TPT March 2025

INTERVIEW

FD Machinery Company

manual physical consumption, completely removes the potential safety hazards caused by roll changing. The automation does not rely on personal experience, thus solving the problem of difficulty in recruiting operators. High speed welded pipe machine with double-car saw: two independent flying saw systems work alternately. For each saw, it is equivalent to doubling the fixed length cutting, which greatly increases the synchronous cutting time. The speed of the welded pipe machine is comprehensively increased, and the production capacity can be improved by

50 to 100 per cent. This reduces the cutting intensity of the saw blade, making the saw blade’s lifespan closer to its theoretical service life. It can produce shorter steel pipes, saving the cost of off-line pipe cutting and reducing waste losses. Additional patented equipment: this includes dozens of production lines and hundreds of specifications, such as automatic entrance sections, automatic packing machines, automatic slitting lines, automatic painting lines, automatic raft-units, automatic boat-raft unit, three-person welded pipe machines, multi-tube hydraulic presses, heavy duty high frequency welded H-beam lines, heavy duty slitting lines, API welded pipe lines, JCOE equipment, fully automatic rectangular, square and round tube welded pipe machines (CNC – CFSR) etc. n What are the main projects or innovations you are working on at the moment? In January this year, we signed contracts for two API welded pipe production lines, including all finishing equipment. Currently, they are in the design phase. One is for pipes with a diameter of 508mm and a wall thickness of 24mm and the other is for pipes with a diameter of 219mm and a wall thickness of 13mm. This project is our main R&D project in 2025. The main machines will adopt automatic roll-changing robots, automatic cleaning robots, automatic roll-cleaning robots and automatic roll-warehouse robots for fully automatic roll changing. To increase production, the 508mm unit will be equipped with two hydraulic presses, and the 219mm unit will use one three-tube hydraulic press. Both lines will have an automatic entrance section and an automatic collection section. The equipment will be delivered by the end of the year. The contract for the 3,000mm/25mm automatic slitting machine delivered last year is currently in the installation phase and is expected to be put into production in March 2025. The contract for the CNC-CFS 150mm/8mm automatic stainless steel rectangular and square tube production line (laser welded) delivered last year is currently in the installation phase and will be put into production in March as well.

For the last contract of last year, the production test run of the CNC-CFS 200mm/10mm automatic rectangular and square tube production line before leaving the factory has been completed, and it will be shipped soon. n What are the plans for your company? Do you see a lot of potential for growth in the regions and markets that you deal with or in new areas? FD has long been committed to the R&D of equipment for welded pipe factories. With the ideal of enabling workers in the welded pipe industry to work and live with dignity, we will continue our relentless R&D and keep working. Due to production capacity limitations, our current main markets are in Europe, America, as well as India, the Middle East and Southeast Asia. This year, we plan to explore some more markets, so that more people and enterprises can enjoy the benefits brought by new technologies. In addition, in recent years, we have also participated in the R&D of new wire rod rolling mills and achieved good results. For example, the automatic grinding machine on the steel wire production line. Previously, grinding was done manually, and at least four grinders were needed to work around the clock on one production line. Due to fatigue, missed grinding often occurred. The automatic grinding machine has achieved unmanned operation and 100 per cent grinding coverage. There are also automatic wire joining machines, fixed length cutting machines, automatic strapping, automatic packaging machines and automatic weighing, coding and bundling machine. n What is the toughest aspect of your job? And what is the most difficult thing about being in a position of responsibility at such a large company? Since we encounter different customers and a wide variety of demands every day, challenges and opportunities coexist. During the R&D process, there are often times when we feel confused, which can also be said to be the most difficult moments. However, as long as we persevere and work

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MARCH 2025