Abstract: A process for the industrial production of wear-resistant steel pipes having an optimized life. The process includes providing a wear-resistant, hardenable steel sheet in an unhardened or tempered state, shaping the steel sheet into a tubular preform in which two longitudinal edges of the steel sheet are positioned opposite one another with a welding gap extending between the two edges, welding the longitudinal edges by forming a welded seam which closes the welding gap, thereby forming a steel pipe, and heat treating the steel pipe. The heat treatment of the steel pipe includes heating the steel pipe at an average heating rate of 5-400 K/s to a hold temperature which is ? the Ac3 temperature of the steel and ?1100° C., holding the steel pipe at the hold temperature for 1-120 s, and cooling the steel pipe at an average cooling rate of 10-600 K/s to room temperature.