TPi July 2015

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July 2015 Tube Products International 35
products & developments
Venturi valve
scores top marks in
technical tests
Advanced Interactive Materials
Science Ltd (AIMS) has successfully
manufactured a Venturi valve using
HIPed powder metallurgy and near-net
shaping techniques. Used to measure
the flow of oil and gas as it comes
out of the ground, Venturi valves need
to withstand extreme conditions and
meet the stringent oil and gas subsea
standards.
Last year AIMS unveiled a patented Mud
Motor Stator (featuring a telemetry hole)
that can resist corrosive, erosive and
abrasive conditions at high operating
temperatures.
AIMS technical director Geoff Archer
said, “Replacing Venturi valves
is a difficult and costly process, so
producing components with high quality
isotropic material structures that reduce
manufacturing risk and maintenance
costs is something the industry is
keen to exploit. We believe we have
accomplished this with the Venturi
valve, which
has exceeded
all technical test
results to date.
It’s extremely
exciting and initial feedback from the
oil and gas industry has been positive.”
There is growing demand for HIPed
and near-net shaped products due to
the efficiency of the process and the
quality of the component. However,
the mechanical properties of the end
result have to meet specific international
standards, and this has not always been
achieved.
TheAIMSproduct, when tested, revealed
that it had zero argon ingress during
the hot isostatic pressing process.
“This is an outstanding result, as it has
overcome one of the major problems
for the industry,” explained Mr Archer.
“It highlights the high quality standard
of our powder containments and HIPing
capabilities which, when coupled with
near-net shaping techniques, minimise
the need for second stage machining.”
At the cutting edge of manufacturing
technology, near-net shaping delivers
savings in terms of energy, materials
and labour, while allowing complex
structures to be created, such as the
Venturi valve and the Mud Motor Stator
with telemetry hole.
Advanced Interactive Materials
Science Ltd – UK
Aluminium drawn tubes
Siddhi Engineers is engaged in the
processing of aluminium drawn tubes
for a variety of applications. The firm was
established in 1988 by two mechanical
engineers with a mission to develop and
export products globally.
The company has established the cold
drawing process along with supporting
operations, where various aluminium
alloys are cold drawn to achieve
close dimensional tolerances, desired
mechanical properties and orientation
towards end use.
Certification includes ISO 9001:
2008, ISO 14001: 2004 (environment
management system), and ISO/TS
16949 (quality management system for
automobile products). The company is
also in the final stage of certification
for aerospace products (AS 9100 C),
which would make it the first firm in
India to gain aerospace certification for
aluminium tubes.
Siddhi Engineers has engineered
products for defence, aviation and
space organisations in India, for
applications such as telescopic masts
for telecommunication, bomb disposal
manipulators, aluminium tubes for
amphibian tanks, wave guide tubes
for satellites, special alloy tubes for
cryogenic engine fuel supply lines, tubes
for helicopter core coolers, and tubes
for air frames for missiles (prototype).
The company exports aluminium cold
drawn tubes to 16 countries, including
the USA, Germany, France, Netherlands,
UK, Turkey and Israel.
Siddhi Engineers – India