Steel tubes for finned, shell-and-tube, & plate heat exchangers

For over 20 years, CSM TUBE has supplied stainless steel tubes to heat exchanger manufacturers. Thanks to advanced technologies and rigorous process control, the company’s tubes are designed to integrate seamlessly into the main industrial heat exchange systems, particularly condensers and evaporators.

Applications and system compatibility

Main applications include:

• Shell-and-tube heat exchangers: where precise diameter and straightness (for straight lengths up to 20 m) are essential for bundle assembly.
• Finned heat exchangers: tubes with mechanical properties optimized to withstand expansion processes along the entire tube length, including hydroforming or mechanical expansion (mandrel expansion).

Customization options and dimensional range

One of CSM TUBE’s key strengths is the ability to tailor material mechanical properties. The company goes beyond supplying straight lengths or coils, supporting manufacturers by adjusting hardness, yield strength and elongation according to specific requirements such as expansion, bending and end-forming operations.

CSM TUBE heat exchanger tubes are available in diameters ranging from 5.00 mm to 32.00 mm and wall thicknesses from 0.30 mm to 2.11 mm, making them ideal for maximizing heat transfer surface while minimizing overall footprint.

High-performance alloys are used, including austenitic, ferritic, and duplex stainless steels to ensure compatibility with potentially corrosive fluids.

• Use in pressure equipment: the tubes are compliant with internationally recognized standards for pressure equipment applications, including PED (2014/68/EU), AD Merkblatt W2 and ASME.

Certifications and testing procedures

The integrity of heat exchanger tubes is ensured through both destructive and non-destructive testing protocols. In addition to continuous eddy current inspection—essential for detecting surface micro-defects—tubes can undergo burst testing to verify structural resistance under extreme internal pressures (up to 1000 bar).

Pressure testing is also performed: 100% of coiled tubes are tested up to 70 bar to ensure complete leak tightness, a critical requirement for the efficiency of industrial systems.

Design engineers are invited to contact CSM TUBE to define the optimal mechanical properties for their applications.