TPT May 2016

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24 May 2016
T E CHNOLOG Y
Kusakabe introduces new test piece milling
cutting saw for pipe producers
KUSAKABE Electric & Machinery
Co, Japan, is a tube and pipe mill
builder. It recently introduced a newly
developed milling saw for cutting test
pieces required for 16" OD API OCTG
production at Tube 2016.
the first test piece cutting milling
type saw was successfully installed and
commissioned in late 2015 at one of
the largest API OCTG manufacturers in
the USA. Kusakabe has supplied three
flying-type milling cut-off machines to
this customer, and this test piece cutting
saw is the fourth machine order awarded
to Kusakabe by the customer.
Kusakabe has also delivered more
than twenty flying-type milling cut-
off machines to numerous customers
worldwide and has extensive cutting
experience and know-how accumulated
over 55 years. The same cutting
technology is used in the stationary test
piece cutting saw.
The test piece cutting saw is the
stationary dual blade milling type and
the test pieces are used for destructive
and tensile testing, and cutting out
UST defects. These test pieces are
automatically cut by the saw, which is
integrated into the conveyor system
after the pipe mill flying cut-off. the
pipe length required for test pieces is
added to the nose and tail of the pipe
containing the butt weld, which also
includes a full length of good tube. This
tube is delivered to the test piece cutting
saw using the feeding conveyor, which
was supplied by the customer.
When the pipe reaches the feeding
conveyor it is accurately positioned
using an encoder-controlled feeding
mechanism. The good tube is cut to
the correct length, then two test pieces
required for destructive testing are cut
from each side of the butt weld.
After cutting the test pieces, the good
pipe is returned to the conveyor system,
the pipe containing the butt weld is sent
to the scrap bay and the test pieces are
safely delivered to the operator’s side of
the machine through a delivery chute.
One test piece is also taken from the
middle of each coil of strip for destructive
testing. The cycle time for cutting the
test pieces is much shorter than the
typical band saw that is in common use.
As a result, destructive testing can be
conducted faster, saving time and giving
mill operators more timely feedback. The
shortest test piece cut length is 100mm
or less for any OD within the machine’s
specified range, thereby saving material.
Added to this is the material saved by
being able to accurately cut a length of
good pipe from the pipe containing the
test pieces and the butt weld.
Kusakabe has also announced that
two more orders have been received
for the test piece cutting saw from the
largest steel manufacturer in Japan
for its API seamless tube plant. These
machines are scheduled for delivery to
the customer’s factory in 2017. Despite
the recent slump in the API OCTG
market, the customer has considered
the test piece cutting saws a worthy
investment.
Kusakabe also presented recent
developments in rotary sizing tech-
nology with actual tube samples on
show at Tube Düsseldorf 2016. RSMs
have been in operation in API tubing
and casing lines for several years,
achieving improvements in OD ovality
right up to the end of the pipe. Due to
the improvement of ovality, the rotary
sizing technology is being used for the
manufacture of conveyor roller tubing.
the RsM provides a cost-effective
method of achieving the OD ovality
required using a method known as
ultra-precision sizing.
The increased improvement in ovality
provides the opportunity for conveyor
rollers to run at higher speeds with less
noise and bearing wear. Rotary sizing
technology offers many opportunities
for tube and pipe manufacturers to
supply precision tubular products at
a similar cost to the standard tubular
products.
Total engineering of the tube and pipe
manufacturing process is a Kusakabe
speciality.
The knowledge and experience
that has been developed over the
past 55 years provides innovative
pipe manufacturing equipment and
technologies from the strip entry to the
packing machine and everything in-
between.
the company provides a com-
prehensive range of tube and pipe mills
and associated equipment to meet the
industry’s needs, from the manufacture
of aluminium radiator tubes to large
pipe mills for the oil, gas and structural
market sectors.
Kusakabe Electric & Machinery Co
– Japan
Email:
Website:
The newly developed milling saw from Kusakabe