How Are Copper Pipes Made Without Drilling a Hole?

How are copper pipes made from solid metal — and how do manufacturers create a perfectly hollow tube without drilling a hole through it? The process is far more interesting than it looks. Seamless copper tubing can begin as a solid copper billet. After heating, enormous forces reshape the metal around a mandrel, creating the hollow center without drilling away meters of copper. In this video, we explore how copper tubes are made, including piercing and extrusion, cold drawing, annealing, precision sizing, eddy-current inspection, and why seamless copper tubing has no long welded joint running along its length. We’ll also look at why copper pipes come in different wall thicknesses, what Types K, L, and M mean, and why copper is still widely used for plumbing, refrigeration, air conditioning, and heat-transfer systems even in the age of plastic pipes. The most surprising part? The empty space inside the pipe isn’t carved out. The metal itself is moved around it. Subscribe to Small Things for more fascinating explanations of the engineering hidden inside ordinary objects. #CopperPipes #HowItsMade #Manufacturing --- Timestamp: 00:00 - Intro 01:08 - Before There Is a Tube, There Is a Solid Block 02:25 - The Hole Is Not Drilled 04:05 - One Huge Tube Has to Become the Right Tube 06:10 - Why There Is No Seam 07:36 - How Do They Know the Tube Is Actually Good? 08:41 - A Small Color Code With a Practical Job 09:40 - Why Copper Survived the Age of Plastic --- ✨ About Small Things Small Things is created by Sarah, Maez, and Hassan — a small team who loves exploring the hidden stories behind simple things and small things. 🤖 Disclaimer: We may use AI tools to support research and production, but every video is reviewed and edited by our team. We respect copyright, original work, and YouTube’s policies. Thank you for supporting us. 🙏 If you notice any issues, please contact us at agency.scommedia@gmail.com #smallthings #simplethings