The weld route decides more of a tube line than the forming section does: it sets the seam profile, what happens to the tube after welding, the metals you can run and, in practice, how much post-weld finishing the product needs.
This article compares the three routes on the attributes the YH brochure states. Speeds are quoted only where the brochure publishes them.
Where each route sits in the YH range
The brochure does not sell "TIG" or "plasma" as separate machines. It lists them as weld route options chosen per project:
- The decorative pipe tube mill is specified as TIG / plasma / HF per project, for Φ6–Φ219 mm pipe with 0.25–5.0 mm wall from SS201, 202, 304, 316 or carbon steel coil.
- The industrial precision pipe line is specified as TIG / plasma / laser per project, for Φ5–Φ219 mm with 0.25–7.0 mm wall. Where laser is named on this line, it refers to the laser option built into the industrial programme; the dedicated laser machine is a separate line (see below).
- The laser pipe welding line is a dedicated laser line with its own forming section and laser unit.
- High frequency welding is built into the carbon steel HF pipe mill, which is a separate machine class.
The welding-stage description on the line diagram states the principle: the welding route follows grade and wall thickness. So the first question is not "which weld is best" but "which of these routes fits my grade, wall and finish together."
Laser, on the verified claims
The laser line's published advantages are specific, so they are worth reading closely:
- Weld geometry: a depth-to-width ratio up to 10:1, giving deep penetration with a narrow seam that is typically free of gas pores.
- Heat behaviour: minimal heat input and near-zero distortion. The weld zone heats and cools almost instantly, which is what keeps precision tube accurate after welding.
- Processing steps: no pre- or post-treatment steps, stated as saving 30%+ in time and processing cost.
- Consumables: non-contact welding, so there is no electrode wear and maintenance stays low.
- Envelope: Φ8–Φ219 mm with 0.3–6.0 mm wall, for stainless and carbon steel coil.
The brochure makes one relative speed statement: laser welding is described as 3–4× faster than argon-arc TIG. That is a comparison, not a rate.
No m/min figure appears in the laser line table, which lists model, shaft diameters, pipe range, wall, main motor and footprint only. Treat the "3–4×" as a direction, not a planning number.
The brochure positions laser as the preferred route where weld appearance and post-weld finishing cost matter — high-end decorative tube, slotted pipe, square and rectangular tube.
If that is your product, the laser welding tube mill page carries the full configuration.
High frequency on carbon steel
The high frequency tube mill is the one route where the brochure publishes speed figures, because its model table has a speed column.
It runs hot-rolled or cold-rolled carbon and low-alloy steel strip, for construction pipe, furniture tube, scaffolding and structures, low-pressure fluid pipe and vehicle or trailer tube. The range runs Φ8–Φ219 mm with 0.5–8.0 mm wall.
The table reads as a trade-off between size and speed as HF power rises. Six of its thirteen models:
| Model | Pipe Ø (mm) | Wall (mm) | Speed (m/min) | HF power (kW) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25 Mill | Φ8–32 | 0.5–1.5 | 100 | 100 |
| 45 Mill | Φ13–63 | 0.8–2.5 | 100 | 150 |
| 76 Mill | Φ22–89 | 1.0–3.5 | 70 | 250 |
| 114 Mill | Φ40–140 | 1.5–4.5 | 50 | 400 |
| 165 Mill | Φ76–165 | 2.0–5.0 | 50 | 600 |
| 219 Mill | Φ114–219 | 3.0–8.0 | 40 | 800 |
These are the table's own columns for six of the thirteen HF models. They are not transferable to another model, to another material, or to a stainless line.
If your product is structural or low-pressure carbon pipe at volume, HF is the route the brochure builds for, and the high-frequency category page states the case directly: stable weld quality at high line speed.
TIG and plasma within the stainless lines
TIG and plasma appear in the tables only as a route option chosen per project. The brochure makes no separate claims about TIG speed, seam width or distortion, and this article will not invent any. What can be said is where the route stays in play:
- When the grade and wall call for it. The welding-stage note — route follows grade and wall thickness — puts the decision in engineering, not in a marketing preference.
- When the weld geometry is specified by the buyer. A decorative or structural line may carry a seam requirement from the pipe standard or from the customer's own drawing; the route is then matched to that requirement rather than the other way round.
- When the finishing flow already handles the seam. The standard decorative flow includes weld seam grinding after welding, which prepares tube for polishing. With that step in the line, a wider, softer weld is not automatically a defect.
- When the standard must be met. The brochure states that the target pipe standard is confirmed during configuration; the buyer sends the standard and the wall range with the inquiry.
For a decorative or industrial stainless project, then, the honest answer is that TIG or plasma may well be the right route — and that which one, and whether laser replaces it, is a configuration decision made against your spec.
A decision checklist
Run these five checks in order. The first three usually narrow the field to one or two routes.
- Material. Carbon or low-alloy strip with structural or fluid-pipe duty points to high frequency.
Stainless, or a mix of stainless and carbon coil, points to the decorative or industrial line, where TIG and plasma are available per project and the industrial spec also lists a laser option.
- Wall and diameter. Laser (dedicated line) covers Φ8–Φ219 mm and 0.3–6.0 mm. HF covers Φ8–Φ219 mm and 0.5–8.0 mm on carbon. Outside either, check the stainless industrial line range (Φ5–Φ219 mm) before assuming a route.
- Pipe standard and weld geometry. If the standard or drawing specifies seam shape, penetration or inspection, send it first. The route is then chosen to satisfy it, not the reverse.
- Surface finish. Where weld appearance and post-weld finishing cost dominate — slotted, square and rectangular tube, high-end decorative tube — the brochure's preference is laser: no pre- or post-treatment steps, 30%+ process saving.
Where the line already grinds the seam, that argument carries less weight.
- Post-weld finishing cost. Add the grinding, polishing and treatment steps each route needs in your flow, and compare the total, not the welder alone.
Why this article gives no stainless or laser line speed
None of the stainless or laser line tables carries a speed column. The only stainless-side figure is the relative "3–4× faster than argon-arc TIG", and the only absolute m/min figures belong to the HF carbon steel table.
Real line speed depends on forming speed, weld quality target and downstream steps, so it has to be quoted against your product, wall and grade. Ask for the figure against your specification instead.
Next step
Tell us four things — pipe diameter range, wall thickness range, material grade and the pipe standard you must meet — and note whether weld appearance and post-weld finishing cost matter more than raw throughput.
An engineer will recommend a weld route and the line configuration that supports it, rather than a list of routes. Start on the contact page.