TPi October 2010

developments products &

Trimming and simultaneous forming of tube ends

Ends of pipes often require trimming because of the need for additional lengths for clamping during the bending procedure. It is often also necessary to carry out forming of the pipe ends. transfluid has designed a new machine to cut the pipes and, if necessary, form the pipe ends simultaneously.

against the clamps. The minimum inside diameter is 22mm, and the maximum diameter of the pipes is 170mm. Cutting length varies depending on the pipe diameter. On diameters of more than 70mm the length will be 1.5 times the pipe diameter, while on smaller diameters length will be one times the diameter. If it is necessary to cut longer ends the machine can cut, in an automatic process, ends up to twice as long. The operating time is independent of the tube size and, depending on the machine size, approximately 10 seconds. The clamps are provided with wearing plates to ensure low tool investments. To improve results and achieve long tool lifetime, the set up of the distance between the knife and the clamps can be changed electronically and adapted to the conditions. pigs are forced through the network of furnace tubes by pressurised water, and the coke that is removed is filtered out and removed for safe disposal. Once decoking is complete, ultrasonic inspection can be used to check the tube wall thickness and success of the cleaning operation. This latest development means that Cokebusters can carry out inspections as part of the whole operation by replacing the scraper pig with the inspection pig, a 16-channel flaw detector incorporating probes and instrumentation in one compact package. It can operate independently without an umbilical, and can log data which can then be uploaded once the inspection is complete. The pig is designed for small diameter tubing in the range of 4" to 8". John Phipps from Cokebusters commented, “Traditionally decoking and inspection have been carried out by two separate specialist contractors, which adds to plant downtime and makes the whole exercise more difficult to coordinate. There are also difficulties

Grooves rolled between the beads from outside to inside

The machines work with rotary knifes from the inside outward to cut the pipe

During the cutting process, a forming of the pipe ends can be accomplished, if required, particularly for bead on the ends with or without expansion, or general or tube hose connectors. The cycle time remains unchanged if the system is used for both operations. Additional processing steps such as de-burring are not usually necessary, as the results are burr free.

Pipe cut and formed simultaneously

transfluid Maschinenbau GmbH – Germany

info@transfluid.de www.transfluid.de

Clean sweep with new inspection pig

A new inspection pig designed to test the inside of oil refinery furnace tubes after cleaning has been developed for pipeline cleaning company Cokebusters. Created by Phoenix Inspection Systems, a specialist in the design and manufacture of ultrasonic non- destructive testing (NDT) equipment, the new development represents a significant upgrade to Cokebusters’ previous inspection technology, including advances in battery power, ultrasonic accuracy, storage capacity and overall reliability. Cokebusters provides furnace tube and pipeline cleaning services for oil refineries around the world from its base in Chester, UK. Refinery process tubes require regular cleaning as carbon or coke deposits build up on the tube walls. Scraper pigs are the most effective way to remove this build-up. Cokebusters’ pigs, which have a complex laminated construction with gas-filled polymers, combine cleaning strength with flexibility to help prevent damage to walls. The

with the ultrasonic inspection. Often it requires a complex framework of scaffolding to be set up, and there are access problems and hazards for staff working in such environments. “The new inspection pig overcomes these problems by allowing internal inspections driven by the same pressurised water system as the decoking pigs. It means we can integrate decoking and inspection as part of the same operation, significantly reducing downtime for plant operators.” Dr Chris Gregory of Phoenix said, “The new device offers a clever solution to the problems involved in testing complex pipework systems. The technology also has a wide range of other potential uses and having the probe next to the data processing and storage instrument greatly improves detection capability.

Phoenix Inspection Systems Ltd – UK www.phoenixisl.co.uk

Cokebusters – UK www.cokebusters.com

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October 2010 Tube Products International