TPT July 2008

F eatures

V ol 21 N o 4

J uly/ A ugust 2008

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Tube China 2008: Shanghai, China

With versatile productivity at their heart, tube mills and rollforming lines are the lifeblood of the tube and pipe industry. Based on the skilful orchestration of rolls that form strip into high quality products, it is increasingly essential for the tube mill operator to focus on mill alignment and roll tooling setup. With fast changeover and dual capability now even higher on the agenda, mills and rollforming lines are also finding greater occupation in the duties of continuous operation – cut-to-length, punching and notching. Focus on Tube & Pipe Mills and Rollforming Lines As in the natural world, protection for manufactured products is of great importance if corrosive attacks are to be repelled and wear and tear prevented. Sometimes defence is the best form of offence – crushing resistance with state-of-the-art protection; tube and pipe is subjected to a rigorous process in order to withstand a lifetime of hardship. This arsenal of technology includes continuous induction annealing, acid pickling, intensive heat treatment, and UV-curable coatings. Heat & Surface Treatments Tube China 2008 will take place for the third time from 23-26 September at the Shanghai New International Exhibtion Centre in Shangai, China. Already a complete sell- out, the exhibition is now one of the most popular on the show calendar. In this feature we offer a window onto the Chinese market, with a preview of selected companies who will display products and technology at the buzzing event.

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T echnical A rticle

116 New strategies for wall thickness

measurement in the hot seamless tube production plant Holger Gurski-Schramm, Ingenieurbüro Gurski-Schramm & Partner, Germany, and Dr Marc Choquet, Tecnar Automation Ltee, Canada

Illustration images used this issue courtesy of Abbey International, Bigstockphoto.com, Buffoli Transfer SpA, International Tube Association, Messe Düsseldorf GmbH, Olimpia 80 Srl, Sikora AG, Solar Atmospheres, Taylor-Winfeld Corporation