TPI April 2011

Fi t t ings & valves

Market for iron and steel fittings in Germany

Research and Markets has added ‘The 2011 Import and Export Market for Iron and Steel Tube and Pipe Fittings in Germany’ report to its range. On the demand side, exporters and strategic planners focusing on iron and steel tube and pipe fittings in Germany face a number of questions. Which countries are supplying iron and steel tube and pipe fittings to Germany? How important is Germany compared to others in terms of the entire global

and regional market? How much do the imports of iron and steel tube and pipe fittings vary from one country of origin to another in Germany? On the supply side, Germany also exports iron and steel tube and pipe fittings. Which countries receive the most exports from Germany? How are these exports concentrated across buyers? What is the value of these exports and which countries are the largest buyers?

The 2011 report was created for strategic planners, international marketing executives and import/export managers who are concerned with the market for iron and steel tube and pipe fittings in Germany. Key topics covered include introduction and methodology; Germany and the world market; imports in Germany; exports from Germany; and disclaimers, warrantees, and user agreement provisions.

Research and Markets – USA www.researchandmarkets.com

XXL clamps

Walter Stauffenberg, a supplier in the field of fastening technology, offers two lines of tube and pipe clamps for XXL applications. Pipe clamps in the ‘heavy’ series to DIN 3015 are intended for securing tubes and pipes with outside diameters of up to 406mm. The clamp bodies and fastening components can be configured to suit the individual application, and the user can select between various clamp body materials as well as different mounting and fastening techniques. One advantage of the ‘heavy’ series is that its design and recess shape ensure a high retention force. The ‘engineering’ class is worth considering when the pipes to be fastened have a diameter of up to 800mm. These clamps consist of two U-shaped welded structures, plastic jaws for holding the pipe and two M30 bolts for tensioning. The clamps are available in types KS (standard), DKS for extra heavy pipes (two KS clamps welded in tandem), as well as KSV and DKSV (anchor-bolt fastening). 
The clamp is made of primed steel St37, which can be hot-dip galvanised on request. Sales engineer Frank Schröder commented, “Because these are stan- dard clamps made of steel, the components in the KS series can, in principle, have extremely large

Clamps made of PP-AC material reduce crevice corrosion

KS series clamps in standard dimensions are suitable for diameters between 220 and 800mm

dimensions. Once, for instance, we supplied clamps for pipes with a diameter of more than one metre.” The nine construction sizes with four or five pipe supports allow flexible adaptation to a wide variety of pipes. The company has also developed a material for clamp bodies that delays the formation of crevice corrosion, a problem that affects pipelines, especially in rough environments such as offshore facilities. Aggressive salt water penetrates the gap between the pipe and the clamp body, causing corrosion within the joint. Even pipelines made of stainless steel soon show obvious signs of pitting and grooving in the metal.

throughout the system, this develops into cracks and leakages in the pipe.

Salt spray tests according to EN ISO 9227:2006 have verified that the formation of crevice corrosion is markedly delayed when the clamps are made of PP-AC. This means that the servicing intervals for facilities in onshore and offshore industries can be extended, minimising maintenance work. The dimensions of the PP-AC clamp bodies correspond to DIN 3015. All the fastening components, such as bolts, welding plates and mounting rails, are also available in stainless steel grades A2 and A4.

Walter Stauffenberg GmbH & Co KG – Germany

When intensified by the impact of tensile forces and inherent vibrations

sales@stauff.com www.stauff.com

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Tube Products International April 2011

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