TPT November 2010

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6 November 2010 ›
Industry News
Pipe mills
from a single
supplier
MACHINE builders Gräbener, Weldec and
Fontijne Grotnes are pooling their skills and
strengths. Each of the companies is an
expert in its individual branch, and together
they say they are able to furnish pipe mills
with the entire machinery necessary. As a
consequence, the three companies have
formed a joint venture in order to create
machines for the production of large LSAW
pipes.
Gräbener Maschinentechnik has
decades of experience in the production
of large pipes. The company has detailed
and comprehensive technical knowledge
derived from the time when the company
Theodor Gräbener as Gräbener Großrohr
was operating a pipe mill for LSAW pipes.
It also has knowledge gained from a
holding in a renowned manufacturer of plate
bending machines. In cooperation with well
known pipe manufacturers, the company
has developed milling machines, bending
machines, pipe forming and post-bending
presses, continuous root tacking machines,
impanding and straightening presses,
hydrotesters and end bevelling machines.
The company also designs and engineers
complete pipe mills. Using state-of-the-art
CAD technology, all processing stations of
a pipe mill are optimally aligned from the
very beginning.
Weldec GmbH, as a member of the EEW
Group, has already gained experience in
the machine building sector, especially with
longitudinal and circumferential submerged-
arc-welding systems. These systems have
been developed specifically for pipe, vessel
and apparatus construction, as well as
for the wind energy industries. Weldec
submerged-arc-welding systems can be
used for both internal and external welding of
pipes in case of V and X seam preparations,
as well as in narrow-gap-welding (U). In
addition, Weldec manufactures submerged-
arc plate welding machines as well as
fully automatic ultrasonic and digital X-ray
testing equipment.
The alliance is completed by Fontijne
Grotnes. Over a period of more than
40 years the company has become an
internationally renowned manufacturer of
pipe end and full length pipe expanders
for the pipe mill sector. The full length
pipe expander is a crucial processing
station in the production of LSAW pipes.
Fontijne Grotnes is continuously enhancing
its products with respect to new market
requirements, such as increased capacity,
increased wall thickness, increased material
grades up to X120, and stricter tolerances
with regard to ovality and straightness.
For the managing director of Weldec,
Jörg Heinrich, the joint venture was a logical
consequence: “These three companies
make a great team. From now on, customers
intending to build a pipe mill can purchase
everything from one single supplier: from
the initial engineering to the after sales
service. If requested, it is even possible
to conduct a theoretical instruction and
practical training for the machine in question
in one of our EEW workshops.”
Gräbener Maschinentechnik GmbH &
Co KG – Germany
Website:
Weldec GmbH – Germany
Fax: +49 2753 5070 330
Email:
Website:
Fontijne Grotnes BV – The Netherlands
Fax: +31 10 435 26 55
Email:
Website:
DUNCAN Pell, commercial director
of Interpipe, spoke at the Metal Bulletin
13th Central & Eastern European Steel
Conference, held in September in Prague,
Czech Republic. The conference addressed
issues affecting the regional steel industry
at present, reinforcing the dialogue between
leading steel producers, purchasers and
manufacturers.
Mr Pell gave a presentation on ‘Evolving
mill strategies in a challenging industry
landscape’, covering the issues of current
pipe market conditions, an overview of
capacities and key directions for producers
in the central and eastern European region.
Mr Pell commented: “The recent crisis
and the present business environment should
encourage producers in this region to seek
to become highly differentiated at low cost.
Investment will continue to be needed but in
efficiency and quality related improvements
with fast payback. The priority for producers
in central and eastern Europe should be to
raise the level of technical and workforce
competencesothattheoreticalcostadvantages
are not wasted through inefficiency and poor
quality. I am pleased that we are investing
and maintaining a strong cost position and
implementing quality improvement.”
Interpipe – Ukraine
Email:
Website:
Interpipe director speaks at steel conference
A straightener of a full length pipe expander
from Fontijne Grotnes
3,000 ton pipe forming press from Gräbener
SAW equipment from Weldec