November 2013 Tube Products International
63
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.
Fine Tubes Ltd
– UK
Parker Hannifin
– USA
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
