TPi October 2010

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developmentsproducts &
October 2010 Tube Products International 37
Ends of pipes often require trimming
because of the need for additional
lengths for clamping during the bending
procedure. It is often also necessary
to carry out forming of the pipe ends.
transfluid has designed a new machine
to cut the pipes and, if necessary, form
the pipe ends simultaneously.
The machines work with rotary knifes
from the inside outward to cut the pipe
against the clamps. The minimum inside
diameter is 22mm, and the maximum
diameter of the pipes is 170mm. Cutting
length varies depending on the pipe
diameter. On diameters of more than
70mm the length will be 1.5 times
the pipe diameter, while on smaller
diameters length will be one times
the diameter. If it is necessary to cut
longer ends the machine can cut, in an
automatic process, ends up to twice as
long.
The operating time is independent of the
tube size and, depending on the machine
size, approximately 10 seconds. The
clamps are provided with wearing plates
to ensure low tool investments.
To improve results and achieve long
tool lifetime, the set up of the distance
between the knife and the clamps can
be changed electronically and adapted
to the conditions.
During the cutting process, a forming
of the pipe ends can be accomplished,
if required, particularly for bead on the
ends with or without expansion, or
general or tube hose connectors. The
cycle time remains unchanged if the
system is used for both operations.
Additional processing steps such as
de-burring are not usually necessary, as
the results are burr free.
transfluid Maschinenbau GmbH –
Germany
Trimming and simultaneous
forming of tube ends
Pipe cut and formed simultaneously
Grooves rolled between the beads from
outside to inside
A new inspection pig designed to test
the inside of oil refinery furnace tubes
after cleaning has been developed
for pipeline cleaning company
Cokebusters.
Created by Phoenix Inspection
Systems, a specialist in the design
and manufacture of ultrasonic non-
destructive testing (NDT) equipment,
the new development represents a
significant upgrade to Cokebusters’
previous inspection technology,
including advances in battery power,
ultrasonic accuracy, storage capacity
and overall reliability.
Cokebusters provides furnace tube
and pipeline cleaning services for oil
refineries around the world from its base
in Chester, UK. Refinery process tubes
require regular cleaning as carbon or
coke deposits build up on the tube walls.
Scraper pigs are the most effective way
to remove this build-up. Cokebusters’
pigs, which have a complex laminated
construction with gas-filled polymers,
combine cleaning strength with flexibility
to help prevent damage to walls. The
pigs are forced through the network
of furnace tubes by pressurised water,
and the coke that is removed is filtered
out and removed for safe disposal.
Once decoking is complete, ultrasonic
inspection can be used to check the
tube wall thickness and success of the
cleaning operation.
This latest development means that
Cokebusters can carry out inspections as
part of the whole operation by replacing
the scraper pig with the inspection pig,
a 16-channel flaw detector incorporating
probes and instrumentation in one
compact package. It can operate
independently without an umbilical, and
can log data which can then be uploaded
once the inspection is complete. The pig
is designed for small diameter tubing in
the range of 4" to 8".
John Phipps from Cokebusters
commented, “Traditionally decoking
and inspection have been carried out
by two separate specialist contractors,
which adds to plant downtime and
makes the whole exercise more difficult
to coordinate. There are also difficulties
Clean sweep with new inspection pig
with the ultrasonic inspection. Often
it requires a complex framework of
scaffolding to be set up, and there are
access problems and hazards for staff
working in such environments.
“The new inspection pig overcomes
these problems by allowing internal
inspections driven by the same
pressurised water system as the
decoking pigs. It means we can integrate
decoking and inspection as part of the
same operation, significantly reducing
downtime for plant operators.”
Dr Chris Gregory of Phoenix said, “The
new device offers a clever solution to the
problems involved in testing complex
pipework systems. The technology also
has a wide range of other potential
uses and having the probe next to the
data processing and storage instrument
greatly improves detection capability.
Phoenix Inspection Systems Ltd – UK
Cokebusters – UK