Difference between tube and pipe - 2

What is the difference between tubing and pipes?

There is an important but often misunderstood difference between tube and pipe. The difference is essentially how the hollow cylinders are manufactured and measured.

For pipes, the inside diameter (ID) matters a great deal because that determines the capacity of the pipe. Conversely, for tubes the outside diameter (OD) is more important and is usually the measurement that is the deciding factor.

This leads to the question of why can't both the ID and OD be defined? 

The manufacturing process plays an important prole in answering this. It is possible to have a consistent bore, which is the ID. And it is possible to have a consistent OD. But during the extrusion process the wall thickness varies, and the manufacturer can either control the ID or OD. But not both, or at least not to a high precision.

Pipe and tube are two words for hollow cylinders, but they are not the same. In simple terms, pipe uses the inside and tube uses the outside.

Plastic tube is generally smaller in size than plastic pipes.

PVC tube - is it always round

Plastic tubes are often, but not always, made from PVC. Athough PVC tubes are most often thought of as being round, this is not always the case. Square and rectangular tubes are also widely used and the shape of the tube will depend on the required purpose of your project. Plastic tubing has a central hollow area which is enclosed within a surrounding wall. This surrounding wall can be round, square or rectangular.

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