Tank manufacturers at times require that stainless steel half pipe be welded to the outside of their tanks, usually for thermal transfer. For example, recently we had 304 stainless steel, 3” schedule 40 (3.50 OD x 0.216 wall) pipe cut in half longitudinally.
When pipe or tubing is split this way, it is not unusual to lose some material from the sawing alone. In this case, there was a ¼” kerf from the saw blade. Also, cutting sometimes causes the pipe to spring open a little possibly causing some ovality or out-of-roundness in the pipe’s cross section.
The half pipe was then rolled helically with the “toes” in (so the edges of the pipe could be welded to the outside of the tank). Each segment was rolled to fit a tank with a 44.75 inch outside diameter and to provide 240 degrees of arc.
Rolled correctly, the half pipe should fit up well for ease of welding to the tank.
