TPT January 2021

T E CHNOLOG Y

Square and rectangle tube production efficiency with the FCF from SEUTHE Haven ultrasonic testing for oil and gas pipes HAVEN Manufacturing Corp has expanded its material handling and systems control knowledge into the oil & gas pipe testing market. Haven has designed a gantry and rail system that supports a full body phased array ultrasonic tester. A walking beam transfer device positions the pipe in the test station, while simultaneously removing a tested pipe. In the test station, the pipe is rotated at a controlled rpm to match the specified linear speed of the ultrasonic tester carriage. Multiple servo drives control the test cycle synchronisation, while manipulation of up to 24,000 pounds of pipe at one time requires both precision and robust construction. The capacity of this system is from 2.50" to 20 " diameter and up to 48ft long. Prior to testing, each pipe is measured for length. Haven Manufacturing can design and build a wide variety of material handling systems for the tube, pipe and bar markets. Haven Manufacturing Corp www.havencut.com Haven has expanded its material handling expertise into oil & gas

THE FCF from SEUTHE offers two significant advantages to users, which it is hoped will help to save customers both time and significant investment: it forms square and rectangular tubing directly from the incoming raw material rather than going through the two-stage process of forming round first, then the final shape. And it also uses a single set of roll tools, positioned and repositioned automatically, to make a substantial range of tube sizes.

Neither of these technologies are anything new, and while they have clear advantages over their conventional counterparts, they are not commonly used. Forming a square or rectangle directly from strip, conserves material. Then forming a tube round first, then making corners to form the shape, the material tends to thicken the corners. Direct forming prevents this tendency, which reduces material consumption up to 10 per cent.

Furthermore, small lots are becoming more common, so short changeover times are therefore becoming increas- ingly important. SEUTHE’s answer is the FCF. Changing the tool settings is a matter of calling up a new program at the control panel; the tools move automatically to the new position in just a minute. Automated tool positioning is a marvel of efficiency in an industry in which downtime is extremely expensive and experienced personnel are in short supply. The tooling does not require removal and replacement or manual positioning. The mill operator uses the machine’s interface to select the appropriate set of tooling positions, presses ‘Enter’, and the mill does the rest. Performing a process that SEUTHE calls Flexible Cold Forming (FCF). A size changeover is traditionally not without some manual labour. It is a matter of shutting down the mill and replacing a few hardware items, such as the weld coil, impeder, impeder rod, and the cutoff die. The mill’s weld box has one bottom roll for all sizes, so it does not need to be changed; the only roll tools that require manual change are the weld box’s top roll and side roll. So the job is done in 30 to 60 minutes of downtime.

Square and rectangular tubing is formed directly from the incoming raw material

SEUTHE GmbH www.seuthe.com

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JANUARY 2021

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