TPT November 2007

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137 November/December 2007
Cutting, Sawing & P rofiling Technology
Tubes & Pipes for:
™ Oil & Gas Industry
™ Power Generation Plant
™ Water & Natural Gas Line
™ Fire Fighting System
Jannone Tubi s.r.l.
Account Skype: maramasc
e-mail:
We set signs for you!
In the field of embossing and marking technology
we manufacture:
Ź Embossing and marking machines of any kind
Ź With various infeed and outfeed equipment for
semi-automatic or fully automatic procedure
Ź Extensive and proven standard program
Ź Special purpose machines for a wide range of
requirements
Ź New design of innovative tube embossing
machines
Ź Colour marking of pipes and machine parts
Ŷ Alphanumerical marking by means of efficient
and flexible Revolver Stamping Units for products
in the steel market
ASD Automation und
Sondermaschinenbau GmbH
40436 Düsseldorf, P.O. Box 33 03 27, Germany
Tel. +49 (0)211 656006, Fax +49 (0)211 656468
;
UNIVERSAL –
Roll-on Embossing Machine UAP 300
Another subcategory of the collet method
is chain fixing, the biggest advantage of
this being that it’s practically without limit of
diameter. The principal disadvantage of the
chain method is that it is difficult to set up and
sometimes the cutter may wander, resulting
in a spiral instead of a prepped end.
In a case study, Dragados Offshore used
portable bevellers from Protem to prepare
duplex pipes in an offshore oil and gas
project. The advantages of using high-tech
portable tools were evident when Dragados
Offshore SA was asked to build an LNG
processing plant on Melkøya Island as part
of Statoil’s Snøhvit project.
In the past, the company had prepared
large diameter hard-alloy pipes (stainless
steel duplex and super duplex, P91 etc),
using several methods, including cutting
by flame or band saw, manual bevelling
with abrasive discs or using a lathe. These
methods proved unproductive, pollutive,
low quality and inconvenient.
Dragados Offshore asked Kalmia SA and
its partner Protem to propose a method
of machining pipes that avoided all these
problems. Most of the conduction of this
plant had to be constructed in duplex
and super duplex pipes to handle high
pressures in corrosive weather conditions.
The weld preps were to be made in different
configurations (30°, 37°, 30" and ‘J’ shape)
and in different sizes and materials.
Kalmia and Protem supplied portable tools
for working pipes ranging from 1-42". Low-
speed bevellers were provided using high-
speed steel tool bits for the lower sizes,
and high-speed bevellers using carbide
inserts for the bigger sizes. Most of the
tools were supplied with hydraulic drives,
due to a more stable working torque.
Dragados Offshore thus worked all weld
preps in hard alloy tubes with Protem
portable bevellers.
The most important advantage of this
method was a noticeable increase in
productivity. The enhanced accuracy and
repeatability of these machines leads to
a reduction in the number of components
needing to be scrapped and a reduction in
the number of weld defects.
Accurate end profiles mean that more
advanced welding processes can be
employed. Many automated welding
systems need very accurate fit-up, and are
very unforgiving if there are inaccuracies in
the weld preparation.
If an estimator can judge more accurately
the time taken to perform end profiles, the
total time allowed for the operation can be
more easily quantified.
This makes it easier to calculate labour
costs and make a correct price quote. In
most cases therefore it is of considerable
benefit for companies to invest in the most
advanced equipment available to enhance
quality and productivity.
Protem GmbH – Germany
Fax: +49 7247 9393 33
Email:
Website:
› Protem’s portable tube cutting and pipe
bevelling machine
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