Cold working is a common method used to process stainless steel pipes. Stainless steel pipes are plastically deformed at room temperature through the cold working process to change their shapes and sizes. This method is often used to manufacture pipes that require high precision and good surface quality.

The cold working process typically involves the following steps:

1. Compression (squashing): the stainless steel pipe is placed in a mold and compressed to change its shape. This can be achieved through pressure or rolling. Compression is typically used to adjust the pipe’s diameter, wall thickness, and length.

2. Bending: a bending machine is used to bend the pipe to the desired radius. This is a common cold working method used to manufacture pipes that require a bent shape.

3. Stretched and Shrunk: stretching or shrinking the stainless steel pipe can change its cross-sectional shape and size. This process is often used to manufacture pipes that require different cross-sectional shapes, such as round, square, or elliptical.

4. Compression: compressing the stainless steel pipe can change its wall thickness and diameter. This method is typically used to manufacture pipes that require specific wall thicknesses and diameters.

Before the cold working process is carried out, the stainless steel pipe needs to be heat-treated to improve its plasticity. Heat treatment typically involves annealing and solution treatment to reduce the pipe’s hardness and increase its plasticity.

In conclusion, cold working is an effective method for processing stainless steel pipes and can be used to adjust the shape, size, and wall thickness of the pipe according to the requirements of different industrial and application fields.