TPI July 2011

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The World of Tube & Pipe Products, Materials & Ancillaries

July 2011

h GRP Pipe Systems

Fit for open cut, above ground and trenchless installation methods such as pipe jacking, microtunneling and sliplining in the following fields of application:

Sewage Potable Water Irrigation Drainage Hydro Power Thermal Cooling Sea Outlets Industry

E Engineering GmbH Pischeldorfer Str. 128 | 9020 Klagenfurt | Austria T +43.463.48 24 24 | F +43.463.48 21 21 info@hobas.com | www.hobas.com

Longer up to 12 m

WE DON’T STOP GROWING Our company started in 1954 producing stainless steel pipes. Within a few years, the product range was extended to include fittings, pipe spools and pressure vessels. The range of materials used was extended to duplex, super duplex and superaustenitic grades, as well as nickel alloys, titanium and zirconium. We are continually investing in new equipment to increase our capacities and to extend the range of our products. Special alloys resistant to corrosion and high temperatures are our specialities. Today we have reached a new goal starting the new production of double length welded pipes and heavy wall thicknesses.

60 mm

Thicker up to

Our experience looks ahead!

caps

pipes

elbows

tees

stub ends

reducers

pipe spools

? special products

STAINLESS STEELS - NICKEL ALLOYS - T I TANIUM - ZIRCONIUM

OFFICINE ORSI S.p.A. Villaggio Francolino 20080 CARPIANO [Milano] Italy Phone + 39 02.98.50.95.1 Fax + 39 02.981.54.52 orsi@officineorsi.com

S TA I N L E S S S T E E L S - N I C K E L A L L O Y S - T I TA N I U M www.officineorsi.com

SKH-Anzeige-07-2010-RZ:SKH-Flyer ExStock-03/05-RZ1 22.02.11 10:20 Seite 1

❚ Stainless ❚ Alloy ❚ Carbon ❚ Stainless ❚ Alloy ❚ Carbon ❚ Stainless

Your Master Distributor for ❚ Seamless Stainless Steel Tubes - Stock grades: TP304/L, 316/L, 316Ti, 904L, Duplex and Super Duplex; for high-temperature services grade TP304/H, 321/H, 347/H; for heat resistant grade TP310/S ❚ Seamless Unalloy/Alloy Steel Tubes - Stock grades: Grade B+C, X42, P11, P22, P5 and P91; P235GH TC1/TC2, 16Mo3, 13CrMo4-5, 10CrMo9-10, X10CrMoVNb9-1 (boiler tubes for pressure application) ❚ Seamless Carbon Steel Tubes - Stock grades: Seamless Heavy Wall Steel Tubes, grade E355 (mechanicals); Hollow Sections, grade S355J2H (structurals); Seamless Cold-Drawn Precision and Hydraulic Steel Tubes, grade E235 and E355 (automotive, instrumentation and construction)

Stahlkontor Hahn Division of ThyssenKrupp MetalServ GmbH Borsigstraße 2 · 40880 Ratingen · Germany

Phone +49-2102-402.201 · Fax +49-2102-402.263 email: info@s-k-h.com · internet: www.s-k-h.com

Editorial Office: Editor

Mr Rory McBride Email: rory@intras.co.uk

Editorial Assistant

Mr Christian Bradley Email: christian@intras.co.uk

Design & Production

Ms Lisa Benjamin Email: lisa@intras.co.uk

Publisher

Ms Caroline Sullens

Founder

Mr John C Hogg

Advertisement Material & Production:

Ms Liz Hughes

Email: liz@intras.co.uk Email: andrea@intras.co.uk

Ms Andrea McIntosh

International Advertising Sales:

Ms Tracey Callaghan Email: tracey@intras.co.uk • Tel: +44 1926 834688 Mr Doug Zirkle – USA, Canada, S. America Email: doug@intras.co.uk • Tel: +1 203 794 0444 Ms Hendrike Morriss – Verkauf & Marketing (Deutschland, Osterreich, Schweiz) Email: hendrike@intras.co.uk • Tel: +44 1926 834687 Ms Giuliana Benedetto – Vendite & Marketing (Italia) Email: giuliana@intras.co.uk • Tel: +44 1926 834686 Ms Linda Li – 中国大陆，台湾，香港以及远东地区销售代表 Email: linda@intras.co.uk • Tel: +44 1926 834685 Ms Jeroo Vandrevala – Indian Sales (English, Hindi & Gujarati speaking) Email: jeroo@intras.co.uk • Tel: +91 33 24070701

Subscriptions: Subscriptions Manager

Ms Liz Hughes Email: liz@intras.co.uk Tel: +44 1926 334137

Accounts Manager

Mr Richard Babbedge Email: richard.b@intras.co.uk

Tube Products INTERNATIONAL is published by Intras Ltd, UK Europe: 46 Holly Walk, Leamington Spa Warwickshire CV32 4HY, UK

Tel: +44 1926 334137 • Fax: +44 1926 314755 Email: intras@intras.co.uk Website: www.intras.co.uk

USA:

E DITORIAL O NLY Ms Dorothy Fabian

272 First Avenue, Apt 12G, New York, NY 10009, USA Tel: +1 212 614 9266 • Fax: +1 212 614 9266 Email: dfabian@rcn.com Intras Ltd, Jeroo Vandrevala Subarna (Ground Floor) P21/N, Block A New Alipore, Kolkata 700 053, India Tel: +91 33 2407 07 01 • Fax: +91 33 2407 07 00 Email: jeroov@vsnl.com

India:

INTRAS INTRAS LIMITED

Copies are also available to members of the International Tube Association

© 2011 Intras Ltd, UK ISSN 1755-7216

US copies only: Tube Products INTERNATIONAL is published quarterly by INTRAS Ltd and distributed in the US by DSW, 75 Aberdeen Road, Emigsville, PA 17318-0437. Periodicals postage paid at Emigsville, PA. Postmaster: send address changes to Tube Products INTERNATIONAL, PO Box 0437 Emigsville PA 17318-0437

Tube Products INTERNATIONAL Magazine 46 Holly Walk, Leamington Spa, Warwickshire CV32 4HY, UK Tel: +44 1926 334137 • Fax: +44 1926 314755 • Email: tpi@intras.co.uk www.tubeproductsinternational.com

July 2011

Contents

8 Business & Market News 28 Products & Developments 44 Show Feature: Tube Southeast ASIA 2011 46 Feature: Valves 52 Show Feature: EMO 2011 54 Feature: Corrosion Resistant Tubes & Pipes 59 Company Focus 63 Editorial Index 64 Advertisers Index

13-15 September Bangkok, Thailand

The World of Tube & Pipe Products, Materials & Ancillaries

Whenyouhave finishedwith thismagazineplease recycle it

events calendar

The enthusiasm of youth Welcome to the latest issue of Tube Products International , which includes features on corrosion resistant pipes and also a special focus on valves as well as all the information and contacts you will need if you are visiting the next two big shows coming up on the calendar – EMO Hannover or Tube Southeast ASIA. The Intras team will (of course) be offering our support to both of these fine events as well as the China (Guangzhou) Tube & Pipe Industry Exhibition which is set to begin shortly – along with Tubotech in Brazil in October. Personally, my next show is FABTECH in Chicago and – of course – our preparations have already started to gather pace for the biggest tube show of them all – Tube Düsseldorf – which is now under a year away. One show that has caught our attention recently is the TOLExpo in Paris, which a few members of the team will be visiting for the first time this November. It’s the fourth time the show has taken place and it looks like being an impressive turn out in terms of exhibitors (more than 200 at the last count). However, what I particuarly like about the show is that, in addition to the usual networking opportunities, it has a big focus on getting student engineers and young people from the tube and metal sheet-related industries involved in a very hands on way. The Tol&Design Challenge has been created to highlight the expertise of the young people who are studying or training in various aspects of the tube and sheet metal industry and aims to promote these subjects and the production chain itself, by bringing students together to work on an industrial project from start to finish. It also creates an opportunity for the students to present their expertise to industry professionals by creating finished products – in this case a chair – using precise specifications. A brilliant way for young people in the industry to learn about the entire process from start to finish and an initiative to be applauded. Next issue we will be focusing on steel pipes, tubes for the automotive industry and our show feature will be on FABTECH – so please get in touch with any news or products you have by the deadline of 12 August. Rory McBride Editor

2011 13-15 September

Tube Southeast Asia International Exhibition www.tube-southeastasia.com

19-24 September

EMO Hannover International Exhibition www.emo-hannover.de Tubotech (Brazil) International Exhibition www.cipanet.com.br

4-6 October

14-17 November

FABTECH / AWS Welding Show International Exhibition www.fabtechexpo.com

15-18 November

TOLExpo (Paris) International Exhibition www.tolexpo.com

2012 26-30 March

Tube Düsseldorf International Exhibition www.tube.de

May

Tube Russia International Exhibition www.metallurgy-tube-russia.com

25-28 September

Tube China International Exhibition www.mdna.com EuroBlech (Germany) International Exhibition www.euroblech.com Tube India International Exhibition www.mdna.com

23-27 October

30 October – 1 November

2013 January

Tube Arabia International Exhibition www.mdna.com

For further information on any of the above events please contact INTRAS Limited UK office (address and contact details on page 4)

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TUBE PRODUCTS INTERNATIONAL July 2011

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news business & market Buy-out creates new future for iNPIPE products

Peter Fretwell, Gavin Newall, Darren Williams, Keith Appleton and Simon Bell

The company is also able to work with clients to produce tailor-made products alongside its standardised range, and bespoke manufacture accounts for approximately 25% of its business. As oil prices continue to rise, sales director Gavin Newall reflects on how this affects the company’s hopes for the near future: “Over the next two years we’d like to see the company grow to twice its current size, consolidating our position in the market place and moving the company forward into more service- orientated products.”

turnover and profits year on year, and has significant development and further recruitment planned for the next 12 months. From its headquarters in North Yorkshire, England, iNPIPE Products designs, manufactures and hires an array of ‘pigging’ pipeline maintenance and testing equipment and services. The Pig Signaller, its first patent, was developed with omni-directional properties. This is of particular importance when orientating the signaller on the pipeline because with an iNPIPE Products omni-directional trigger it is impossible to install the trigger unit incorrectly.

International Pipeline Products Ltd has been acquired as part of a management buy-out supported by private equity investor Meridian Equity. The company, which is known internationally under the brand name, iNPIPE Products™, has been acquired for an undisclosed sum from parent company Pan-Atlanta Developments Limited, to accelerate the growth of the business into new premises required for rapid expansion. iNPIPE Products, a member of energy sector business development organisation NOF Energy, has been a supplier to major operators and international contractors for over 25 years and continues to grow. The company has increased worldwide

inPIPe Products – UK uksales@inpipeproducts.co.uk www.inpipeproducts.com

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Tube ProducTs InTernaTIonal July 2011

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news business & market

Alfa Laval acquires heat exchanger company – Olmi SpA

Alfa Laval’s equipment, systems and services are dedicated to assisting customers in optimising the performance of their processes. The solutions help them to heat, cool, separate and transport products in industries that produce food and beverages, chemicals and petrochemicals, pharmaceuticals, starch, sugar and ethanol. Its products are also used in power plants, aboard ships, in the mechanical engineering industry, in the mining industry and for wastewater treatment, as well as for comfort climate and refrigeration applications.

Olmi has sales of around SEK 700mn, with approximately 240 employees working in R&D, manufacturing and sales. The transaction was completed based on an enterprise value of approximately SEK 500mn, and the purchase agreement includes a limited earn-out opportunity for the seller. The intention is to integrate Olmi into Alfa Laval as a competence centre based on its unique know-how. Olmi SpA has been a family owned business since 1933, with offices and manufacturing unit located in Suisio near Bergamo in northern Italy. Named after Roland Tibbetts, who was instrumental in developing the SBIR programme, the Tibbetts award is presented annually to awardees based on economic impact of their technological innovation, benefit to federal R&D needs, increased commercialisation of federal needs and diverse participation. Due to budget constraints, the award had not been issued in three years. Of the thousands of firms participating in the SBIR programme, only 44 companies were recognised with this award. Dr Jon Zuo, founder and president of ACT, and Dr William Anderson, chief engineer, accepted the award at a ceremony in Washington, DC on 15 February. Administration officials including Karen Mills, SBA administrator, and Aneesh Chopra, chief technology officer of the United States, addressed the award ceremony. A private reception was later held at the White House. “This is a proud day not only for Advanced Cooling Technologies, Inc, but also for the City of Lancaster,” said Sean Greene, SBA’s associate administrator for investment and senior

Alfa Laval, a specialist in heat transfer, centrifugal separation and fluid handling, has acquired Italian company Olmi SpA, which designs and manufactures shell & tube heat exchangers and air coolers for niche applications in the petrochemical, power and oil & gas industries. Lars Renström, president and CEO of the Alfa Laval Group, commented, “The acquisition of Olmi will substantially strengthen our platform to expand into the high pressure, high temperature heat exchanger market. At the same time, Alfa Laval’s strong global presence allows us to take the offering to new geographical markets and customers.” Advanced Cooling Technologies, Inc (ACT), a thermal solutions provider, has received a Tibbetts Award from the Small Business Administration (SBA). SBA presents the awards nationally to small companies and individuals that have advanced technical innovation and economic growth through its Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) programme. ACT’s Tibbetts Award recognises the company’s work in meeting the US government’s needs for advanced thermal management systems and commercialising the technologies in diverse applications. ACT was specifically noted for its development of constant conductance heat pipe products and technology. The now multi-million dollar business initiated from a 2005 SBIR grant to investigate heat pipe heat exchangers for manned spacecraft. ACT has successfully marketed this technology in the aerospace/satellite industry and is now an industry-wide recognised supplier of these critical thermal control components.

Alfa Laval Group – Sweden www.alfalaval.com

National award for innovation and economic growth

adviser for innovation. “Companies like ACT represent the best in American ingenuity.” Profitable since inception in 2003, ACT has been recognised as one of the fastest 50 growing companies in Central Pennsylvania in three of the last four years. ACT is a developer and manufacturer of advanced heat pipes, pumped liquid and two-phase loops, and thermal storage devices. The company specialises in technology development and custom thermal product design and manufacturing, and its technologies have been used in applications from spacecraft thermal control to catalytic reactor cooling to medical surgery temperature control. ACT’s quality system is certified to ISO9001:2008 and AS9100-B. The company currently serves customers worldwide in aerospace, military, com- mercial, and government R&D markets.

Advanced Cooling Technologies, Inc – USA

info@1-act.com www.1-act.com

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July 2011 Tube Products International

news business & market

New event targets suppliers of construction

Workshops will cover practical applications of techniques, including rules and regulations relating to funding and training on logistics. AidEx is committed to helping professionals within the international aid community work more closely together. Ensuring that the needs of the whole community are met, the organisers have set up a steering committee to guide event content. Members include key representatives from leading NGOs and businesses, including Pierre Boulet-Desbareau from Médecins Sans Frontières, Mike Goodhand from The British Red Cross, Amjid Illahi from Islamic Relief Worldwide and Phillip Hoare from Sightsavers International. Centaur Exhibitions – UK nicholas.rutherford@centaur.co.uk www.aid-expo.co.uk

date. This is the perfect opportunity for companies that supply services to the humanitarian aid sector to get in front of decision-makers and showcase their latest products.” AidEx will feature displays of equipment at set intervals throughout the two day event, with demonstrations on how to operate radios, build temporary structures and use water pumps, enabling visitors to learn about the latest aid-related products, technologies and services. In addition, AidEx will provide delegates with learning opportunities through conferences, workshops and seminars. Conferences will explore the latest issues in policy, funding and sourcing, such as transparency, use of local suppliers and advances in communications technology.

Suppliers of construction products and services can take advantage of a new exhibition for the humanitarian sector, held in Brussels from 19 to 20 October 2011. Aimed at helping to improve the delivery of aid, AidEx will consist of an exhibition, conference, demonstrations and workshops. It will provide suppliers of construction with a unique platform to engage directly with buyers from governmental and intergovernmental agencies and NGOs. Event director Nicholas Rutherford explained why the introduction of AidEx arrives at a pivotal time in the current climate: “Increasing economic pressure, combined with a growing scrutiny of foreign aid, has meant the humanitarian aid community must achieve its most effective deployment of budgets to

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Tube Products International July 2011

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news business & market

PVC design and installation user-manual

Engineers and contractors involved in the design and installation of PVC piping systems are now able to benefit from a new manual that has been launched by DPI Plastics, a manufacturer of water reticulation, drainage and pipe-fitting systems. The ‘Design Guidelines for PVC Pressure Pipe Systems’ manual is an updated version of the company’s previous ‘Pressure Manual’, and includes additional information on new PVCO technology, guidelines on solvent cement welding, modifications to references of standards and an introduction to the code of ethics and conduct drawn up by the South African Plastic Pipe Manufacturers Association (SAPPMA), of which the company is a founding member. DPI Plastics technical and product manager for pressure pipe systems, Renier Snyman, pointed out that the manual is provided free-of-charge to all DPI Plastics clients: “The Design Guidelines for PVC Pressure Pipe Systems manual is ideally-suited to design engineers, municipal engineers and contractors installing piping systems, and is available for free in CD format, and online.” Mr Snyman added that the manual serves as a one-stop guide for all the relevant and comprehensive information relating to PVC pipes. “The guidelines in the manual cover the physical properties, design requirements, chemical resistance, correct laying methods and advice on installation, in

Pipe in service

PVC pipes are being used more and more often for underground purposes

showing power consumption, material efficiency and pumping costs for various piping systems so that informed, planet- friendly choices can be made. Mr Snyman commented that the new manual is also more user-friendly: “The previous manual contained up to 30 flow and friction charts, catering to each pipe size. This created a cluttered effect and, as a result, we decided to replace these charts with nomograms containing typical pipe sizes for PVCU, PVCM and PVCO products, making it more user- friendly and easier to understand.”

one concise manuscript that will benefit numerous industry players.”

The 48-page manual serves as a new- and-improved version of DPI Plastics’ previous manual, which was launched in 2000 when PVCM was the product- of-choice in the plastic piping market. Since then, however, PVCO has been introduced to the Southern African market and, as a result, the manual includes detailed information on the new technology. Also added to the manual are sections on ‘green’ issues, which are more important to engineers and desi ners today, compared to a decade ago. The manual includes tables of comparison

1/4-Seite (60 x 180 mm) Satzspiegel (Tube & Pipe Technology + TubeProducts Int.)

dPI Plasti s – South Africa headoffice@dpiplastics.co.za www.dpiplastics.co.za

PVC pipeline installation

www.boilertubes.de Pipes . Tubes . Services

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news business & market

Caspian Pipeline control systems project awarded

in our capabilities. Our management and business development teams have been very proactive during the contract review process over the past several months. This includes developing a detailed project plan and accounting for schedules, arranging office accommodations, and staging of the panels and buildings. This award from CPC is particularly relevant as we target work internationally.” The Caspian Pipeline Consortium, owned and operated by governments and international oil and gas companies, is a pipeline that originates in Kazakhstan and routes through Russia. In December 2010 shareholders and governing bodies of CPC announced the unanimous approval of a $5.4 billion expansion of the Caspian pipeline. The capacity of the 900-mile (1,500km) pipeline, which carries crude oil from Western Kazakhstan to a dedicated terminal in the Black Sea, will increase to 1.4 million barrels per day from its current capacity of 730,000 barrels per day.

and two existing pump stations, start- up and commissioning services for the local control systems and valves. It is anticipated that ENGlobal will perform the engineering and procurement services in the US on a lump sum basis. On a time-and-material, not-to-exceed basis, the company will be responsible for the start-up and commissioning of each pump station as well as conducting on-site training on the panels in Russia and Kazakhstan. As previously announced in 2000, ENGlobal (formerly known as IDS Engineering) supplied, designed, pro- grammed and integrated programmable control hardware for the design phase of CPC pump stations. Edward L Pagano, president and chief executive officer of ENGlobal, commented, “We are pleased to receive this follow-on award from CPC and we appreciate their continued confidence polyvanced, a German tubing manufacturer, attained a production record in March 2011. For the first time in the company’s history, more than five million metres of tubing were produced at the production site in Ceská Lípa. “We rented new facilities and started extensive adaptation measures,” commented polyvanced CEO Dr Robert Mayr. “In the future we are prepared for an annual output of more than 80 million metres of tubing.” Sales manager Matthias Strehl said, “Together with our customers we find the optimum solution for their requirements in tubing technology. In many cases we can also offer alternative materials. If the standard product range turns out to be insufficient we also draw up a customised project on the basis of the customer’s performance specification. Our product development process and our experienced team enable short project lead times and reliable results.”

ENGlobal, a provider of engineering and related project services, has been awarded an engineering, procurement and commissioning services agreement from the Caspian Pipeline Consortium (CPC). Granted under two contracts, one to the Russian Federation and one to the Republic of Kazakhstan, the three-phase award is expected to have a total value of approximately $86mn over four years. Under the Russian Federation contract, ENGlobal’s scope includes engineering, procuring equipment, buildings, programming, and fabrication of 230 control system panels for eight new pump stations and the upgrade of three existing pump stations, storage facilities and marine terminal. The contract for Republic of Kazakhstan consists of engineering, procuring equipment, buildings, and fabrication of 78 control system panels for two new

ENGlobal – USA r@englobal.com www.englobal.com

Extension after production record

additional facilities at the production site of Ceská Lípa. Currently, connections for power supply are increased, approval processes are on the brink of conclusion, and the roof of one of the adapted rooms will soon be lifted. “Among other things, we are creating space for a vertically operating tube coating machine,” said Mr Strehl. Extension measures are expected to be finished in the autumn.

polyvanced GmbH – Germany matthias.strehl@polyvanced.com www.polyvanced.com

The polyvanced extrusion hall in Ceská Lípa

To be able to execute all incoming orders in future, polyvanced rented

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Tube Products International July 2011

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Crew of adventurers cross the Atlantic on raft of pipes

I came on the adventure, and it has been absolutely mind-blowing and wonderful. I cannot use enough superlatives, and would not hesitate to do the same again.” When they departed from the Canaries in January, the team hoped to make it to the Bahamas, but bad weather mid-Ocean slowed progress and time constraints meant they had to choose a new location to complete their adventure. The team hopes to raise £50,000 for WaterAid. Rebecca Poyntz, events fundraising manager, said, “We’re so grateful to the crew of the An-Tiki for their support, and for helping spread the message of clean water and sanitation across the globe. They have already raised enough for WaterAid to transform the lives of hundreds of people by improving access to safe water, sanitation and hygiene. Anthony and crew are keeping the spirit of adventure alive.”

world’s poorest communities to improve access to safe water, sanitation and hygiene education. Mr Smith, a formerBBCTomorrow’sWorld presenter and science correspondent, who developed the An-Tiki project, said, “We are looking forward to eating fresh food and enjoying some of life’s little luxuries again. But the excitement is tinged with some sadness as the arrival means saying goodbye to our trusty partner, the good raft An-Tiki, who has so steadfastly looked after us on this journey. We’ll also miss the incredible sights and sounds of life at sea, sunrises and sunsets, incredible wildlife, the camaraderie and that special space and solitude that ocean goers come to love.” John Russell, 61, from Gloucestershire, England, wrote on the An-Tiki blog: “I have to admit that I did have some concerns before setting out, but am really glad that

An-Tiki, a raft made of polyethylene pipes and a pig shelter, and her intrepid crew of four ‘mature’ adventurers including an 85-year-old grandfather from London, have defied sceptics by successfully crossing the Atlantic Ocean. Writer and adventurer Anthony Smith and his three- man crew – aged from 56 to 61 years old – arrived at St Martin in the Caribbean, having safely sailed 3,000 miles across the second largest ocean in the world. During their 66 days at sea the crew battled bad weather, a broken rudder and lumbers of freight boats sailing too close for comfort. They also baked fresh bread every day, studied plankton with their on-board microscope and celebrated Mr Smith’s 85 th birthday with a chocolate cake and a tin of pineapple chunks. The crew have also raised thousands of pounds for the international charity WaterAid, which works with some of the

WaterAid – UK www.wateraid.org

An-Tiki – UK www.an-tiki.com

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news business & market

Bushwick Metals announces three promotions President of Bushwick Metals LLC, Rick Perlen, has announced the promotion of three executives.

Koons Steel. He is responsible for sales, purchasing and administrative functions. Mr Lichtman started at Bushwick Metals in 1998, and was most recently the regional director of Bushwick-Fisher and Bushwick-Koons. He holds an associate degree from the City University of New York. “Bushwick’s growth and optimism for the future are largely due to talented leaders like these men,” said Mr Perlen. “They have each demonstrated outstanding performance throughout their tenure with the company.” Bushwick Metals LLC, based in Bridgeport, Connecticut, USA, is a distributor of carbon steel, hi-strength- low alloy steel, stainless steel, and speciality products. The firm is an affiliate of Marmon/Keystone LLC of Butler, Pennsylvania, a distributor of steel and aluminium tubular products. Both firms are Marmon Distribution Services/ Berkshire Hathaway companies and members of The Marmon Group, an international association of 130 business units that operate independently within diverse business sectors. Bushwick Metals LLC – USA sales@bushwickmetals.com www.bushwickmetals.thomaswebs.net Investment success Ilta Inox, an Arvedi Group company that operates in the stainless steel tube sector, closed its 2010 balance sheet with a turnover that has risen to €200mn. A €50mn investment programme concluded in 2010 helped the company to become one of the world’s most important laser-welded stainless steel tube manufacturers, with a capacity of over 70,000 tons/year. The investments mainly concerned the modernisation of the welding lines and annealing and pickling plants, and have ensured a 30% increase in productivity.

John Schudy has advanced fromdirector of operations, a post he has held since starting with Bushwick in 1997, to vice president of operations. He will oversee operations at all of Bushwick’s facilities. Mr Schudy obtained his bachelor’s degree in industrial distribution from Clarkson University, and also holds an MBA in strategic management from Pace University. Stewart Lichtman is now the regional commercial vice president of Bushwick- Fisher Steel Company and Bushwick-

Gary Magnotti is promoted to vice president of finance/controller. In this position, he will oversee accounting, human resources, credit and information systems for Bushwick’s 12 facilities. Mr Magnotti joined Bushwick in 2004 as the company controller, and holds a bachelor’s degree in accounting from Bryant College.

Ilta Inox SpA – Italy sales@ilta.arvedi.it www.arvedi.it

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Pipeline protection heading for Edinburgh

with the aim of bringing together leading authorities from commercial, academic and regulatory backgrounds to share and extend knowledge and understanding. The organisers have issued a call for papers for the 2012 conference and are seeking unpublished papers covering a range of disciplines. Contributions are welcomed in the form of technical papers or case studies on all aspects of pipeline protection including current techniques and new developments. Case studies that present learning experiences gained from solving real problems and meeting new challenges are always identified by delegates as providing some of the most valuable content to the conference. The programme will include papers covering: field joint coatings; internal drag reduction coatings; monitoring of and mitigation of mechanisms of deterioration: external and internal corrosion, SCC; surface preparation, external and internal coatings, including high temperature operation, cathodic protection, showing effectscomplementary tocoating; offshore applications, including high temp/high pressure, corrosion resistance in deep water insulation; operation of very large diameter water pipelines; maintenance, inline and online monitoring; rehabilitation and remediation; latest developments in multi layer technology and fusion bonded experiences.

While some of these incidents are out of the control of pipeline owners and operators, they do highlight the dependency of industry and the economy in general of these most basic of transportation networks. The investment required to plan, develop and manage these pipelines can be significant. Business pressures mean that owners and operators must plan from day one to protect and prolong the lifetime of their pipelines, maximise return on investment and ensure continuity of service. Regular inspection, monitoring, maintenance and repair, refurbishment or upgrade are all essential. At the same time, operators have to take into account environmental and sustainability concerns that are rapidly becoming global political and commercial issues. They must reduce the risks associated with failure such as pollution or loss of supply. BHR Group takes a leading role in the international pipeline industry through its contract research undertaken for major multinational oil and water businesses and by organising regular conferences. The latest of these events is its 19 th International Conference on Pipeline Protection, which will be held in Edinburgh, Scotland in September 2012. Since the first conference in 1975 the event has been held at regular intervals

There are around 2.5mn km of oil pipelines and 2.5mn km of water pipelines currently in use throughout the world, and both figures are likely to grow. Demand for oil drives exploration and production to new, and remoter, areas of the world. Population growth and the expectation of good quality water in developing countries is driving demand for infrastructure. These and other pressures will mean more and more need for pipelines. Pipelines are popular because in many applications they are themost sustainable, efficient and economical way to transport liquids, slurries and gases, but there are always potential risks. During the first few months of 2011 commercial and political events highlighted the reliance of the global community on pipelines and the issues that have to be addressed to ensure continuity of supply. In North America, for example, the US government has called for further studies on the commercial need and likely environmental impact of a proposed oil pipeline from Canada to the Gulf Coast, which will lead to delays. The on-going political unrest in the Middle East and North Africa has once again highlighted the subject of energy supply and security to countries that rely on these sources.

BHR Group Ltd – UK confx2@bhrgroup.com www.bhrconferences.com

Your Specialist in metallurgically clad Pipes

BUTTING Germany · Belgium · Brazil · Canada · China Brigitte Blechinger Sales Oil and Gas Upstream Phone: +49 5834 50-230 E-mail: brigitte.blechinger @ butting.de www.butting.com

For more than 230 years BUTTING has been supporting the customers with its skill and innovations. Since the mid-eighties we have been producing longitudinally welded, metallurgically clad pipes and have delivered more than 6,500 tons of these pipes to customers world-wide. We produce them in OD’s from 114.3 mm (4”) up to 1,219 mm (48”) in various material combinations. Progress by Tradition!

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news business & market

Pipelife plans French acquisition Pipelife has announced that it plans to acquire Alphacan’s pipe business in France.

the production know-how and market position the synergies are significant and Pipelife can further develop its plastic pipe product and system offerings to the benefit of all customers.” The operation is subject to the legal information and consultation process involving personnel representative bodies of Alphacan and Pipelife. The Pipelife Group is a 50/50 joint ven- ture between Wienerberger and Solvay. It is one of Europe’s leading plastic pipes and fittings groups, active in 27 countries and operating 26 factories. Pipelife International GmbH – Austria info@pipelife.com www.pipelife.com Doug Roy has been appointed as the western region business development manager and is responsible for providing key account management to water providers and municipal clients in California, Arizona, Nevada, Oregon, Washington, British Columbia and Alberta. Mr Roy is a professional engineer with over 23 years of water and wastewater experience, working as a consulting engineer, a regulatory engineer, a business development manager and sales manager. Mr Roy previously held management positions with Schlumberger Water Services and WaterTrax Data Management Solutions. Earlier this year Wachs Water Services announced a strategic memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Veritec Consulting Inc, a Miya Group company based in Mississauga, Ontario. Veritec provides services to the Canadian and US water and wastewater industry including water efficiency programmes, efficiency product testing, flow and pressuremonitoring,hydrantflowtesting, hydraulic modelling, metering and AMR, water loss and leakage reduction, sewer flow monitoring, infiltration and inflow and system optimisation. Under the terms of the MOU, the scope of the strategic alliance will include joint field training and cooperative marketing to customers and channels throughout the United States, Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean.

Niels Rune Solgaard-Nielsen, CEO of the Pipelife Group, commented, “This step marks an important milestone for the strategic development of the Group, aiming at number one or two position in the markets we are in. The Alphacan acquisition will make Pipelife the leader for plastic pipe systems in France, one of the largest markets in Europe, and bring the company an important step closer to reaching this goal.” Christian Gagné, managing director of Pipelife France, said, “Alphacan has a solid customer base, whose products are perfectly complementing our own product range. By combining

Alphacan France is a specialist in the development, production and marketing of PVC profile and pipe systems for the building and infrastructure market. Alphacan’s French building and infrastructure pipe activity represents annual sales of around €45mn, and involves the design, production and marketing of PVC pipes used for sanitation and drinking water underground networks as well as for soil and waste systems in buildings.

Water infrastructure specialist opens regional office in Canada

“Canadian utilities are very progressive, and our new regional office will enable us to provide a wide range of water infrastructure renewal services throughout this important region,” said Cliff Wilson, president of Wachs Water Services. “I’m excited that we have already completed our first pipeline condition assessment project in Canada. The market has responded with a high level of enthusiasm to the Investigator™ and LDS1000™ technology advantages which we offer.” To meet the growing needs of the Canadian market, Wachs Water Services has also expanded its business develop- ment team. William ‘Bill’ Jappy has been appointed region business development manager for Canada with a focus on Atlantic, Central and Prairie Provinces. Mr Jappy has a proven track record in the water pipeline industry, where he held a client manager role at the Pressure Pipe Inspection Company (PPIC), focusing on leak detection and pipeline condition assessment for a variety of industry verticals including utilities, new pipeline installation and emergency services, power generation and manufacturing. Prior to PPIC, he held a senior level position with the Quality Management Institute (QMI) of Canada.

Wachs Water Services, a provider of solutions for the management of aging water infrastructure in the United States, has opened a new regional office in Burlington, Ontario, which is part of the Greater Toronto Area. The office will be a regional hub for project management, field technicians, partner training and customer support to the company’s expanding client base in Canada. The company has worked with over 200 clients in the US over the past decade and is experiencing a rapid rate of growth due to its unique solution offerings. The company works closely with utilities to help them understand the condition and operability of aging water network assets such as distribution and transmission mains, valves, hydrants and critical GPS mapping and CMMS information. Each phase of a Wachs Water Services infrastructure renewal approach provides utilities with critical information which can be immediately applied to help reduce the number and impact of water main breaks, minimise non-revenue water loss, reduce taste and odour complaints and provide a strategy for targeted water infrastructure rehabilitation and replacement investments based on actual asset information.

Wachs Water services – USA info@wachsws.com www.wachsws.com

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news business & market

US Steel and Lambda announce technology agreement

treatments, LPB induces a very low amount of cold work, making the protective layer thermally and mechanically stable. Processing is performed using basic CNC machines or robots, allowing for quick and easy integration into manufacturing facilities. No alteration of the component’s material or design is required. LPB can be applied to a wide variety of alloys, including titanium, aluminium, nickel- based alloys and steels, and is currently in use in the aerospace, nuclear and medical industries. “The LPB process will allow US Steel Tubular Products to offer our customers a wide range of engineered product solutions with longer-lasting, more resistant parts designed to perform in situations that involve challenging field conditions,” said US Steel’s senior vice president – tubular operations, Douglas R Matthews, who also serves as president of US Steel Tubular Products. “The relationship that will result from this agreement has almost limitless possibilities,” commented Paul Prevey, chief executive officer of Lambda Technologies Group. “The combination of innovation and experience that Lambda and US Steel Tubular Products possess means that we will be able to do more than ever before to help solve material cracking and fatigue issues.” US Steel Tubular Products, Inc, has a total annual production capability of 2.8mn net tons. Energy industry customers utilise its casing, tubing, line pipe and couplings to help locate, retrieve, transport and refine oil and natural gas products. United States Steel Corporation – USA www.ussteel.com

By using LPB, US Steel Tubular Products’ pipe performance designers will be able to engineer an applied layer of high residual compression to any specific area of a tubular product. The company’s product development group and representatives from Lambda are also testing the ability of the LPB process to mitigate sulphide stress cracking in high-strength P110 grades. LPB extends component life by creating a deep, stable layer of compression in part surfaces. Unlike other surface

United States Steel Corporation has announced that its tubular products subsidiary, US Steel Tubular Products, Inc, has entered into an agreement with Surface Enhancement Technologies (SET), part of Lambda Technologies Group, to permit US Steel Tubular Products to be the exclusive tubular products manufacturer to utilise Low Plasticity Burnishing (LPB ® ), an advanced, patented technology that can be applied to a variety of tubular products to improve their performance and extend their service life.

Marmon/Keystone renews warehouse lease Tubular products wholesale distributor Marmon/Keystone has renewed the lease for 25,000ft 2 of warehouse space at its McConnellsburg, Pennsylvania facility. “This renewal shows our commitment to our customer base in the region,” commented Lou Grenci, branch manager. The lease is effective until January 2013. Marmon/Keystone inventories more than 15,000 sizes and grades of carbon, alloy, stainless and aluminium tubular and bar products. Service centres and sales offices are located throughout North America, with corporate headquarters in Butler, Pennsylvania.

Marmon/Keystone LLC – USA sales@marmonkeystone.com www.marmonkeystone.com

Premium connections for offshore operation Specialists from TMK, a global producer of pipes for the oil and gas industry, took part in lowering a tubing string with premium-class threaded connections into a well more than 2.5km deep, situated on Lukoil’s Yury Korchagin oil deposit in the Caspian Sea. The pipes were produced at TMK’s Sinarsky Pipe Plant, and the finishing threading operations were carried out at the TMK-Kaztrubprom manufacturing facility. After the running-in, the tubing string was subjected to an air-tightness test pressure of 200 atmospheres for 30 minutes. During the testing, none of the TMK pipes was rejected as defective by the customer. TMK – Russia tmk@tmk-group.com www.tmk-group.com

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Marcegaglia opens first Asian manufacturing facility

Marcegaglia’s Yangzhou plant covers 714,000m 2

100,000 tonnes of cold-drawn tubes, 70,000 tonnes of stainless steel tubes, 30,000 tonnes of refrigeration tubes and others, for applications in sectors such as automotive, energy, precision engineering and hydraulics. 60 per cent of the plant’s production will be destined for manufacturing industries in China, the world’s top consumer of high quality steel tubes. The remaining 40 per cent will serve Asian and Pacific markets such as Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Japan and Korea. The plant is equipped with eight tube welding lines, three pointing units, two coil slitters, two drawing benches, two ultrasonic inspection units, two straightening lines, a line for orbital cutting, a normalisation furnace and an automatic pickling plant.

Marcegaglia has opened its first manufacturing plant in Asia, located in Yangzhou, China. The company described the move as the most important investment from an Italian company in this country within the last ten years, and the largest production facility offering excellence in the fabrication of high precision steel tubes dedicated to the manufacturing districts of the local market as well as the Asia- Pacific region. The new manufacturing unit spreads over 714,000m 2 , and at full capacity will employ about 500 workers. The production plant is located within the Guangling Industrial Park in Yangzhou, Jiangsu. The plant was constructed in a single phase in just 11 months. Around 400,000 tonnes of stainless and carbon steel special tubes, welded and cold-drawn, will be manufactured yearly at full capacity. This will consist of 200,000 tonnes of carbon steel tubes,

around 4 million, is among China’s top growing industrial cities and is equipped with a developed infrastructural network, motorway and high-speed railways, a river ship harbour and a modern airport. The Marcegaglia group has a yearly output of over 5mn tonnes, across its operations in Europe, Asia, North and South America and the Middle East. Its 50 manufacturing plants process 5,500km of stainless and carbon steel products every day, serving more than 15,000 customers.

Marcegaglia – Italy www.marcegaglia.com

The city of Yangzhou, 370km from Shanghai and with a population of

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July 2011 Tube Products International

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Unifit awarded ‘approved manufacturer’ status by Van Leeuwen

Products from Unifit

market,” commented Okan Bozkurt, foreign trade manager of Burak Boru and Unifit Boru companies. In addition, sister company Burak Boru AS, Turkey’s largest seamless carbon

With Turkey now the world’s 11 th largest producer of raw steel, with an annual output of 25.8 million tons, Unifit AS, a manufacturer of seamless steel pipe fittings and flanges established in 2005, has an important part to play in country’s steel industry. Turkey’s leading seamless steel pipe stockist, Burak Boru Group, has announced that its group member Unifit AS has been included in the approved manufacturing list (AML) of the international industrial distributor Van Leeuwen Pipe and Tube Group, following a successful external audit. To be listed in the AML of The Van Leeuwen Pipe and Tube Group, one of the largest distributors of steel pipes and fittings with a diverse distribution network around the world, is a sign of the company’s attention to the quality policy. This approval is an important step for Unifit. Prestigious collaboration with one of the largest industrial pipe and fittings distributors is a good reference for the company and creates new collaboration opportunities. “Unifit, exporting mainly to Western Europe, Mid-East Europe, the Middle East, and Turkic Republics, belongs CE/PED, ISO 9001-2008 and AD2000 Merkblatt certificates and shows a difference in the domestic and foreign

steel pipe stockist, supplies all of Unifit’s product ranges and, despite unstable market periods and fluctuating prices, can provide the entire pipe range with highest quality. During the global crisis period at the end of 2008 and the beginning of 2009, Unifit did well to convert the crisis situation into an advantage for increasing production capacity day by day. Bearing in mind necessities and demands of its clients, Unifit has added new lines to its production pool and increased its production capacity. With new semi/fully automatic induction machines for elbows, new oil pressure cold forming tees and reducer machines, and cap forming machines, production capacity has increased to 800 tons per month. The company is now implanting forging machines for the production of forged steel flanges. Once the test production finishes for all range for all standards (EN, DIN, ASTM) the company will start mass production.

With its state-of-the-art technology installed factory and experienced staff, the company manufactures its Unifit branded products with high quality standards. All Unifit products are manufactured in accordance with Directive PED/97/23/EC – Annex I, Chapter 4.3. In addition to this certification, Unifit products are approved by AD Merkblatt 2000. With new machines, the company already produces to the most common standards, such as EN, DIN and ASTM, with a wide product range that includes seamless and welded steel elbows, equal tees, reducing tees, conc. reducers and caps. Burak Boru and Unifit Fittings conduct activity on a 70,000m 2 area, of which 30,000m 2 is covered, close to highways and cargo ports, providing a logistical advantage. The companies are based in Turkey, which is a member of the European Custom Union and in negotiations for permanent membership of the European Union, and so benefits by fiscal procedures the same as European countries. Burak Boru, occupying a leading position in the sector of seamless steel pipes, trading with its stock and sales volume, has been supporting many industrial sectors including automotive, HVAC installations, construction, and naval architecture, with the experience of 27 years in the steel sector.

Burak Boru is a leading seamless steel pipe stockist

Unifit AS – Turkey info@unifit.com.tr www.unifit.com.tr

Burak Boru AS – Turkey info@burakboru.com.tr www.burakboru.com.tr

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