Carbon Steel Tube Sheet — Factory Direct Supplier | Huaxia-Steel

Huaxia-Steel manufactures carbon steel tube sheets (tubesheets) for shell-and-tube heat exchangers, condensers, boilers, and pressure vessels — from 200 mm gauge plates to 3,000 mm diameter forgings up to 500 mm thick. Every tube sheet is supplied with drilling to your tube layout, groove and serration machining, and full dimensional reporting, ready for tube rolling and expansion on arrival.

Product Overview

The tube sheet is the pressure boundary element that anchors the tube bundle: thousands of closely pitched holes receive the tubes, which are roller-expanded and optionally welded to the face. Because drilling accuracy directly determines whether tubes will seal and survive thermal cycling, we treat the tube sheet as a precision component rather than a simple plate. Manufacturing route depends on thickness and design: rolled plate per SA516/A516 or SA285/A285 for thinner sheets, forged discs per SA266/A266 or SA105 for thick, high-pressure designs, and clad constructions (carbon steel base with stainless or titanium overlay) for corrosive duties.

Specifications

Parameter	Details
Diameter range	200–3,000 mm (larger by agreement)
Thickness range	20–500 mm
Base materials	SA516 Gr 60/65/70, SA285 Gr C, SA266 Cl 2/4, SA105, A350 LF2 (low temp)
Cladding options	316L, 904L, 2205, nickel 200, titanium — weld overlay or explosive bond
Tube hole range	Ø 10–76 mm (⅜” to 3″ tubes)
Pitch	Triangular 30°/60° or square 90°/45°, pitch = tube OD × 1.25 typical
Drilling tolerance	Hole diameter +0.15/−0.10 mm; ligament ±0.50 mm max deviation
Flatness	≤ 1 mm/m of diameter (typical for floating head designs)

Machining Accuracy and Grooving Details

Tubes are retained by mechanical expansion into the hole, so hole finish and grooves carry the sealing function. Our standard machining package includes:

• Hole diameter: machined to TEMA RGP-RCB 7.4 tolerances, surface finish Ra 1.6–3.2 µm — too smooth reduces expansion grip, too rough tears the tube.
• Sealing grooves: two circumferential grooves per hole (typically 3 mm wide × 0.4 mm deep for tubes up to 25 mm) to lock the expanded joint against pressure cycles.
• serrations: optional axial serrations per TEMA for enhanced joint integrity in severe cyclic service.
• Back-face chamfer: lead-in chamfer for tube insertion and protection during rolling.
• Pass partition grooves: machined channels front and back for gasket seating on multi-pass exchangers.
• Drilling method: CNC gantry drilling with in-process probing; hole position verified on 100% of holes for sheets above 800 mm diameter.

Material and Construction Options

Service condition	Recommended construction	Notes
General service, P ≤ 4 MPa	SA516 Gr 70 plate, single sheet	Most common HVAC and process duty
High pressure, thick sections	SA266 Cl 2 forging	Better UT integrity than heavy plate
Low temperature	A350 LF2 or SA516 with impact test	Impact testing at design MDMT
Corrosive shell side	Carbon steel + 316L overlay	Overlay 3–5 mm, UT verified bond
Sour service	SA516 + NACE MR0175 compliance	Hardness ≤ 22 HRC, PWHT as needed

Manufacturing Standards and Quality Control

Design and acceptance follow TEMA (Tubular Exchanger Manufacturers Association) classes R/C/B and the applicable pressure code — ASME VIII Div.1 with U-stamp support documentation, or EN 13445 where PED applies. Our quality sequence: incoming plate/forging UT per SA435/SA388 with 100% scan on thick sections; heat treatment (normalizing or PWHT at 595–620°C when required by thickness); face and hole machining on CNC equipment; dimensional report covering hole diameter sampling per TEMA tables, ligament widths, flatness, groove depths, and facing finish; final surface magnetic particle inspection on grooves and pass partition areas. Documentation includes EN 10204 3.1/3.2 certificates, drilling report with actual hole measurements, and material traceability heat numbers stamped on the edge.

Applications

• Shell-and-tube heat exchangers for refineries and petrochemical plants
• Surface condensers for power generation
• Feedwater heaters and economizer headers
• Reboilers, coolers and gas coolers in chemical service
• Air-cooled exchanger plug headers (drilled header plates)

Packing and Shipping

Tube sheets are protected with rust-preventive coating on machined faces, wooden crating with face-down support across the full diameter, and edge protectors against forklift contact. Hole faces are covered to prevent debris ingress during ocean freight. We ship worldwide with full export documentation, and drilling programs are archived so replacement tube sheets can be quoted against the original drawing years later.