TPi July 2015

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business & market news
22 Tube Products International July 2015
Pipe manufacturer installs straightener
Fives Bronx Ltd UK has agreed and
signed a contract with a major Scottish
pipe manufacturer, for the supply of a
new straightening installation. The fully
automated line has been purchased to
process pipes in the range from 4½" to
16¾" diameter and at temperatures of
up to 750°C.
Jon Dunn, managing director at
Fives Bronx Ltd, commented, “This
new contract represents the eleventh
straightening line that we have supplied
to this internationally based client,
worldwide, in the past ten years and
shows the confidence that they have
both in our equipment technology and
our company.
“The new contract is to replace a
Bronx line that was originally supplied
back in 1969, confirming the longevity
and reliability of the Bronx brand,
throughout the decades. The latest
line will provide the client with a 21 st
century solution to their straightening
requirements and is due to be delivered
to their factory during the first quarter
of 2016.”
Fives Bronx Ltd – UK
Steel tubes fromTaiwan
Kusakabe Electric & Machinery has
supplied and commissioned two
pipe mills in Taiwan for CHS Steel in
conjunction with several other suppliers.
This new installation is for a state-of-
the-art operation and will make it the
most advanced in Taiwan.
The 4" tubing line manufactures tubes
from 60.3 to 114.3mm, up to 10.5mm
thick, and steel grades with tensile yield
strengths up to 750MPa.
The line starts with the uncoiler and shear
welder, vertical looper (strip accumulator)
all the way through to the hydrostatic
pressure testing, UTS, coating and
packing in a continuous process. The
tubing line itself incorporates Kusakabe’s
vertical looper (strip accumulator), flying
strip shear and sub-based stands with
independent drive to each shaft for quick
changeover and improved drive. One
squeeze stand is provided in a four-roll
configuration, with internal and external
weld bead removal and swarf chopping.
After the weld seam annealing and
cooling stage a rotary sizing mill sizes
the tube to the customer’s requirements
before it is cut to length by a three-
bladed rotary cut off.
The 13" casing line manufactures tubes
from 114.3 to 355.6mm, up to 16mm
thick, and steel grades with tensile yield
strengths up to 750MPa. The line starts
with the uncoiler and shear welder,
horizontal strip accumulator all the way
through to the hydrostatic pressure
testing, UTS, coating and packing in a
continuous process.
The pipe mill itself incorporates
Kusakabe’s latest universal forming,
followed by three cassette fin passes
and a five-roll squeeze stand, and
internal and external weld bead removal
and swarf chopping.
Kusakabe Electric & Machinery Co,
Ltd – Japan
Handheld pipe/tube straightener
The new handheld pipe/tube straight-
ener from Kwix UK is an efficient
handheld manually operated tube
straightening tool that easily and
accurately straightens light wall tube
from a coil or any other tube.
The low cost handtool will straighten
all types of coiled tubing – copper,
aluminium, stainless steel and brass.
It maximises the flow, simplifies
installation, reduces labour costs and
material usage, accelerates the flow for
better efficiency and gives a professional
looking finish. The straightening process
also strengthens the tube.
Kwix UK manufactures the Kwix tool for
all popular coiled tubing with outside
diameter sizes in both metric: 4, 5, 6,
8, 10, 12 and 15mm, and imperial: 1/8",
3/16", 1/4", 5/16 ", 3/8" and 1/2". Over 10,000
units have been sold worldwide in the
past two years, and the tool comes
with a 12-month guarantee. The Kwix
tool is used by plumbing and heating,
air-conditioning, refrigeration and HVAC
engineers as well as car, plane and train
restoration companies.
Kwix UK – UK