TPT September 2009

T echnology U pdate

High quality piping with TIG hot wire

 Otto Henning Sulen during the pre-reception of the installation

THE Norwegian company Sub Sea Services AS specialises in products in the offshore industry. Since the middle of this year, it has been welding and finishing its pipe assemblies and components using TIG hot wire technology from Polysoude, France. Otto Henning Sulen, weldshop manager at Sub Sea Services, explained: “Pipes and systems used to convey crude oil or natural gas energy sources at high speed and at high pressure demand high levels of investment. “The sand and other abrasive minerals, as well as corrosive media, which are also conveyed during exploration, necessitate pipe materials of the highest possible quality. To control costs and preserve resources, we finish the internal walls of

our components using deposition welding. In this process, the extremely hard material inconel is melted onto the cost-effective and easy-to-process carbon steel parent metal. To achieve this, we found an effective system in the shape of the automated TIG hot wire and deposition welding system from Polysoude. The new system, with its six computer- controlled axes, welds and coats both reliably and efficiently.” The range of materials processed by Sub Sea Services extends from X60, X65, X70 to AISI 4150, 4140, 8630 through to low carbon steel F22. Pipe components from 1,000 to 1,500mm in length with diameters of 150 to 1,000mm are manufactured. Thanks to shorter production cycles, the new system has increased productivity for both joint and deposition welding. This has enabled Sub Sea Services to achieve between 50 and 80 per cent greater inconel application levels than previously; and the increase in quality, cited at 30 to 40 per cent, makes it possible to meet specifications more closely. For example, the melt level of the carbon steel parent metal is consistently below three per cent, making it extremely hardwearing. Polysoude SAS – France Fax : +33 240 681 188

Orifice meter tube manufacture process benefits from a major safety boost SUNNEN Products, USA, is aiming to simplify and improve the safety, accuracy and efficiency of the orifice meter tube manu- facturing process using a new automated honing system. ID finishing of orifice meter tubes is still often tackled with a die grinder and an improvised hone, which can be both dangerous and time consuming, but Sunnen Products says it has developed a new solution in the shape of the HTA tube hone, which it claims is ideal for meter runs because it is automatically stroked, safer (clutched) and more accurate. The control features a load meter to determine areas of bore tightness, with the capability for dwelling the tool in tight spots using a joystick. The tool-feed system can be programmed to expand the honing tool to a pre-determined spindle load that is adjustable, protecting the machine, tooling and workers, and allowing even inexperienced operators to produce good results. The machine is available for 6ft (2 metres) and 12 ft (4 metres) part lengths, with bore IDs of 2.5 to 21 inches (63.5mm to 533mm) and maximum part OD of 24 inches (610mm) and part weights to 4,000 pounds (1,818kg). An electronically controlled 3-hp (2.24kW) AC gear motor powers the spindle at 0-300RPM. Sunnen Products Company – USA Fax : +1 314 781 2268

 Cladding solutions from Polysoude

Email : info@polysoude.com Website : www.polysoude.com

 Six computer controlled axes enable welding and coating with a higher degree of reliability

Email : sales@sunnen.com Website : www.sunnen.com

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S eptember 2009

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