TPI January 2014

products & developments

Tube and hose assemblies AFV Natural Gas Fuel Systems, a provider of tube and hose assemblies used in natural gas vehicle fuel systems, is moving into a larger facility to keep up with rapid growth. AFV will occupy 30,000ft 2 at a site in Twinsburg, Ohio, just minutes from sister company SSP. kitting performance,” stated Mark Hurt, director of sales. “Likewise, AFV has worked to enhance our manufacturing and business processes and we are presently looking to add to our sales staff.”

founding in 2009. “Today’s automotive engineers are looking for experienced partners with proven quality systems and history. Original equipment manufacturers, converters and upfitters alike require a company that is familiar with the certification and manufacturing requirements of CNG fuelled vehicles,” commented Kevin Dickey, general manager.

AFV’s fuel line systems are a critical component in compressed natural gas (CNG) fuelled vehicles. Overall vehicle life, dependability and ease of fuel line kit installation are the key features that have driven AFV’s growth since its

“In addition to more than quadrupling the manufacturing floor space, we have expanded our product engineering capacity and added personnel to improve our supply chain, inventory and

AFV Natural Gas Fuel Systems – USA www.altfuelexpress.com

Production of umbilicals tubes

on the knowhow acquired by the group in the production of long welded tubes. It allows for the production of tubes of 10 to 30km with a minimum number of butt welds. Vallourec’s tubes will be inserted in the umbilicals alongside other components (electric cables, carbon rods and optical fibres), and will carry utility fluids necessary for production operations. Vallourec’s tubes are thinner, so the umbilicals they will be integrated into will be lighter and easier to install at sea. After having obtained ISO 9001 and Bureau Veritas certifications, Vallourec Umbilicals has become an approved supplier of Total, and is currently in the qualification process by its clients, the main umbilicals manufacturers. The plant is working on a prototype order, and actual industrial ramp-up is expected to take place in 2014. Dominique Richardot, managing director of Vallourec’s pipe project and SURF (subsea, umbilicals, risers and flowlines) activities, declared, “By offering a product with unique characteristics to the market, we are positioning ourselves to meet the growing demands of deepwater and ultra-deepwater offshore fields. This new premium activity reinforces Vallourec’s position on the subsea construction market and our ability to provide integrated solutions.”

Tubular solutions provider Vallourec has launched a new offering for the offshore oil and gas market: the production of welded stainless steel tubes to be fitted into umbilicals. Although they do not transport any produced oil or gas, umbilicals are a key component in a subsea installation. They are used to connect the equipment on the seabed to a control station at the surface. Thanks to an innovative manufacturing process, tubes for umbilicals produced at the new Vallourec Umbilicals plant in Venarey- Les Laumes (Côte-d’Or, France) offer strength and mechanical properties. With Total as technical sponsor, the new product widens Vallourec’s offering of solutions for offshore operations. The continuous production process developed by Vallourec (rolled and longitudinally welded tubes) capitalises

Vallourec tubes on a reel

Tubes in a section of an umbilical

This new product completes the range of integrated solutions offered by Vallourec for subsea construction, which also includes line pipe, risers and welding services.

Vallourec – France contact@vallourec.com www.vallourec.com

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January 2014 Tube Products International