TPI March 2021

ISSN: 1755-7216

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The trade magazine for tube and pipe products

March 2021

Plastic Tube: The Right Choice !

Kennedyallee 1-5 D-53175 Bonn

Tel. +49 (0)228 / 91477-0 Fax +49 (0)228 / 91477-19 kunststoffrohrverband@krv.de www.krv.de

“With the thermal 3D cutting machines for pipes, vessels and structural steel that Müller Opladen manufactures we reached our sales targets in 2020 despite the Corona virus. This shows how robust our company is and customers appreciate our 3D cutting expertise and state-of-the-art machines.”

INTERVIEW Jan Sulimma, sales director, Müller Opladen

very similar firmware on all machines worldwide and the very user-friendly Corobs HMI interface. The same applies to our powerful 3D Profile PLUS software for programming and automatic nesting of the pipes. What advantages does the customer get from Müller Opladen and Watts Mueller being together? Well, maybe first of all it gives you trust and confidence if you buy something from the company with a great track recorded in the industry, but there are plenty of other points: we can always give the customer the best fitting solution for his individual application; we combine now the best and most high-tech cutting machine technology from Germany with the most advanced and flexible logistics solutions from the US. Right now, with a weaker dollar our entry level Watts Mueller ECO series has a very competitive price. We can provide worldwide around the globe and around the clock service and support to our customers.

What kind of company is Müller Opladen and what types of machines do you specialise in? Müller Opladen is now more than 100 years old and is a third generation family-owned, traditional German machine building company. Together with our US company – Watts Mueller – we are the biggest CNC pipe profiler manufacturer worldwide. Since the 1950s we have built more than 1,500 pipe profilers, which are working in 75 countries around the world. We have essentially invented and pioneered all major developments for pipe profilers since the beginning of the concept, so we have more experience and tradition in pipe profiling than anybody else in our opinion. How did a pipe profiling company based in Germany build such strong links with a US company? We had been actively competing with Watts Specialties in the US market since 2013 and had known each other as fair competitors. In 2016 Dave Collins, the old owner of Watts Specialties, looked for a long-term solution for his retirement. When you hand over your company it is like giving your baby or kid to another family. So, you want to make sure it is in very good hands. Watts approached us and we quite quickly reached a good agreement. Müller Opladen bought into Watts Specialties, which transformed into Watts Mueller (www.watts-mueller.com). What are the advantages of Müller Opladen and Watts Mueller being together? We create a lot of synergy. First of all in marketing and sales worldwide. So we reach the market now through our distributors with a wider and more specialised product range. But as well in development, design and engineering we see already a lot of synergy effects like we are using a

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March 2021 TUBE PRODUCTS INTERNATIONAL

Business & market news Interview

Your company specialises in 3D pipe cutting solutions. What kind of cutting technique are you using in your stationary 3D pipe cutting machines? Our machines can be equipped with oxyfuel cutting or with plasma cutting systems or with both. So, in thermal cutting we provide the complete range from basic and economic oxyfuel cutting via conventional plasmas up to the laser-like high-definition or precision plasma cutting systems. We can use the full range of the two market leaders Hypertherm (USA) and Kjellberg (Germany) on our machines. Maybe in the future we get as well into fibre laser and/or waterjet cutting. What makes your 3D cutting machines special or different compared to others in the industry? I am really convinced that we have one of the best cutting technology worldwide with our unique 6-axis concept. We have six fully CNC controlled axis as standard on our machines, which gives us a variety of advantages over the common 5-axis machines on the market. As well as this our sensing technology is definitely ahead of the competition in my opinion with laser sensing as a standard feature.

Could you tell me something about the level of quality and reliability of your machines? Müller Opladen’s target has always been to manufacture the best CNC pipe profiling machines worldwide. This relates to the technology, but also to the quality and the reliability of our machines. Due to our 100-year German machine building tradition our machines are robust and built very solidly. Let me just give you two real examples: a few years ago we installed one of the worlds longest pipe profilers at our customer Dragados Offshore in Spain – with a pipe cutting length of up to 30m. Interestingly, the 32-years-old Müller machine from 1988 at Dragados is actually still cutting when they have a lot production pressure. Last year due to Corona virus we also performed our first fully remote installation of two new machines at NPCC in the UAE. These two new machines are substituting two old Müller machines, which were until then still in production from 1981 and 1974. That is almost 50 years old! Do you also have solutions for large diameter pipes or boilers and pressure vessels? Please explain the benefits. Yes, since 2013 we have offered the ideal solution for the pressure vessel industry. On our large diameter vessel and dome cutting machine the customer can cut all 3 parts of a pressure vessel (the shell and the 2 domes or tank heads or dished ends). We build the vessel and dome cutting machine in a wide range for maximum diameters from 1,200 up to 4,000mm (48 to 160"). What do you see as the advantages of your vessel profile cutting machine? 1. Save of labour cost – up to 97.5 per cent, 18 minutes instead of 12 man hours, usually factor 20. 2. Advantages of modern CNC controlled processes – precision plasma and oxyfuel cuts, CNC controlled marking. 3. Better delivery times – 1, 2, 10 or 20 vessels are manufactured much faster. 4. Better and more constant quality – more than accuracy 100 per cent, 1.5 to 2mm vs 3 to 6mm. 5. Save in welding costs – precise cuts reduce welding volume and costs by 20 to 50 per cent.

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Interview

As we were talking about pressure vessels it might be a point to mention that we can import the whole vessel and the nozzles directly and automatically from Compress. Regarding Industry 4.0 we are a member of the (German now European) Industry Business Network 4.0 association. We are working closely together with our partners for the electronics, PLC and CNC hardware and as well for the plasma (Kjellberg) to get our machines fully Industry 4.0 compatible. What innovations are you planning for the 3D cutting machines over the next few years? Definitely Industry 4.0 will be one of the major points getting stronger and stronger in the next few years. We will see a strong push in the European market for machines with more automated logistics where we are in very good shape thanks to our American Watts Mueller logistic solutions. I think as well that our still relatively small robotic beam profiling business will grow dramatically in the next three years with more models and options becoming available. What are the core values of Müller Opladen when it comes to manufacturing machines? Our core values come from our 100 years of German machine building. These are the same values that resulted in the concept ‘Made in Germany’ becoming a big global brand. First of all our main value is: to keep our word. Never promise more than you can deliver. Fulfill the customer expectations. Keep your delivery times. Deliver a reliable, stable and long-lasting product. Our customers are our partners. When they buy our machine, this is like a marriage, the start of a long-term relation where both parties depend and rely on each other. If there are problems, they will always be treated fairly and with respect as partners and together as partners we always solve the problems. In short: we establish trustful reliable partnerships with confidence.

6. Less errors and re-welding – human errors are eliminated by importing the vessel directly from the 3D CAD system to the CNC machine. 7. Save time and cost in the assembly – marking holes, nozzles and welding positions reduces assembly shop time approx. 20 to 30 per cent. 8. Save valuable floor space – our patented solution with the tilting chuck saves approximately 20 to 30 per cent floor space vs two station solutions. What is the largest diameter vessel profile cutting machine that the company manufactures and installs? Our largest machine is the MO Heavy Duty 4000 for vessels and structural pipes up to 4,000mm (160”) diameter and up to 50 tons weight. But we are a really customer driven company, so, right now we are evaluating together with a customer, who is already happy with one of our 2,000mm (80") machines, to build a giant MO Super Heavy Duty 6000 machine up to 6,000mm diameter. Development never stops and we like to tackle new technical challenges. What are the cutting processes you use for profile cutting vessels and boilers? The same as already mentioned before: state-of-the-art oxyfuel cutting with automatic gas consoles, which adjust the cutting parameters from a database and automatically switch on and off pre-heating torches for best and fastest cuts. State-of-the-art precision plasma power sources with automatic gas consoles for cutting and marking with the same torch. We also supply the machines with needle marking (airscriber) and needle printing systems so you can mark positions and identifications very fast and efficient. Due to the ASME regulations many times plasma marking is not allowed so needle printers are a very good solution. How would you profile cut the vessel heads of the pressure vessel on your machine? The chuck moves hydraulically in less than one minute from the vertical to the horizontal position in order to cut the vessel or pipes for nozzles or the domes. As the 3-jaw chuck is a self-centering system it avoids the time consuming (10- 15 minutes) manual finding of the centre point of the dome that some other solutions require. This is a patented solution, which is used very successfully by our customers in the industry around the globe. How do these machines operate in terms of software? Could they be integrated in a full automated Industry 4.0 factory for example? Our machines work with our state-of-the-art software system 3D Profile PLUS. You import from your 3D CAD drawings into our system (more than 100 importers available) and then using our software you can perform the automatic nesting on the pipes.

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Business & market news Interview

What is your personal background and experience in selling machines? In 1997 I started at Messer Cutting Systems in Germany as regional manager (sales) following in the footsteps of my father who worked at Messer Cutting for 35 years. In the beginning I attended from my main base at the factory in Germany a wide variety of countries from Pakistan via the Middle East over to Africa, Greece, Turkey and then because of my language skills to Spain, Portugal and all of Latin America. Then I moved to Spain where my wife is from and built up Messer Spain as a sales and service organisation from zero. When Messer in 2007 opened Messer Brazil I was heavily involved and spent 3 to 4 months every year over there. When in 2012 I got the chance to move over to Müller Opladen as sales director and partner in the company I happily took this new challenge and it worked out great. How difficult has 2020 been for you and how do you see 2021 on the sales side? In 2020 we reached our targets, which we had defined in 2019 before anybody had heard about Corona virus, despite of the worldwide Corona pandemic disruption. This shows how robust and solid our company reputation is even in difficult times. But still it was a very challenging year and we were lucky with some projects, which showed up in 2020 out of the blue and we were able to fulfill customer demands for quick deliveries of specialised machines. We are also a very flexible and customer-driven company and that paid off in the crazy year we just experienced. For 2021 we hope like everybody that with the vaccines and better Corona treatments the world comes back to normal soon. We hope and think we can have a reasonable year, but it is not yet sure. What is your nicest or best personal achievement while working at Müller Opladen? There were a lot of very positive and nice things in the almost ten years I have been at Müller, but I remember two things as real personal achievements filled with a lot of positive energy. When I started at Müller, I was told that Müller had never sold anything in the US and that it would be my most important task to open that giant market for our machines. In 2013, within two days and on my second trip to the US we achieved two machine orders worth more than a million- dollars and I felt really happy and satisfied. Since then, the US was always our biggest market (except in 2019) and now we even have a company and partners there. The second real key experience that filled me with a big wave of positive energy was when in August 2019, after more than six months of complicated contract negotiations, and

tough fighting with competitors, we finally got the Novatek order from Russia. This $3mn order for six big machines (5 CNC pipe profilers and 1 robotic beam profiler) was the biggest order Müller Opladen has achieved in more than 100 years of its history. When I got the email with the official PO I immediately bought some French Champagne and celebrated with my family. Do you also offer machines for cutting structural steel? Yes, we also manufacture robotic beam profilers for the offshore and structural steel industry. This is a relatively new business area for us, but we have already sold machines to several different countries such as Brazil, Mexico and Russia. I clearly see this as one of our products with the highest growth potential for the next years. What do you personally like about selling 3D cutting machines at Müller Opladen? I have always loved travelling since I went with a backpack and a few dollars in 1989 for four months to Egypt and South East Asia. Selling Müller machines is a very challenging worldwide activity, which enables me to work closely together with people from all continents and cultures. A big part of the job is normally (although not in Corona times) travelling and to really visit customers and agents, which I enjoy. Due to my job I am able to maintain real friendships around the globe in many countries such as the US, Russia, Brazil, Mexico and Dubai.

Müller Opladen – Germany mail@mueller-opladen.de www.mueller-opladen.de

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Business & market news

Corinth Pipeworks to supply Shell Colibri with ultra-long steel pipes for gas project

Corinth Pipeworks has signed an agreement with BG International (a subsidiary of Royal Dutch Shell plc), the operator of Block 22 and NCMA 4, in which Corinth Pipeworks will manufacture and supply steel pipes in connection with the development of Block 22 and NCMA-4 (Colibri), an offshore gas field development located in Trinidad and Tobago. The agreement covers 93km of 16" HFW and LSAW coated linepipe material for the export pipeline, which will bring gas from the development of Block

22 and NCMA-4 to the Shell-operated Poinsettia platform, located in Trinidad’s North Coast Marine Area (NCMA). The two blocks are held in partnership with the Trinidad and Tobago national oil company, Heritage Petroleum Company Limited. This award is a significant milestone in Corinth Pipeworks’ growing presence in the upstream energy business segment, as it will be the first offshore project where pipes will be supplied in ultra- long 24m (80ft) lengths.

This will allow an almost 50 per cent reduction in the number of offshore pipe to pipe welds resulting in a major CAPEX saving and an associated reduction in offshore vessel installation time. Pipe manufacturing and coating will commence at Corinth Pipeworks facility, in Greece, later in 2020 and pipeline installation will commence according to schedule within 2021. Corinth Pipeworks www.cpw.gr

TDW isolates burning natural gas liquids pipeline for repair following third-party strike

TD Williamson crews isolated a ruptured 14" natural gas liquids pipeline while product continued to flare off, enabling repair while the system remained in service and creating the conditions for the fire to extinguish itself. The west Texas pipeline exploded after it was hit by a third-party contractor excavating the right-of-way nearby. The explosion and massive fire that followed, which shot flames 300ft into the air, injured four people, one critically, and destroyed the trencher and all other equipment within a 300-yard radius. It was said at the time of explosion the concussion was felt ten miles away. The responding fire department registered a temperature in excess of 1,500°F.

Charles Parrish, TDW technical sales representative, west region, Texas and New Mexico, said the company’s response included 40 individuals, seven operations centres and six departments from across the US. He added that full Covid-19 precautions were followed at every step: “Everyone came together so efficiently that in less than six hours after the operator’s initial call the fittings were out the door,” Mr Parrish said. “And it took less than one day on the job site to solve our customer’s problem, safely and successfully.” The operator moved quickly to reroute product at a drastically lower flow rate. Within hours of the line strike, TDW had begun mobilising equipment and personnel to the site, including eight

hot tapping and plugging (HT&P) technicians who arrived from multiple TDW service centres in Texas, Oklahoma and California to provide around-the- clock coverage. The teamperformed a double STOPPLE ® operation to isolate the affected section. Sweeping the hot tap holes – a process that removes any metal chips or debris that could prevent the STOPPLE head from sealing securely – created a partial seal that caused the fire to bellow; when the STOPPLE heads were fully set, they robbed the fire of the NGL fumes fuelling it, and the blaze extinguished itself. TD Williamson www.tdwilliamson.com

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Business & market news

New fusion guides for gas piping announced The Plastics Pipe Institute has announced that it has two new technical reports available that discuss steps for the fusion of polyethylene and PA12 pipes. scraping techniques published by the Gas Technology Institute (GTI). This user guide is the first of its kind to provide generic industry guidance for electrofusion developed in cooperation with leading gas utilities.”

“TR-49 Generic Electrofusion User Guide for Field Joining of Polyethylene Gas Piping” and “TR-50 Generic Butt Fusion Joining Procedure for Field Joining of Polyamaide-12 (PA12) Pipe” are available without charge at the association’s Energy Piping Systems Division website: www.plasticpipe.org/ energy/ “For more than four decades of heat fusion of polyethene pipe has provided leak-free joints,” said Randy Knapp, Ph.D, engineering director of the Energy Piping Systems Division of PPI. “A PPI task group was formed in 2017 to examine the differences and similarities among the varying joining procedures. It was also a goal to provide a more uniform, or ‘generic’ joining procedure that could be implemented by pipeline

Mr Knapp said the other guide TR-50 focuses on one of the newest gas piping materials. “Polyamide-12 (PA12) piping is now approved for use in regulated gas applications and is well suited for high-pressure gas installations: “This new PPI technical report provides a uniform joining procedure that brings a greater consistency to this aspect of gas pipeline installation, will help to facilitate the pipeline operator’s efforts to qualify the procedure, reduce costs, and simplify DOT’s enforcement duties. It also discusses fusion parameters and visual inspection guidelines specific to PA-12.” The Plastics Pipe Institute www.plasticpipe.org

operators for regulated gas applications as required by the Code of Federal Regulations, Title 49. “Our new TR-49 report is a step-by- step guide that encompasses our task group’s findings and also contains guidance based on leading gas utility review and the latest research on surface preparation, cleaning and

Wenzhou Bizba Tube Manufacturer Company Limited is a Wenzhou, Zhejiang (China), based, highly famous company that does not compromise on quality while producing Steel Tube, Cannula Needle, Straight Steel Tube, Steel Center Pin and Center Pin. Our dedicated efforts in quality production work can be well-seen in the type of products that we bring forth. We have advanced production machinery and techniques for producing great quality products in standard and custom specifications. We lay our complete focus over manufacturing bulk quantity products. Our skilled and talented experts indulge in quality working to make every client happy and satisfied. In the coming years, we plan to consistently serve quality-made items.

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Business & market news

Corinth Pipeworks certified as a carbon neutral company for its production activities

Corinth Pipeworks SA has achieved net zero carbon emissions for its production facilities and was marked as a ‘carbon neutral company’ for 2019 by TÜV NORD certification body. Corinth Pipeworks adopted the implementation of ISO 14064 – Part 1:2018 for calculating greenhouse gas emissions, resulting from its production activities (Scope I & II) and then continued by verifying GHG emissions according to ISO 14064 – Part 3:2006 by TÜV Hellas (TÜV NORD) certification body. Corinth Pipeworks ensured that 100 per cent of the electrical energy needs for 2019 originated from renewable energy sources and therefore indirect emissions were totally eliminated. Total offset of the remaining emissions was achieved through purchasing of certified emissions reduction units,

from UN approved programs such as: ‘Weyerhaeuser Uruguay’ Forest Plantations on degraded grass-lands under extensive grazing and ‘Reduction of greenhouse gas emissions by application of No-till technology at Private Joint Stock Company Rise- Maksymko’. The acquisition of the carbon neutral company mark for 2019 is of particular importance since it ensures that the entire production operation had a net zero carbon footprint. Mr Bekiros, CEO of Corinth Pipeworks, stressed that: “The carbon neutral company certification by TÜV NORD is an important milestone for us, as it practically confirms our company’s commitment to the principles of sustainability, the confrontation of climate change and at the same time,

highlights our innovative position in our sector, as the first steel pipe producer in the world to receive this certification.” Dr Panagiotis Achladas, Lead Verifier of TÜV HELLAS (TÜV NORD), who verified the calculations of greenhouse gas emissions, stated: “The verification of greenhouse gas emissions originated from production activities of the company, using both thermal energy and electricity, which comes entirely from renewable sources, was the beginning of a process which resulted in their full offsetting taking into account high-quality carbon allowances created by approved United Nations programs and well deserves the distinctive mark of the Carbon Neutral Company issued by our parent organisation TÜV NORD”. Corinth Pipeworks www.cpw.gr

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Business & market news

Unity awarded three-year, three-platform contract extension by UK oil & gas operator

Aberdeen-headquartered Unity, a provider of well integrity technology, services, and engineering solutions, has been awarded a three-year contract extension, by a UK oil & gas operator, to continue its work on three northern North Sea platforms. The contract, worth an annual six- figure sum, has two additional one- year extension options. Unity provides well integrity, maintenance and support services for the three assets. This includes surface wellhead and Xmas tree integrity services, plus the supply of personnel, equipment and technology, including Unity’s range of retrofittable QV wellhead parts. Unity will also support the client’s abandonment and decommissioning work on two of the platforms using its knowledge of the wellheads and associated infrastructure.

natural extension to our production integrity and maintenance service, and our experience of all types of surface well equipment ensures we have the expertise to add value to the process. “We hold contracts with leading operators to provide services on over a thousand wells and have a successful track record of decommissioning support work in the UKCS and Europe. Projects have included well inspection, plug setting, onsite machining and the safe removal of tubing hangers. Unity’s technology solutions, such as our Surface Intervention System, may also be used to enhance efficiency.” Unity www.unitywell.com

The contract has been extended by three years

Gary Smart, CEO at Unity, said: “Unity’s flexible and adaptable approach will continue to support our client’s requirements as it moves forward into a phase of decommissioning with its assets. Wellhead decommissioning is a

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Business & market news

Low carbon smart pipes will contribute to construction sector decarbonisation

Low carbon smart pipes for use in large- scale buried infrastructure projects are to be developed in a new partnership between the University of Birmingham and specialist manufacturing company Aquaspira Ltd. Funded via a grant from Innovate UK, the £269,000, 9 month research programme has the potential to make a significant step-change in helping the construction sector achieve government decarbonisation targets. The programme is led by North West firm Aquaspira and will support the development of composite plastic and steel drainage and storm water pipes, incorporating high levels of recycled material. Sensor technology built into the pipes will detect and report changes in environmental conditions, enabling

infrastructure problems to be rapidly identified and rectified. Experts at the University of Birmingham’s School of Engineering will work with Aquaspira on the development of the sensing technology and the pipes will be tested at the University of Birmingham and National UKCRIC Buried Infrastructure Facility. The announcement comes as part of the UK government’s unveiling of a multi- million-pound investment to support businesses across the country pursue clean growth projects. The Sustainable Innovation Fund, delivered through Innovate UK, is a main part of the £1.25bn investment package announced by Chancellor Rishi Sunak in April to help businesses innovate during the Covif-19 pandemic.

Professor Nigel Cassidy, professor of Geotechnical Infrastructure Engineering at the University of Birmingham, said: “Innovation is at the heart of the nation’s recovery from the COVID epidemic and we are delighted to be partnered with Aquaspira in this exciting and innovative project.” The grant will significantly accelerate Aquaspira’s research and open up future avenues for new products that will contribute to increasing the efficiency of the UK economy. Neil Wallace, managing director of Aquaspira Ltd, said: “At this difficult time, the grant will help our business to continue to innovate, grow and create jobs in the North West.” Aquaspira www.aquaspira.com

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clients receive the maximum publicity. Our readership is from the boardroom to the shop floor, with many companies retaining copies of our magazines down the years as technical journals.

With an unrivalled global distribution in both print and digital formats, we have a firm belief in supporting businesses through combining editorial excellence and targeted advertising to reach the far corners of the globe. Our magazines and staff can be seen at numerous exhibitions worldwide every year, ensuring our

Intras Ltd - independent publishers of Tube & Pipe Technology, Wire & Cable ASIA, EuroWire, Tube Products INTERNATIONAL and wiredInUSA magazines – has a proud tradition of supporting the wire, cable, tube and pipe industries since the 1980s.

At the heart of the wire and tube industries for 40 years

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Published for the first time in 1998, EuroWire (EOW) is the leading international magazine for the wire and cable industries. Covering corporate and technology news, technical articles, and informative news from

INTO THE FUTURE OF STEEL TUBES

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Wire & Cable ASIA – aimed at the increasing Asian market – was published for the first time. Now issued five times per year, it includes industry news, technology news, informative columns on telecom news and a glance at the American market, as well as

January 2008

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the Americas.

Tube Products INTERNATIONAL, reporting on specialist areas of tube and pipe products for applications such as aerospace, automotive, civil, energy, OCTG, structural and mechanical, published for the first time, and now

John hogg, founder of Intras Ltd, was also a co-founder

of the International Wire & Machinery Association (IWMA) and the International Tube Association (ITA). he played an instrumental role in the negotiation and establishment of international wire and cable shows, including the founding of ‘ wire’ – the leading international wire and cable exhibition, now organised by Messe Düsseldorf.

1998

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produced five times per year.

technical articles.

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1970s

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Like many publishers, we also embrace the use of digital and web-based technology and actively encourage engagement with us through our Twitter and Facebook

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Euro Fasteners & Fasteners ASIA first published in 2020. In-depth feature sections dedicated to the fasteners industry within our wire magazines.

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industry services, Intras provides clients with unrivalled support in terms of corporate and

A commitment to the future

Tube & Pipe Technology (TPT) was first published in 1988. Covering technological developments concerning tube and pipe manufacturing methods, production machinery and processing equipment, it is now published six times per year. www.read-tpt.com 1988

technological awareness.

social media sites.

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Embracing the digital world, wiredInUSA – the monthly online ezine and web-based publication – was published for the first time. A vibrant and informative ezine, this has now become a well-

wire Düsseldorf, Tube Düsseldorf, wire and Tube China, wire and Tube India, wire South America, Tubotech, wire and Tube Southeast Asia, wire Russia, Tube Russia, Wire & Cable Guangzhou, IWCS, FAbTECh, Valve World Expo, Steelfab, MACh, EurobLECh, TOLexpo, Made in Steel, Lamiera, Interwire, Saw Expo, boru, TEL, EMO and FAbTECh Canada.

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Case study: the development of the global steel tube storage industry By Kasto Maschinenbau GmbH

Steel trading is as old as steel production itself. As a link between the steel mills and processors, steel trading plays a central role for all industries in which the raw material is used – from the construction industry to the automobile and supplier industry through to mechanical, plant engineering, aerospace and of course tubes. Many companies need steel in relatively small quantities, but in many different dimensions, qualities, geometries or alloys. For most of these companies, it is not economically viable to purchase complete bundles directly from the manufacturer. Because of this, steel traders purchase large quantities of materials from the steel mills and

sell them based on orders. “In addition to the small lot sizes of the delivery quantities, the extensive delivery areas and often remote customer sites pose a logistical challenge”, explained Oliver Ellermann, chairman of the Federal Association of the German Steel Industry (BDS). The steel industry, which accounts for about 40 per cent of total sales, is by far Kasto’s most important customer group – in Germany, Europe and also worldwide. The requirements and tasks of the industry have changed significantly over the last decades – just as the products and solutions have changed with which Kasto has long supported steel traders. To overcome such challenges, suitable storage and processing technology is indispensable. For a long time, manually operated floor or cantilever storage systems were the dominating image in the plant halls of the distributors. However, this changed towards the end of the 1970s, when the first approaches to automation became visible in the industry. At that time, Japan exhibited particular signs of advancement: very early on, the steel industry also took over the cutting of the ordered materials for the processing industry. At the same time, Kasto introduced its first fully automated storage systems. These systems made not only a storage and retrieval procedure possible without human intervention but also enabled independent supply to the connected sawing machines. Even with the introduction of the first hacksaws, they could be seen in the steel industry, frequently in conjunction with infeed and outfeed roller conveyors. During the 1980s and 1990s, the combination of storage and sawing technology also became more important in other countries, including Germany. Here too, more and more manufacturing companies transferred the initial processing steps such as sawing to their suppliers. Kasto acted on this trend and developed high- performance high-bay storage systems and sawing machines with automated infeed and outfeed periphery for the steel traders. These two business divisions were combined in the form of integrated sawing centres in which all processes are performed automatically, from storing the raw material to commissioning the finished cut pieces. Large overhead travel storage systems with undercarriages are particularly popular with customers. Utilising the principle ‘Material to Operator’, these systems deliver the requested material fast and efficiently. In the mid-1990s, Kasto then introduced the first automated honeycomb storage system: in comparison, these systems are a space-saving solution and do not require a pit for the carriages. This type of storage system remains extremely successful in the steel industry today. When it comes to saws, companies rely on versatile, high- performance machines such as the band saw series KASTOtec

In the late 1970s, KASTO introduced its first fully automated storage systems

In modern sawing centres, all processes are carried out automatically from the storage of raw materials to the commissioning of the finished cut pieces

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KASTO Maschinenbau GmbH & Co KG, located in Achern in Baden, Germany, specialises in sawing and storage technology. The company works in the area of metal sawing machines, semi-automatic and automatic storage systems for metal bar stock and sheet metal, automated handling equipment for metal bars, sheets, and cut-pieces including the necessary software. In 2019, KASTO celebrated its 175 th anniversary, making it one of the oldest family-owned businesses in Europe. It owns 170 patents and has been responsible for more than 140,000 sawing machines sold across the globe and over 2,200 installed automated storage systems. As well as the subsidiary plant in Schalkau located in Thüringia, Kasot it also operates subsidiaries in the UK, France, Singapore, China, Switzerland and the US.

With the sawing technology, steel distributors rely on versatile, high-performance machines and robot connectivity

or the circular saw KASTOvariospeed. With their output and the corresponding periphery, both machines achieve high-performance without human intervention and ensure efficient production operations. Designed specifically for the machining of tubular material, KASTOwin tube offers a special solution. Straight and mitre cuts on steel carriers can be made easily with the KASTOmiwin series. The steel dealers have evolved more and more into complete service providers that must offer a continually expanding range of materials and serve increasingly large delivery areas. “50 years ago, the steel industry supplied approximately 2,200 locations with nearly the same volume as today – however, only 600 of those locations are left today”, outlined the BDS chairman, Mr Ellermann. “For a long time, large steel distributors tried to set up fewer, albeit larger, warehouses to cover several steps simultaneously, thus becoming more efficient. “This concentration and consolidation only work when the remaining companies become more flexible and efficient.” A key to this is automation and digitalisation of processes. Me Ellermann added: “Whether in sales, the supply chain or organisation – the potential for meaningful technical progress is enormous.” “We need new ideas – also because due to demographic changes, we have fewer and fewer skilled professionals at our disposal.” KASTO recognised this development early on, and for quite some time, it utilises digital and automated solutions. These include, for example, its own warehouse management system, KASTOlogic, which independently controls and manages all of the processes related to storage and sawing.

Large steel distributors try to cover multiple steps simultaneously with fewer but larger warehouses to become more efficient

The software can also be connected seamlessly via its own established interfaces to the ERP systems from various providers. The mobile solution, KASTOlogic mobile, enables flexible management of the entire warehouse through a smartphone or tablet – even for inventories outside of an automatic warehouse. To clearly display status data and error messages of connected machines on mobile devices, Kasto developed the KASTOapp. Additional examples are the intelligent tour distribution system KASTOrail that efficiently and ergonomically provides the picking bundle for shipment, the integration of industrial robots for downstream handling and processing steps, or the interactive remote maintenance using apps and smart glasses. “The important thing is that the increasing degree of automation and networking remains manageable for the employees,” Mr Ellermann explains. “This applies especially to small and mid-sized companies that operate regionally and handle small needs locally. Because the centralisation and specialisation are not yet apparent here as is the case with the large corporations.” For this reason, Kasto has numerous future innovative solutions in the pipeline to make the daily work in the steel industry more flexible and efficient but easier as well.

Oliver Ellermann, chairman of the Federal Association of the German Steel Industry

Kasto Maschinenbau GmbH www.kasto.com

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