TPi November 2013

stainless steel tubes

Meeting demanding standards with super-resistant alloys Parker Hannifin is a supplier of instrumentation for global offshore facilities. With the demand for oil and gas steadily increasing, there is ever more pressure on the production levels of offshore platforms. Despite this constant demand, Parker is committed to making oil and gas exploration more energy efficient and more environmentally friendly. Fine Tubes was approached by Parker with a requirement for tubes that could not only withstand harsh environments with high corrosion resistance, but also offer an excellent operational life, decreasing downtime and maintenance costs. The tubes were destined for the BP Schiehallion field, considered to be one of the largest and deepest developments in the North Sea. Fine Tubes was chosen as a supplier for the project due to its reputation for quality and service, and worked with quality managers to meet new industry standards for specialist materials. The company wanted to ensure that its products offered the highest levels of safety and efficiency, reducing the need for testing and lengthening operational life. With these standards in consideration, Fine Tubes supplied 6Mo super austenitic stainless steel alloy. This material can withstand the hostile environment of the North Sea, with increased resistance to crevice corrosion, stress corrosion cracking and chloride-induced pitting compared to 300 series and Duplex stainless steel. The company makes the 6Mo tubes in sizes from 6 to 25.4mm OD, and 1 to 2.77mm wall thickness, as well as tubes in alloy 625. Tubing supplied to Parker for two-ferrule compression fittings must be of an exact hardness: too hard and the ferrules cannot grip the metal. Fine Tubes ensured that all its materials were compliant with the exacting requirements, so that every product is compatible with all the fittings available. 6Mo A-LOK two-ferrule compression fittings are also compatible with most topside applications involving pressures up to 413 bar/6,000 psi. Paul Shaddick, product manager for Parker’s instrumentation products division, said, “Extending the reach of our quality control standards to encompass the manufacturing processes used by our supplier of 6Mo alloy tubing is a major step forward in our product development strategy.” All of the small bore instrumentation valves, manifolds, tubes and fittings that Parker supplies are now approved by the Norsok M-650 standard.

Turkish stainless import specialist Tradinox Stainless Ltd is an importer with over a decade of sales experience in the stainless raw material sales field. The company imports on a regular basis first and second choice sheets and coil flat materials for 304, 430 and 316 grades. As the company assumes sales without stock, it can proceed with these coils and sheets by competitive cash or credited selling conditions. In addition to its own import facilities, with the help of foreign contacts and agencies Tradinox obtains stock lists and tenders and carries out import consultancy on every grade (304, 316, 430, 201, 202, 409 and 441) and every branch (coil, sheets, bar, tube and fittings) of stainless.

Tradinox Stainless Ltd – Turkey info@tradinox.net www.tradinox.net

Fine Tubes Ltd – UK sales@finetubes.co.uk www.finetubes.com

Parker Hannifin – USA www.parker.com

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November 2013 Tube Products International