TPT November 2012

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Technology News
60 November 2012
Laser-ultrasonic wall
thickness gauges
MONTREAL–based Tecnar, a supplier
of sensors for advanced process
control, has successfully implemented
more than a dozen laser-ultrasonic
wall thickness (LUT) gauges in various
seamless steel tube mills around the
world. The capacity to deliver precise
wall thickness data directly comparable
to handheld, cold, UT measurements
even over a mandrel and without any
hazardous radiation has fuelled the
industry’s interest for this technology
over the past 15 years.
However, operating advanced optics
and lasers in the close environment
of 1,200°C steel tubes circulating at
over 5m per second and bouncing
around by several centimetres has
proven to be quite a challenge to the
technology’s reliability. Through the
development of specialised high power
UT detection lasers as well as the
implementation of numerous reliability
features resulting from extensive in-situ
experience, including remote system
monitoring and maintenance, Tecnar
has managed to achieve reliability
levels well within the industry’s very
demanding standards.
The company has installed LUT
gauges at the output of various mills
such as mandrel mills, reelers, rotary
sizers, stretch-reducing mills and
even hot pilger mills. The data has
proven invaluable to operators who
can immediately detect and correct
process problems, such as piercing
eccentricity, heavy centre wall and
heavy ends.
Tecnar – Canada
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LUT in operation at the
output of a hot Pilger mill
Bending of hose fittings
SPECIAL solutions are required for
special requirements – or just one
efficient, customisable solution. For
one-part hose fittings, transfluid
Maschinenbau GmbH has developed a
‘twin’ solution and will equip its systems
with different modules depending on
the application, varying mostly in the
loading system.
Fittings are mostly mechanically
processed, extremely short, relatively
thick-walled and their sealing elements
(sealing head or hose part) must not
be damaged under any circumstances.
“Cost-efficient processing options are
an aspect on which we place great
emphasis,” commented Gerd Nöker,
CEO of transfluid. “Large amounts of
pieces are mostly manufactured for
small sizes. And what counts here is the
speed.”
The fittings bending machine for sizes
up to 1" is fitted with a bulk material
hopper with a capacity of 600 litres.
The advantage of this is that fittings
of any size can be loaded. A powerful
drive is ensured by servo-electrical or
hydraulic equipment. Bending can be
therefore done in short cycles from 6 to
7 seconds, including the entire handling.
Special supporting elements ensure that
the sealing cone and hose connections
remain undamaged. Fittings starting
with inner diameter of 8mm are bent by
the transfluid system using an internal
mandrel, so that bend ovalisation can be
ruled out. Components with dimensions
up to a diameter of 75mm are transported
by using a robust loading system. As the
weight of these fittings is so high, the
loading system prevents the components
from uncontrolled falling. The work pieces
are provided on a special pallet, taken
from the handling system and supplied
to the bending machine. These sizes
are generally bent by machines with an
internal mandrel. A maximum ovalisation
of 3 per cent is given.
transfluid Maschinenbau GmbH –
Germany
Email:
Website:
Steel surface improvement
OLIMPIA Surface produces dry and
economical systems for the constant
finishing of the tubes for all applications.
The company has achieved several
projects in cooperation with its
customers for stainless steel surface
improvement (constant roughness);
stainless steel finishing (satin finishing
and mirror polishing); carbon steel
surface improvement; and removal of
rust from carbon steel tubes in order to
perform a better and smoother ND test.
Duplex and Super Duplex constant
finishing on long products is especially
useful for nuclear applications where
high precision and constant finishing
are mandatory. Stainless, Duplex
and Super Duplex seamless tubes
constant finishing and material removal
do not require frequent tool changes;
and special steel grades (where high
precision and constant quality are
mandatory), especially for nuclear
application tubes.
Olimpia 80 Srl – Italy
Website: