. The defects in the bending of boiler tubes are reflected in the following aspects: one is the tube wall at the back of the boiler tube elbow is thin and the other is that the thickness of the boiler tube wall in the abdomen increases. This situation can easily lead to cracks on the back of the elbow of the boiler tube, causing leakages and eventually leading to accidents, which reduce the safety of boiler tubes to a great extent.
 
To prevent defects in the bending of boiler tubes, it is crucial to use high-quality materials and employ skilled technicians who are experienced in proper bending procedures. Regular inspections and maintenance are also essential to ensure that any defects are identified and addressed promptly.
 
(2) Factors causing thinning or cracking of the pipe elbow wall
The main factors that cause the wall of boiler tube elbows to become thinner or cracked are as follows: 
The materials used to produce boiler tubes have some special characteristics, which may affect the characteristics of boiler tubes to a certain extent and weaken the safety. There are problems with the bending of the boiler tube. The boiler tube’s production process is immature. Steel pipes that require scattered piping and then bending will often be affected by the operation, and uneven deformation occurs in every part of the boiler tube elbow due to reasons such as unclear understanding of the characteristics of production material technology or poor bending conditions. Dangerous defects such as cracks or thinning in the pipe wall at the back of the elbow may cause the boiler pipe wall to burst.