TPT May 2012

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Industry News
6 May 2012
Zhejiang Kingland orders
energy-efficient spiral pipe
welding line
ZHEJIANG Kingland Pipe Industry, province
of Zhejiang, China, awarded PWS, an SMS
Meer company, both Germany, a contract
for the supply of off-line spiral pipe welding
equipment.
PWS will supply an integrated system
solution, consisting of a spiral pipe forming
and tack-welding machine for forming and
initial welding of the hot-rolled steel strip,
and the three downstream off-line finish-
welding stands. The new installation is to
be commissioned in the second quarter of
2013.
Zhejiang Kingland will have the option of
adding a fourth finish-welding stand at a later
stage. This would increase annual capacity
from above 180,000 tons to some 240,000
tons. Michael Stark, CEO of PWS, said:
“Installation of an additional finish-welding
stand was included in our engineering
planning from the start, as it would permit
a significant increase in production capacity,
with no interruption to ongoing operation.”
Another highlight is the energy-efficient
high-productivity welding technology
available from PWS. Energy savings
are claimed to be more than 30 per cent
compared to older welding methods. In the
new PWS technology, the welding-current
sources operate without transformers, while
process control is accomplished by means
of a modern power electronics module. The
welding machines thus attain an efficiency
of over 90 per cent, and welding speed
can be significantly raised with no loss of
process stability.
Zhejiang Kingland will be able to produce
pipes with outer diameters from 508 to
1,626mm (20" to 64") and wall thicknesses
ranging from 6.35 to 25.4mm (¼" to 1") on
its new off-line spiral pipe welding machine.
Pipe lengths range between 8 and 12.5m.
PWS GmbH – Germany
Website:
Sandvik celebrates 150 year
steel production anniversary
THIS year marks the 150th anniversary of
steel production by Sandvik, and this was
celebrated on the company’s stand at Tube
2012 in Düsseldorf. A central feature of the
stand was amodel of the Vasa, a 17th Century
Swedish maritime treasure and subject of
an on-going research and development
collaboration between the Vasa Museum
and Sandvik. This collaboration is facilitating
the essential replacement of 5,000 iron bolts
with highly advanced stainless steel bolts in
order to preserve the structural integrity of
the vessel well into the future.
Sandvik offers materials technology
solutions for demanding applications in
some of the most arduous environments.
Its research and development capability
has resulted in the introduction of the latest
hyper-duplex stainless steel for demanding
sub-sea applications and zirconium tubing
for the nuclear industry.
In heat exchanger applications,
hyper-duplex tubes significantly outlast
alternatives, not only proving cost effective
throughout their life cycle, but also
increasing operational plant uptime. It is
claimed that by replacing carbon steel tubes
with Sandvik SAF 2707 HD® tubes, the rate
of corrosion is reduced to one
tenth.
A plant using heat
exchangers with the Sandvik
tubes would be capable of
operating for ten yearswithout
maintenance shutdowns or
tube replacements.
Designed to help reduce
machining requirements in
component manufacture as well as reduce
overall component weight, Sandvik hollow
bar products were also displayed at Tube
2012, including duplex material grades. The
use of this material, especially in the Sanmac
form, can increase component production
capability as well as cut down on waste
material. A converter tool is available, as an
app for iPhone and iPad, that calculates the
money saved when switching from bar to
hollow bar.
Sandvik’s powder metallurgy products are
manufactured by the hot isostatic pressing
process, which allows the production of
complete geometrically intricate products
that offer excellent resistance to corrosion
and outstanding mechanical properties.
The company maintains a stock of popular
tube material grades and sizes throughout
its strategically located distribution and
manufacturing centres worldwide, ensuring
reliable and efficient product supply via its
global distribution network.
Sandvik Materials Technology – Sweden
Fax: +46 26 25 17 10
Website:
Stainless steel tube supply
from Sandvik