TPT January 2011

I ndustry N ews

Lacol Oy becomes Larikka

SINCE the 1970s Leo Larikka has provided the pipe pre-fabrication world with solutions for manufacturing tubular parts such as tees and manifolds. Larikka’s company image has now undergone a major renovation. In renewing the company’s brand identity, careful consideration was given to the company name. The previous company name, Lacol, never gained the brand value and strong

recognition within the market that the Larikka name enjoys, so it was decided to change the company name to Larikka. An updated logo creates a more modern look, reflective of the Larikka technologies for collaring, cutting and welding tubular parts. Larikka Ltd – Finland Email: leo.larikka@lacol.com Website: www.larikka.com

EMS following two pipe plants projects

EMS (Engineering Management Services) Srl is an independent engineering and consulting company located in Bergamo, Italy. The company has been involved in the realisation of pipe production plants all over the world, with the main tasks to develop the technological layout for new plants/ renovation projects; make customised market studies and define the reference production mix for the plant; define the reference productivity of the plant; define the reference technical specification of the main equipment; make simulation studies for storage optimisation; and project management during the procurement and installation phases. EMS is currently involved in the definition of the finishing floor layout of two pipe production plants, one of which is for OMK – United Metallurgical Company Group of Russia. The project for OMK is for a new ERW pipe production plant, OD range 2 3 / 8 " to 6 5 / 8 ", to produce 230,000 tpy of OCTG (casing and tubing), line pipe and a small amount of profiles. The plant, which will be installed in the Vyksa works of VMZ, will consist of: one ERW line, heavy duty; heat treatment plant; upsetting line for tubing; and quality assurance and finishing facilities for line pipe and OCTG, casing and tubing. The scope of EMS’s assistance is to define the reference number and typology of the finishing lines (heat treatment, upsetting, quality assurance and finishing facilities), the relevant reference technological machines and equipment and the possible alternative technological layouts of the finishing floor, starting from the reference production mix

developed by OMK, taking into account the pipe manufacturing specifications, and considering the installation inside an existing industrial building. A simulation study has been made to verify the pipe capacity and the smoothness of the pipe flow in the in-process pipe storage between the ERW line and the lines of the finishing floor. The EMS simulation model considers the sequence of pipe production lots, the relevant time for production and the auxiliary time to change tools and production sizes/lots, on the basis of the typical required times in operating conditions. The simulation model simulates the sequence of operations in a pipe plant, and the pipe flows in the in-process pipe storage, as expected from a realistic production scheduling. It also considers the effects of interruptions caused by possible breaks/ failures, evaluated on the basis of statistical figures and on a random basis. The same simulation model, with customised additional routines and considering the characteristics of the orders from customers, is suitable for the definition and simulation of real production schedules during the plant operation. The results of the simulation are useful to anticipate, from the design phase, the plant’s layout optimisation. One week of simulation runs is commonly enough to acquire the experience of different production schedules that is otherwise only achievable in one year operation of the plant. EMS Srl – Italy Fax: +39 035 22 31 03

AGENTS REQUIRED

Email: ems@emsconsulting.it Website: www.emsconsulting.it

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J anuary 2011

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