Content on this page requires a newer version of Adobe Flash Player.

 

International Metal Tube Volume 2 Issue 11

 

 

 

Back to the newsstand

 

 

 

 

 

 

Magazine Data:

IMTInternational Metal Tube The industry magazine for tube and pipe producers and processors June/July 2010 Volume 2 Number 11 Coming in from the cold Nuclear power opportunities for the tube and pipe industry See pages 20 - 23 IMTInternational Metal Tube The industry magazine for tube and pipe producers and processors June/July 2010 Volume 2 Number 11 Coming in from the cold Nuclear power opportunities for the tube and pipe industry See pages 20 - 23 . RingSaw - the next generation . Non destructive inspection of tube and pipe welds . Copper - an abundant resource NEWS ROUND UP • GLOBAL NEWS ROUND UP • GLOBAL NEWS ROUND UP • GLOBAL NEWS RO  SEE US IN BOOTH NO. 3363 NOV. 2-4, 2010 ATLANTA, GA Located in Perrysburg Ohio, Universal Tube has one of the largest selections of used tube, pipe, and rollform machinery in the world. We have over 125,000 square feet of used machinery in our warehouse that is ready for your inspection. Fax or email a drawing of the shape you need to fabricate, and our experienced team will get to work assembling a complete line quotation to produce the part you need. We will save you time & money by utilizing quality reconditioned machinery, combined with new expandable mill control systems and components at today’s highest standards. You can inspect your line running in our shop, making your part, prior to delivery. We can also help with start-up and training at your site. Give us a call today! NOT YOUR AVERAGE USED MACHINERY DEALER UNIVERSAL CONTROLSGROUP, LTD. sales@universalcontrolsgroup.com www.universalcontrolsgroup.com UNIVERSAL TUBE & ROLLFORM EQUIPMENT CORPORATION sales@utubeonline.com www.utubeonline.com 26202 GLENWOOD RD. PERRYSBURG, OH 43551, USA TEL: +1 419.872.2364 FAX: +1 419.874.2825  Contents Comment As we move out of the summer shutdown period, and start to look forward - we need to reflect on what has taken place since Tube Dusseldorf. Without doubt, Dusseldorf was a success, but many companies have yet to capitalise on the time and effort spent by exhibiting. This is also true for IMT, while we continue to stay focused on the needs of metal tube & pipe producers and processors, we are often compared to other publications, that include plastic, or rely on machinery & equipment suppliers to form a very large percentage of their circulation. For our readers, the ability to stay focused on metal, ensures we do not present you with conflicting technologies, and more importantly we are not promoting products that could replace your own specialist production. Looking forward, we are pleased to announce our forthcoming collaboration with Pulp, Paper & Logistics magazine to coincide with Valve World Expo, Dusseldorf. IMT and PPL will highlight the latest developments from those companies exhibiting at the show, and details will be published in both magazines. This in real terms, will draw the attention of both sets of readers, to what is new and can be seen at the show. With a combined distribution in excess of 26,000, this collaboration offers our readers who manufacture any type of valve, an unrivalled opportunity to be recognised by both sets of specialist readers. For IMT this focus will be included issue 13 (October/November) and for PPL issue 2 (October). To find out more about this opportunity then please email pplmagazine@btinternet.com or imtmagazine@btopenworld.com In our next issue (issue 12), we are looking to the following subjects and would welcome any editorial contributions for our consideration. Tube China (Shanghai) preview of new developments, Oil, Gas & Water Pipe, Tube & Pipe bending, endforming and swaging Technology plus Tube & Pipe Drilling, piercing & punching. Vince Maynard IMT Contact Information PUBLICATION MANAGER DIGITAL CONVERSION BY & EDITORIAL CONTROLLER Print to Digital Vince Maynard PRINTED BY +44 (0) 1732 505724 Manor Creative, Mobile +44 (0) 7747 002286 Eastbourne, East Sussex, UK Fax +44 (0) 1732 860052 Tel: 02392 661485 imtmagazine@btopenworld.com www.manorcreative.com EDITORIAL ADVISOR PUBLISHED BY Dave Richmond Hartswood Media editorial@internationalmetaltube.com Hallmark House TRANSPORT & LOGISTICS EDITOR 25 Downham Road David Young Ramsden Heath editorial@internationalmetaltube.com Essex CM11 1PU CIRCULATION United Kingdom June Bray T- + 44 (0) 1268 711560 Fax 01268 711567 F- + 44 (0)1268 711567 www.internationalmetaltube.com PUBLISHER - PAUL BARRETT hartswoodmedia@aol.com REPRO BY Anton Print Solutions antonprint1@btconnect.com IMT International Metal Tube 26 Supplier Profile Events www.antonprintsolutions.co.uk www.internationalmetaltube.com IMT June/July 2010 1 2 Industry News 10 Materials & Resources 12 Company News 13 Sawing 16 Products & Equipment 18 CAD/CAM 20 Energy 24 Non-DestructiveTesting 28  Industry News Scarborough continues investing in the UK’s engineering future S S carborough's precision engineering companies are organising another Scarborough Engineering Week for October 2011, following the success of the inaugural event. Some 400 students from the region attended the first ever Scarborough Engineering Week in May, which showcased advanced engineering technologies and working practices. Among the attractions were a Formula 1 car, the Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre's MANTRA vehicle with its manufacturing machinery and simulators, and educational tours around two large engineering businesses. Scarborough is a regional centre of excellence in the UK for industrial engineering with over 20 major companies - several of which have built world leading brands. The aim of the event organisers is to increase the inflow of apprentices and skilled staff, by highlighting the career possibilities, and establishing closer links with local higher educational colleges. "We see this event playing a central role in the expansion strategies of the region's precision engineering businesses," says one of the organisers, Shona Lloyd, who works for the Scarborough-based metalworking machine builder, Unison. "With a higher flow of skilled people into our engineering departments, we believe we will grow even faster, and maintain Scarborough's reputation for enterprise long into the future." Scarborough Engineering Week 2011 will take place in Scarborough's Spa Complex. The show is expected to be considerably bigger than the 2010 event, and one of the major display highlights has already been booked: the new 'Bloodhound' jet- and rocket- powered car, which is being built to smash the current 763 mph land speed record. Scarborough Engineering Week is organised by Unison and leading Scarborough industrial businesses including Plaxton, Blue Bird Vehicles and UPM Raflatac, in conjunction with public sector agencies, and regional educational establishments including Yorkshire Coast College. More information on Unison Ltd: T: 01723 582868 E: enquiries@unisonltd.com www.unisonltd.com More details on the Bloodhound project www.bloodhoundssc.com IMT June/July 2010 www.internationalmetaltube.com  The Valve World Expo presents continual growth, outstanding innovations and the highest level of technology at the new Düsseldorf location as of 2010. Valves and the entire palette of accessories, as well as the preceding and succeeding technologies take centre stage. The Valve World Conference, as the most important event of the industry, analyses the future of the markets against the background of fascinating developments and scientific evaluations. Düsseldorf turns it on! www.valveworldexpo.com Now get all the congress and trade fair information daily on your mobile! Simply use the QR-Code Reader of your camera phone. Sponsored by: Supported by: The Valve World Expo presents continual growth, outstanding innovations and the highest level of technology at the new Düsseldorf location as of 2010. Valves and the entire palette of accessories, as well as the preceding and succeeding technologies take centre stage. The Valve World Conference, as the most important event of the industry, analyses the future of the markets against the background of fascinating developments and scientific evaluations. Düsseldorf turns it on! www.valveworldexpo.com Now get all the congress and trade fair information daily on your mobile! Simply use the QR-Code Reader of your camera phone. Sponsored by: Supported by: 7th Biennial Valve World Conference & Expo Düsseldorf, Germany 30 Nov - 02 Dec 2010  Industry News Hadley Group chooses Infor for superior performance management I I nfor, the leading provider of business software for mid- market customers, today announced that Hadley Group, one of Europe’s largest, privately owned cold rolled steel manufacturers, has extended its portfolio of Infor solutions with an investment in Infor PM 10 (Performance Management) software. Hadley Group has outgrown using Excel spreadsheets for budgeting – a manual process which typically takes more than three months to conduct every year. Instead, Hadley Group will deploy PM10 to its manufacturing sites in the UK and Germany in early 2010, and later roll it out to staff in Dubai and Thailand. The Hadley Group rolls more than 125,000 tonnes of steel every year for international customers in industries including automotive, construction and aerospace. It chose PM 10 because it could easily integrate with its existing Infor ERP Baan 5 software to provide some of the essential data feeds for the PM solution. PM 10 was also chosen because of its ability to deliver a complete end-to-end performance management solution, including budgeting, forecasting, planning, consolidation, reporting and analysis all from a single database to ensure data integrity. In order to help users readily adopt the new system, Hadley Group needed a solution that mimicked the look and feel of spreadsheets that users are used to. Mike Collier, business systems manager, Hadley Group, explains: “In the current economic climate, moving to a rolling three month budgeting schedule, as opposed to analysing out-of-date annual plans, makes perfect sense for better business planning. Our adoption of PM 10 goes hand in hand with a change in our culture as we shift focus from a constant, time intensive analysis of our financial information to management by exception.” To help identify these exceptions within the business, Hadley Group has also invested in Infor PM Application Studio for enhanced business intelligence. Collier concludes: “Technology is pervasive throughout our group – from the barcodes that track our goods-in, right through to the PCs we have in the canteen that staff use to book time off for their own holidays. 2010 is a busy year for us with the roll out of our new PM and BI solution, the deployment of the Infor ERP software to more of our international operations, together with the evaluation of ERP LN. Hadley Group is constantly looking to improve its performance amidst tough trading conditions, and we are very confident of success.” More information on Infor PM10 www.infor.com/solutions/pm/ pm10/ Laser-on pigment pipe marking I I nfoSight LabeLase® non- contact, laser-on pigment marking system applies a background patch by a transfer process to a stationary product, as an alternative to traditional spray-type dot matrix ink systems. Text and bar coded messages, including 2D codes, are readable with standard scanners. Binary bar code applied to moving pipe for automatic identification and tracking. Large, repeating bar code is applied with rugged and proven InfoSight I- Dent® paint spray marker. programmable character heights, diameter ranges. InfoSight offers complete A.P.I. range of OptiCode® long distance, high message lengths and font specially formulated inks for hot diameters and lengths with speed reader for traditional and densities. Pins have special low and cold applications to penetrate typical cycle times of 15 to 30 binary bar codes. Distances up to stress points which meet A.P.I. oil and water films on the pipe seconds. 50 ft (15m) are possible. requirements. that will dry quickly. InfoDent® ID8400, “the Proven I-Dent® dot matrix ink Automatic integrated system More information on InfoSight standard in the Tube & Pipe printer for moving and stationary for A.P.I. requirements including Corporation industry” for stamping tube, pipe tubes. Character heights are length measurement, weight, tel: +1 (740) 642-3600 and couplings with standard A.P.I. adjustable from 1" to 6" (25mm to stenciling, color banding, fax: +1 (740) 642-5001 character heights. Very user 150mm) with dot densities from stamping and tallying tubular sales@infosight.com friendly with short print cycles, 5x7 to 7x9 for various pipe product. Machines handle the www.infosight.com 4 IMT June/July 2010 www.internationalmetaltube.com  Industry News Fabrications specialist orders latest generation all-electric CNC tube bending machine Photograph courtesy of Anthony Friar Bell Steel Fabrications’ stainless steel exhaust systems, which use tube formed on a new BLM ELECT 80 all-electric CNC tube bending machine, are highly regarded among classic car enthusiasts. B B ell Steel Fabrications Ltd of Swindon, Wiltshire, has placed an order with BLM Group UK Ltd for a new BLM ELECT 80 all-electric, nine axes, CNC tube bending machine. According to Matthew Bell, Operations Director, this latest generation machine, which can easily be switched between right- hand and left-hand bending configurations, “is the best and most versatile CNC tube bending machine on the market and an ideal choice to open up new business opportunities.” Established in 1980 as the engineering division of Bell Silencer Services Ltd, Bell Steel such as frames for generator and than the tube diameter. Fabrications moved into a new pump sets, structural steelwork All critical machine setting purpose-built factory in 2000 and and heavy fabrications. Installing parameters are managed by the took on the mantle of supplying the new BLM ELECT 80 will give Siemens 840D SL CNC ‘Solutionclassic car stainless steel further impetus and scope for Line’ control system. This exhaust systems from Bell future improvements. interfaces with BLM’s VGP3D Silencer Services. The range of The largest of the three graphical programming and products that Bell Steel models available, the BLM ELECT simulation software to provide Fabrications now has to offer is 80 can bend tube up to 80mm OD fully automatic and truly highly regarded among classic and 2mm material thickness. Its interpolated simultaneous car enthusiasts, while the multi-stack tool mounting facility movement of all nine machine company has gone from strength allows multi radius and variable axes, thereby eliminating to strength, moving into new radius bending of the same tube ‘dead time’ within the tube markets such as commercial, to take place in a single set-up. bending cycle. marine and industrial exhaust Bends with very little straight systems. between them, even compound More information on BLM Group Bell Steel Fabrications has bends, can also be tel: 01525 402 555 also expanded further into accommodated, along with tight sales@blmgroup.uk.com general engineering applications bends that can have a radius less www.blmgroup.uk.com www.internationalmetaltube.com IMT June/July 2010 5  Industry News Ariane rocket nozzles welded using British laser vision system E E urope's Ariane 5 rocket made its 50th flight from the Kourou spaceport in French Guiana on 21st May 2010, carrying two telecommunications satellites with a combined mass of almost eight tonnes. One of Britain’s contributions to the successful launch was the vision equipment that enabled robotic welding of the rocket’s upper stage nozzle. Supplied by Oxfordshire manufacturer, Meta Vision Systems, the laser-based tracking system is able to detect and follow a joint even when there is no discernable gap or step. This attribute was instrumental in the company winning a prestigious repeat order to assist in automating the production process. Called Meta Scout, the equipment was specified by Astrium GmbH, located in Ottobrunn, near Munich, which is a major contractor to EADS for the Ariane 5. The company selected the sensor due to the faultless operation of an earlier version of the laser vision system, which is still operational today despite having been supplied over 20 years ago. Kuka was the robot supplier chosen to undertake the latest turnkey project to take over automated TIG (tungsten inert gas) welding of Ariane 5 nozzles. Each one is fabricated from 242 nickel alloy tubes, approximately 4 mm square and of 0.32 mm wall thickness, so that the nozzle can be regeneratively dump-cooled in flight by liquid hydrogen. Before welding, the nozzle profile is created by bundling the tubes together and spiral winding them around a copper- The Kuka robot, guided by a Meta Scout laser-based seam sensor, welding an Ariane 5 upper stage nozzle at the Ottobrunn factory of Astrium GmbH, near Munich. Photo courtesy of Kuka coated aluminum mandrel. The tubes are held together with binding wire, which is unwound step by step as welding proceeds. Total welded seam length in each nozzle is approximately 730 metres. The width of each tube varies slightly along its length to optimise coolant flow and enable uniform heat distribution. During a majority of the welding process, which does not use any filler material and therefore does not add weight to the nozzle, the Meta-Scout is able to resolve the seam between adjacent tubes and follow it conventionally. However, the square profile of the tubes near the engine end is flattened to achieve the correct fit, with the result that there is no visible feature to track. It is here that the sensor uses its novel ‘zero gap’ functionality to direct the robotically deployed torch to weld the joints. Five laser lines projected onto the workpiece surface allow measurements in six degrees of freedom, three orthogonal and three rotational. A structured light technique together with grey level vision analysis determines seam position, height and orientation with respect to the tool, despite the absence of a physical feature. The only provisos are that the material either side of the gap must have similar machined finishes and the sensor has to be positioned at close to 90 degrees to the surface. Advanced planning software allows the non-linear path to be predicted and followed to an accuracy of 0.1 mm. The robot is guided in real time, without the need to carry out a laborious teach-in process. Only the start of the joint and the search direction need to be entered. Weld parameters are automatically selected to suit the measured gap dimensions. A calibration system aligns the sensor with the welding torch and calculates any deviation of the TCP (tool center point), which is automatically corrected by the robot controller. The automated welding process can be monitored on a screen located outside the enclosed cell in which the equipment is installed. Other Meta Scout sensors in use, where the butt joints to be welded have no gap or height difference, are to be found in France for the manufacture of ducts for the Airbus A380 and in the reconditioning of land-based turbine rings by a customer in the USA. More information on Meta Vision Systems Ltd tel: +44 1865 887900. fax: +441865 887901 sales@meta-mvs.com www.meta-mvs.com IMT June/July 2010 www.internationalmetaltube.com  Industry News Infosight introduces the JM410 ID tag printer A A fter two years of thorough product design, InfoSight has come to the Asset ID market place with the JM410. This is targeted for manufacturers who require a high performance tag from a low price printer. The JM410 reduces the initial cost of a genuine CO2 laser printer to a bare minimum. This allows small quantity users of high durability metal tags, the ability to afford a cost effective solution. The JM410 features a wide marking area of 4" x 4" and a 10-watt high quality laser. The unit is priced at almost half the cost of a competing printer. The Printer prints on Tesa Tape and foil type tapes. InfoSight has added to the JM410 line of printers the ability to mark the many foil type tapes such as 3M, Bradey, Johnson, and Tesa. The LabeLase® Producer™ software contains the vector shapes required to "kiss cut" such tapes. The foil tape option allows for rolls up to 4" wide to be fed into the back of the marker and manually indexed into the 4" x 4" marking area. This will allow the JM410 to be the lowest priced laser marker in the DOD / UID industry. The LabeLase® Producer™ software also provides the ability to create fully customized ID tags that contain UID, DataMatrix, and GS1 compliant barcodes. More information on Infosight at: tel: +1 740 642 3600 fax: +1 740 642 5001 sales@infosight.com www.infosight.com Detecting ferrous inclusions in finned copper tube F F errous inclusions as small as 3mg are accurately being detected with Magnetic Analysis Corporation’s Multimac® electronics and MID (Magnetic Inclusions Detector) technology. By combining the principles of an eddy current coil along with the flux leakage MID card, MAC’s systems can detect various defects found in the OD and ID of finned copper tube. In order to detect ferrous inclusions, a magnetic flux field is created using the MID card and a DC (Direct Current) magnetizing force with MAC’s electromagnetic coil platform. This flux field is disturbed by the ferrous inclusion and this disturbance is detected by the coil and transmitted to the MID card in the Multimac electronics. One of the pluses of this flux leakage technique is that the DC is able to penetrate deeper into the product under test allowing detection of inclusions on the inside diameter and within the wall of a tube. An example of a MAC test line for inspecting finned copper tube includes 2 channels of Multimac electronics with an MID card, an eddy current coil, and coil platform. A demagnetizer and drive mechanism complete the system. A tube is driven through the eddy current (EC) coil where channel 1 of the Multimac electronics runs an EC test to detect surface defects and the second channel runs a MID test to detect inclusions. While channel 1 detected a defect, the flux field for channel 2 detected an ID inclusion followed by the same surface defect also detected by EC channel 1. This system meets ASTM standards as well as those of the manufacturer. More information on Magnetic Analysis Corporation tel: 001 914 699 9450 fax: 001 914 699 9837 pdomenico@mac-ndt.com www.mac-ndt.com Prevent electrode waste… improve welds E E nsure consistent modular design for stacking and physical properties and controls are recessed for X – ray quality welds protection. The oven is fully with Gullco insulated to prevent heat loss International’s series of and the shelves are easily electrode stabilizing ovens. removed to accommodate large Eliminate the risk of costly size loads. Gullco stabilizing rework and rejects with either ovens have gained international compact in-shop models or recognition and acceptance by portable models. providing a low cost solution for The portables are lightweight, protecting electrodes, easy to load and provide low cost maintaining weld integrity and Portable 20lb Portable 50lb Compact stackable electrode protection from preventing electrode wastage. model model in-shop model moisture in the shop or in the field. Operating costs are welding operators with fast point-of-work. The in-shop More information on Gullco, reduced by providing your access to electrodes at the models feature compact www.gullco.com www.internationalmetaltube.com IMT June/July 2010 7  Industry News Roll-Kraft hosts FMA fabcast for tube and pipe manufacturers R R oll-Kraft was recently involved in the “Tube Mill End-to-End” fabcast offered by the Fabricators & Manufacturers Association (FMA). As an exclusive presenter in this session, Bret the aspects of tube & pipe mills, Molnar covered many topics identifying the various types of mills, regarding tooling, trends, and the various tube & pipe roll designs productivity. and configurations, reasons for During the 90-minute choosing them, roll tooling presentation, Mr. Molnar covered all materials, and roll tooling maintenance. This step-by-step PowerPoint presentation of each component of the tube & pipe mill and roll tooling guided the listeners through the processes they will need to the most beneficial decisions for their companies. Roll-Kraft specialises in providing tube & pipe tooling, roll forming tooling, and tube, pipe and roll forming equipment. In addition, the company provides on-site seminars, mill evaluations, and mill alignments to train personnel in issues that are important to good production and the on-going successful performance of the mill. The custom analysis of the mill is then followed up with a written report with recommendations for areas of improvement. On-site seminars for tube & pipe mills and roll forming equipment are often conducted by Mr. Bret Molnar, presenter of this fabcast, along with Robert Sladky, who was a recipient of the 2003 TPA Industry Education Activities Award. These gentlemen have more than 60 years of combined hands-on experience in the tube and pipe mill industry. More information on Roll-Kraft tel; 001 440 205 3100 fax: 001 440 205 3110 www.roll-kraft.com International Metal Tube The leading independent magazine for metal tube & pipe producers and processors IMT International Metal Tube Magazine and Digital Versions published 6 times a year. To subscribe visit our website: www.internationalmetaltube.com  New Cutting TechnologyRingSaw Reika’s Extended Product Range: RingSaw High speed cutting of thick wall tubes, bars and profiles • High cutting performance • Low tool cost • No compromise www.reika.de www.graebener-group.com New Cutting TechnologyRingSaw Reika’s Extended Product Range: RingSaw High speed cutting of thick wall tubes, bars and profiles • High cutting performance • Low tool cost • No compromise www.reika.de www.graebener-group.com  Materials & Resources Copper - an abundant resource Copper has a wide range of applications across many sectors of the industrial and domestic market. What’s more the total of world’s resources far exceeds the global requirements. At present, we still have reserves waiting to be mined that are plentiful enough to last thousands of years. I I n addition, there's another naturally occurring advantage that no other metal can match: ease of recycling. Almost half the copper used in many countries comes from recycled scrap, which can be used over and over again. This copper recovered from scrap is as usable as primary copper refined from ore. Combining natural abundance with recycling, we will remain self-sufficient in copper for countless years to come. Long lasting and maintenance free Copper has stood the test of time to earn customer satisfaction and wide code acceptance. Copper, used for centuries, has gained new popularity in its modern form: light, strong, corrosion-resistant tube. Its long-lasting and maintenance-free characteristics make copper the leading choice for plumbing, heating, cooling and other mechanical systems. Copper never requires painting for protection from corrosion. In addition, a thin film forms inside the tube, providing natural protection from corrosion. Copper's trouble-free service means satisfied customers. And its universal acceptability assures compliance with major building codes. Copper is also very safe. It will not burn or support combustion. So, it will not carry fire through floors, walls and ceilings, and it will not decompose into toxic gases. Applications using (plain) copper tube • Condensers and heat exchangers • Chillers and deep freezers • Automotive radiators and heat exchangers • Natural gas (LPG) piping systems • Ducting for centralised air-conditioning systems • Refrigerators • Cooling towers • Components and installation of air conditioners • Plumbing and medical gas piping • Solar Heating Systems. Applications using (inner grooved) copper tube To improve the heat transfer characteristics of copper tubes and heat exchangers, the inner surface of the tube is provided with spirally running grooves. The heat transfer coefficient of these tubes is about 2-3 times higher than that of same specification of plain tube. Increased internal surface area, turbulent flow of refrigerant and uniform distribution of refrigerant around the periphery of tube cause increment of efficiency. By using the I.G tubes in fin block heat exchangers, the efficiency of the heat exchanger can be increased up to 30% depending on the application. In general advantages which can be gained from usage of I.G tubes are: smaller unit size with 10 IMT June/July 2010 www.internationalmetaltube.com  unchanged efficiency, saving in material cost, space savings, smaller fan and reduced noise level, smaller compressors and energy saving. (Source:www.qaemcopper.com) Copper benefits in using copper tubing for mechanical systems In large diameters or small, for liquid or gas, for high- or low- pressure systems under a wide range of temperatures, you can depend on copper and reduce costs for any mechanical system. Versatility Standardize on copper for superior performance throughout the job. Copper is easy to work and has excellent thermal conductivity, corrosion resistance and durability. It is available in two basic types of tube— plumbing tube and air conditioning/ refrigeration (ACR) tube, and in both drawn (hard) and annealed (soft) tempers. Copper tubing is also available in a wide range of diameters (from 1/8 inch to 12 inches) and wall thicknesses. Fittings to suit every design application are readily obtained. Variety of applications In mechanical systems of all kinds, copper does more than ever before. Today copper tube has proven superior for: • Underground water and gas services - water distribution systems - chilled water mains • Drainage and vent systems heating systems (including solar) • Fuel-oil systems - Oxygen systems - Non-flammable medical-gas systems Moreover, copper is durable enough to embed in concrete without worry. Wide range of sizes Large diameter or small, there is a copper tube to fit every specification. Forced-circulation hot water heating systems use small and economical tube sizes with soldered joints and require less space for installation. In drainage systems, Type DWV tube has been used successfully for many years. Large-diameter tube, joined by soldering or brazing, is cost-effective for water distribution and for fire- protection risers in multistory buildings. Copper's superior hydraulic-flow characteristics permit precise tube and pump sizing. Problem-free performance It is good engineering practice to use one material for all components throughout a mechanical system. The more copper used in an installation, the more you can count on dependable performance. Copper is known for its reliability. It has been used for plumbing and mechanical systems since metals were first employed in these applications. And its popularity in heating systems is a further indication of copper's superiority to alternative materials. Corrosion resistance Copper's excellent corrosion resistance is an important reason for its choice in so many applications. Solar energy systems, for example, benefit from copper's resistance to both atmospheric and aqueous corrosion. For water distribution and fire sprinkler systems, copper tube's internal corrosion resistance results in superior flow capacity. When calculating flow capacities, other plumbing materials require additional allowances for corrosion, scaling, out-of-roundness and smaller internal diameter when compared size-to-size with copper. Copper tube bores remain smooth, and internal diameters stay constant. Largely because of this, a copper fire sprinkler system can use smaller diameters to provide the same sprinkler coverage as a steel system—with significant savings in installed costs. High thermal conductivity Copper conducts heat up to eight times better than other metals. In any application involving heat transfer, from radiant heating to snow melting and to direct exchange geothermal pump systems, copper's high thermal conductivity provides an advantage. Comparing copper, aluminum and steel, copper is by far the best conductor of heat. In solar energy systems, copper's superior thermal conductivity means that thinner copper sheet can collect the same heat as a much thicker-gauge sheet of aluminum or steel. And it means that copper collector tubes can be more widely spaced. Easy to join and install Copper adds to system integrity while lowering installation costs. Copper's workability can cut installation time and reduce labour costs. Tubes and fitting are easily joined metallurgically by soldering or brazing. And copper is so ductile that it can be formed—frequently right on the job site—to fit most design configurations. Because of copper's formability, it is often possible to eliminate elbows and joints. Since copper is rigid as well as readily formable, it adds to total system integrity even when subjected to adverse conditions. Conventional manufacturing process vs modest manufacturing process We take this opportunity to inform you that as a part of our upcoming expansion programme, we are setting up a brand new “State of the Art” project to manufacture copper tubes for ACR and plumbing application areas. We will be producing plain and inner grooved copper tubes in straight lengths, pancake coils and LWCs, with “Cast & Roll” technology. The new plant will be commissioned by June/July 2010 and commercial production will commence from Copper's excellent corrosion resistance is an important reason for its choice in many applications. Solar ‘ energy systems, for example, benefit from copper's resistance to both atmospheric and aqueous corrosion. September 2010 onwards. The installed capacity would be 1000 MT per month.” Our upcoming new plant where in we would manufacture copper tubes is based on Cast & Roll technology which is the latest one ’ in this field and the only company that would be possessing in India. Perhaps if we discuss the technology then it will give a better idea to the trend and its exclusivity. The advantage of this technology over the conventional Extrusion & Drawing technology is the highest yield, minimum man power requirement, Area of production required is comparatively less in comparison to the conventional process and the process time required will be less. More information on Nissan Copper Limited marketing@nissancopper.com www.nissancopper.com www.internationalmetaltube.com IMT June/July 2010 11  Company News Customised products plus global know-how from Faspar F F aspar S.p.A. is a globally recognized producer of turn-key equipment for metal coils processing. Located in the Milan area (Robecco sul Naviglio), Faspar started life in 1966 as a press machine designer and manufacturer. Now with over 4000 sqm of covered production area, they are continually increasing their research, project and development sectors. The company has also been producing complete sheet metal working lines since 1977. Now, with well over 40 years experience and over 300 worldwide installed lines, Faspar S.p.A. is indeed a global supplier contact details etc below Its customised product range and expertise serve steel service centers, plus the automotive, white goods and construction industry. FASPAR is the supplier of the most important international groups, such as ThyssenKrupp Group, Sassoli Group, Sandvik, Metecno Group, Ugine & Alz (Arcelor Group), Acesita, and many other important service centers worldwide. More information on Faspar S.p.A. tel: +39 (0) 2947 1274 fax: +39 (0) 2947 1611 faspar@faspar.it www.faspar.it New brochure available IHWT I I HWT Thermatool has recently produced a comprehensive 12 page brochure that covers the wide range of induction coils and impeders, designed specifically for use with Thermatool CFI and HCT series solid-state HF induction welders. Manufactured from high conductivity Copper, quality inspected and painted orange for clear identification, there are numerous types and sizes of induction work coils available to satisfy every application. Many of these models are available for immediate delivery from stock. Similarly, there are many different types of impeder, available in a wide range of lengths and diameters The correct choice of induction coil and impeder will play a significant part in optimising the offering advanced industry know-how and engineering skills. Backed up with quality products and a completely reliable customer service, the performance and overall operating efficiency of a welder, provided they are both correctly positioned on the mill. Whether you are producing Carbon Steel, Stainless Steel, Copper, Brass, Aluminium or Galvanised tubing, IHWT Thermatool has the induction coil to meet your specific needs, suitable for installation on Thermatool welders with power ratings from 50kW to 2MW and operating frequencies ranging from 100kHz to 800kHz. More information on IHWT Thermatool tel: +44 (0) 1256 335533 info@ihwtech.co.uk company continues to evolve in response to its customer needs. Full details of its capabilities, product ranges and materials of choice can be accessed at the One-stop tube plants in India I I TL Industries offers a one- stop centre in India to set up entire tube manufacturing plants and tube production lines. They undertake total turn-key projects from concept to completion. They also offer a truly comprehensive range of equipment and systems including slitting, end facing and chamfering machines. Pipe threading machines, high pressure hydro testers and galvanizing plants, plus draw benches and tube straightening machines are just a small selection from their extensive portfolio. So, if you are looking to expand into this thriving economy, it may be helpful to contact ITL Industries as a first step. More information on ITL Industries tel: 0731-3044400-409 fax: 0731-2721110 info@itl.co.in www.itl.co.in 12 IMT June/July 2010 www.internationalmetaltube.com  Sawing At the cutting edge of saw blade technology After their recent development of a saw blade with exchangeable carbide tips, MFL can now market and reap the benefits of their new technology L L onger service life for less investment is the compelling reason driving customers worldwide to the new saw blade technology from MFL. The latest addition is a saw blade with exchangeable carbide tips from this well known supplier of sawing and milling equipment. The development of the new cutting technology started in 2005, but the final break through came with the development of the ‘toe dog system’. MFL and its partner Boehlerit (Austrian carbide manufacturer) will now start to market and establish the new saw blade with exchangeable carbide tips on the market. The clamped carbide tips are the special feature of the novel saw blade. Common saw blades have the carbide tips brazed at the tooth. The carbide tips of the MFL saw blades are clamped into the gap between the main body and The development of the new cutting technology started in 2005, but the final break through came with the development of ‘ the ‘toe dog system’ the tooth. A specially manufactured eccentric bolt positions the exchangeable carbide tip by a toe dog into the plate seat and clamps it properly. The carbide tip can be exchanged easily by a special clamping eccentric. The quick, easy exchange of the carbide tips, eradicates the need for complex regrinding processes Additionally, one saw blade can be equipped with different coated carbide tips, and is thus able to cut different materials. This effectively means 50% less saw blades are required for the production process. With modern moulding stainless steels, duplex, super alloy (Inconel, Hastelloy, Waspaloy) as well as titanium both productively and economically. Brazed saw blades have many disadvantages. The cutting teeth are uncoated and suitable for low cutting speeds up to 120 m/min (steel) only. In addition, the cutting teeth have a chip breaker but no chip deflector. Therefore they produce higher cutting forces and lower feeds (fz max 0.12mm per rotation). The new saw blade with interchangeable carbide tips guarantees up to 50% increased feed and optimum chip break, this this modern and economic sawing technology, the costs per cut square meter can be reduced up to 50% compared to brazed saw blades. The advantages of the MFL sawing technology are especially matched to the attributes of the solid MFL sawing machines. The technology has been developed in cooperation of MFL and Boehlerit for steel works, forgings, rolling mills, manufacturers of profiles and semi finished goods, e.g. rail sawing machines. On request the saw blades can be quoted from 550 to 2200 mm in diameter and with a cutting width of 5, 6, 8 and 10mm. ’ ’ techniques, exchangeable carbide due to a directly pressed chip More information on MTL tips with micro and macro deflector / chip breaker. By a special tel : +43 7613 8883 geometries can be produced that coating the saw blade offers up to fax: +43 7613 8883 30 are also able to cut heavy 50% increased cutting speed and saegen.fraesen@mfl.at materials such as austenitic up to 100% increased life time. With www.mfl.at www.internationalmetaltube.com IMT June/July 2010 13  Sawing RingSaw – the next generation At Tube 2010 in Düsseldorf, visitors were impressed by the operation of Reiks’s new generation RingSaw which reduces tool cost by up to 80 percent. Reika sales manager, Andreas Zimball, expands on the detail of their innovative new line. R R ingSaw: This was a real bombshell“ says Andreas Zimball, the sales manager of REIKA company, who seems to be surprised by tremendous demand for the new whirling machine for tubes and bars but in reality, he is not. “Not really” he says, smiling. “If you know this market, It’s obvious the RingSaw is a better solution in nearly every measure” Dusseldorf 2010 Many customers who visited the unveiling event shared his optimism. During Tube Show in Düsseldorf in April, REIKA’s RingSaw was one of the few We are talking about high six-digit amounts that can be saved year by year. That means, ‘ investment cost for the RingSaw can be paid off in a short time from tool cost savings alone continuously producing machines on the show and: In fact, she was noiseless and gentle on the nerves during operation! Thus also attracting many visitors who could not believe their eyes, or their ears, as the RingSaw relentlessly, and almost silently, cut bearing blanks from high grade, heavy wall, large diameter feed stock. But this was not the only highlight: People were completely surprised by the basic motions of the machine Paying off investment costs Meanwhile, REIKA has confirmed those amazing figures or even surpassed. “We are talking about high six-digit amounts that can be saved year by year” Andreas Zimball explains “That means, investment cost for the RingSaw can be paid off in a short time from tool cost savings alone”. This is a substantial benefit which is not to be underestimated, particularly in the diffictult worldwide economic climate with bars. But that design is based on decades of experience in intelligent technology and know- how, shown by a considerable number of similar concept lines, already well established on the market. “This machine is far from being a prototype but a trailblazer”. Proven technology The new concept is based on a successfully proven project, originating from REIKA’s German competitor, company Procon. ’ ’ with the cutting ring, whirling benchmarking and cost REIKA, member of the innovative around the stationary workpiece, reduction. Zimball adds, Graebener Group with more than resulting in tool cost savings of “Another benefit is that no 300 employees, including 80 50 to 80% compared to customer will act as a guinea mechanical and electronics conventional carbide saws pig. REIKA’s RingSaw is a engineers, acquired the Proconand a performance being 30 to completely new designed line for Lines in 2009. Based on the 60% higher. cutting of tubes, profiles and already existing Procon-Whirling 14 IMT June/July 2010 www.internationalmetaltube.com  lines and using Graebener We are talking about high six-digit amounts that can Group’s engineering capacities, REIKA successfully developed be saved year by year. That means, investment cost for the RingSaw - Synergy by Design! the RingSaw can be paid off in a short time from tool ‘’ Indendant verification According to first case studies and reports covering the RingSaw, a well-known German manufacturer of roll bearing rings achieved great savings in operating cost of about 80% on the REIKA machine, compared to a conventional carbide saw and with 30 to 60% higher performance. Key features of the material are as follows: 100Cr6 pre-tempered, tube diameter. 73mm, 12.6mm wall thickness. Andreas Zimball cost savings alone explained: We greatly exceeded all expectations These results were confirmed by a major manufacturer of roll bearing steel from Scandinavia after a complex series of test runs. The company used advanced tools carrying out tests with different technologies without spending much time and effort, as the RingSaw is equipped with an optional automatic tool changer to reduce manual interference and increase efficiency. Andreas Zimball is looking content: “We are simply head and shoulders above the competition! All roll bearing rings made on the RingSaw are of extremely good quality. Outstanding results with focus on burr-free surface quality, squareness etc. Machine Information RingSaw® is REIKA’s new Generation of machine tools for cutting of tubes, bars and profiles with diameters ranging from 10 to 610mm and wall thickness from 1 to 150mm. The machine is operated completely electro mechanical without hydraulics and therefore oil free. The cutting process is either dry, with mini-coolant or flood emulsion. No additional foundation work is necessary (apart from machine fixations), as the machine bed is totally oil free and designed as a closed cold water draining and reservoir area. The chip conveyor can be integrated directly into the machine bed. The RingSaw will be delivered with an optional automatic tool changer and totally enclosed machine design with safety protection cover according to state of the art machine tool style for full operator safety and environmental protection. Company Profile Innovative mid-sized company, specializing in development and manufacture of machines and lines for the tubular products and bar industry. 100 years of experience. State-of-the-Art technologies and material. High performance machines and lines according to special application requirements. Leading manufacturer of turnkey tube and bar machining systems and lines. Numerous worldwide patents. Continuous innovative development strategy. Engineering and software development by highly qualified team of professional engineers and designers working with latest CAD systems. Inhouse assembly hall for commissioning and inspection of machines and lines. High quality standards according to DIN EN ISO 9001 : 2000 Member of Graebener Group since 2003. Synergy by Design. www.internationalmetaltube.com IMT June/July 2010 15  Products & Equipment New machine concept for producing tubing meanders from a coil With the drive to environmental energy saving and efficiency, tube meanders have attained greater significance in recent years. WAFIOS discusses here, the benefits of it’s new production system that WAFIOS BM 50 16 IMT June/July 2010 www.internationalmetaltube.com will keep it at the forefront of this technology. E E xamples of tubing ‘meander’ applications have recently been grabbing a large amount of attention. Especially, when used for environmental purposes, and in energy-related applications (HVAC) such as solar panels, The equipment can process copper and aluminium tubing starting at a wall thickness of 0.4mm as well as steel ‘ and stainless steel ’ meanders are used for conducting the energy-storing medium. Many well-known household applications rely on meanders for radiators, heat exchangers, wall and overhead heating systems and last, but not least in the field of large appliances ("white goods") - the evaporator used in refrigerators is just one example. Bending process To date, the bending process started with material that has been cut to length, and compared to bending material taken from a coil, this process has distinct disadvantages. When bending from a coil, significant cost reductions accrue from dispensing with the complex feeding and handling equipment which is no longer needed. This also applies to the waste resulting from inaccurately cut tubing, and especially when the space required for the feeding and handling equipment is compared with that needed for a coil. When bending a meander, starting material lengths of 20m and more are not at all uncommon. The smaller footprint is beneficial, above all, in terms of increased flexibility, since when bending from a coil the space required remains unchanged and largely independent of part geometry. Modifications The modified WAFIOS BM50 production system comprises a coil of tubing, a wire bending machine, a rotary indexing table and customer-specific transport and ejection equipment. The BM50 features a modified straightener and an optimised in-feed mechanism for processing tubing taken from a coil, and includes the ability to rotate for the production of 3-D parts. Additionally, when cutting from the coil, the well known WAFIOS cut-off equipment is used. Besides the guide rail system for right- and left-hand bending, the BM50 features a special bending head with 4 CNC axes to accommodate different types of tooling. The rotary indexing table is adjustable for meander sizes of up to max. 2000 x 2300mm (2300 x 2000mm). The Indexing rotary table Part with tool  Products & Equipment system can be converted at any time to the smaller platen sizes commonly found in wire processing, which makes it suitable for an almost infinite variety of component parts. The equipment is controlled by a WAFIOS WPS3 programming system, in conjunction with additional features in the set-up mode, and other benefits such as programming in real length and 3-D part angle units and then incorporating them into a network. The equipment can process copper and aluminium tubing starting at a wall thickness of 0.4mm as well as steel and stainless steel. Rotary draw bending In the equipment on display, the bending operation employs rotary draw bending using recently developed, multi-stage bending dies with tube clamping. These are suitable for bending different radii as well as right- and left- hand bending, and may be used in conjunction with tube separating devices based on breaking and tearing. Rotary draw bending, permits bending of very tight radii with minimal decrease of ID when bending thin-walled tubing. This allows more material to be laid on a given surface, thereby increasing the efficiency. The high quality of the bend, in turn, Meander reduces the resistance to flow and boosts the efficiency of the meander. An exceptional bend quality is achieved as a result of the special tool arrangement and the particular bending technique. Thanks to the special feeding and straightening process, the work pieces are very flat, this largely prevents the so-called ‘saw tooth’ effect, which can have an adverse effect when laser welding with 0.2mm-thick material. Bent parts with very short legs, very tight radii and minimal decrease of ID are possible even with thin-walled tubing. More Information on Wafios AG tel: +49 7121 146309 a.hoster@wafios.de www.wafios.com  CAD/CAM A little tube philosophy..... E E veryone, who works specifically with tubing measurements, will know that it is not always possible to obtain the same results in repeat measurements. CMM’s achieve higher accuracy as the procedure always automatically measures the same point, having been programmed like a robot. However, this measurement process is time consuming and extremely complex for tube measurements. Optical measurements using fixed cameras to measure a fixed tube can be very accurate only when the tube has no re-entrant angles or add-on’s to contend with. Both the above mentioned measurement operations acquire deviation results within hundredths of a millimeter. Coordinate measuring arms are more flexible, but the manual measuring procedure to guide the probe to a point causes different deviation values, as the probe cannot find the exact same point for repeatability and reproducibility. Therefore the average deviation is within tenths of a millimetre - the deviation of 0.3mm is a good result for tube measurement. All values which are demanded by the quality department, which take the values in the scale of hundredths as a basis from measurements of geometric parts. For tubes this accuracy is not needed, only for their audit or ISO certification. To understand the complexities of tubing, one should know some tube-facts. A tube is a “living part”. It changes all the time, in its shape, as well as after a production treatment. The key sentence in tube treatment is when a tube straight is not straight and the outline is not round, specifically in the bends? ‘Springback – pure magic’ After the production of a tube, it will be stored, transported, set out at different temperatures, treated by cutting or end conditioning, and last but not least, bent in a tube bender. The magic word for tube bending people is “springback”, This means that the momentum impact to the tube material after a pressed, or a pulstrusion bend, results in a change of the bend angle. If a bend is set up to 90° the material differs, for example from 88° to 92° dependant on its ‘springback’ Tezet Technik, has been available for the last 20 years. TezetCAD ensures that the second tube is bent correctly, because the software generates the bender corrections automatically. This tube specialised software is modularly structured and has more than 100 variable tube functions. Primarily, it is user friendly because it is menu guided, and TeZetCAD is constantly in touch with evolving industrial demands for new features and new production requirements. For years TeZet have launched innovations which have been way ahead of the game, and have, in a short space in time, become recognized industry standards. Just two examples: firstly, in 2007 the algorithm for freeform bent tube handling was programmed by TeZet and integrated into TeZetCAD, with TeZet still the only provider for this section on the world market. Secondly the ‘Iges’ self-programmed converter generates tube data from industrial tube designs of half- shells instead of using a centerline or xyz coordinates. More information on Tezet Technik tel: +41 56 249 3760 fax: +41 56 249 2878 www.tezet.com and the settings of the bender. To achieve an accurate bend degree, it is advisable to use special software to correct the deviation. Of course, an experienced operator can evaluate the deviation, and correct it according to his experience, but this procedure is time consuming and uses more material. Usually it needs several attempts until the product is correct. TezetCAD, the ‘state of the art’ software from Swiss company 18IMT June/July 2010 www.internationalmetaltube.com  Can your supplier ship within 24 hours? Sandvik stock supply at DC Venlo | Ricardo Odekerken | Shift Leader | Sandvik Distribution Center Venlo, Europe Protect yourself and your customers from delivery delays. As a global leader, Sandvik has the capability to ship high quality hydraulic and instrumentation tubing within 24 hours from strategically located distribution centers in North America and Europe. Based on these delivery capabilities, a global producer of heat tracer tubing bundles, with manufacturing plants on both continents, has selected Sandvik as its supplier. Hundreds of customers and distributors have also chosen Sandvik for our ability to deliver anywhere in the world with ease and reliable timeliness. Sandvik also offers several hundred tube combinations in varying lengths, grades, forms and wall thickness – a complete range of superior quality tubing that fulfills even the most demanding requirements. CHALLENGE YOUR EXPECTATIONS www.smt.sandvik.com  Energy The affect of global warming has forced the development of renewable energy such as wind, wave and solar power. It has also triggered the comeback of a more controversial source of energy..... Nreally managed to be The revival of nuc quite the breakthrough in the energy market that politicians dreamed it would be. With Italy backing out completely, Germany phasing out from the nuclear option and the catastrophic accident at Chernobyl in 1986 – the peaceful use of atomic energy The times, as they say, however, are a changing. In the atomic power plant construction business, the largest upturn for decades is underway, creating a lucrative challenge for the valve, pipes and gasket industry. Atomic energy made a return to favour, when countries such as India and China began their and climate debates at UN conferences led to the Kyoto Protocol. The debates and the ensuing Protocol called for meaningful reductions of CO2 emissions to reduce global warming. Not all countries wanted to place bets alone on regenerative sources such as wind, solar, Nuclear energy, according to many experts is viewed as a source of energy free from CO2 emissions. By the end of 2008, there were approximately 440 nuclear plants in 31 countries were in operation. As we speak, 42 new plants are being constructed in 14 countries, and according to the German Atomic 20 IMT June/July 2010 www.internationalmetaltube.com  clear power Forum, 68 new plants were share stood at 30%. These New energy mix in Nuclear power is an alternative, clear power Forum, 68 new plants were share stood at 30%. These New energy mix in Nuclear power is an alternative, being planned in 2008. China wants to construct 16 new plants, Japan 11, and the USA, which is already the world leader with 100 reactors, has plans for 15 more in the next few years. Nuclear power accounted for 14% of global energy at the beginning of 2008, the European figures will have to be corrected upwards in the next few years, considering the power plants currently being built or planned. “In Europe, a strong trend is perceptible for the increased use of nuclear energy” states Axel Moocher, managing partner of Schroeder Valves GmbH. Great Britain Great Britain is a good example. The country is aiming at a new energy mix, including atomic power. “We have to assess all alternatives to CO2 emissions in view of the challenges climate change poses” declared Ed Milliband – former Minister for Energy & Climate Change. which, in my view, is safe. In England, the share of nuclear energy is set to grow from 15 to at least 25% in the next twenty years. Climate change is not the only factor behind the renaissance – Great Britain’s oil fields in the North Sea are drying up. “If something doesn’t happen soon,” says Greg www.internationalmetaltube.com IMT June/July 2010 21  Energy Clark, the Tory’s energy policy expert “UK plc is in danger of having its light go off around the year 2017”. The government is moving up a gear. Procedures for approval and permission for new nuclear power plants have been speeded up in order to help, with the aim being to construct ten new plants in the next ten years. Comeback in Italy Nuclear power is also facing a comeback in Italy after the country switched off its four power plants following a national referendum. President Silvia Berlusconi wants a return to nuclear energy with a new plant, which is supposed to be constructed 30km away from Venice, with construction commencing in 2013. The reactor will go online by 2020 as Italy plans to make it more independent from energy imports. Vattenfall is also investing billions in expanding existing reactors in Forsmark and Ringhals in Sweden. In Switzerland, nuclear power plants are set to be upgraded and overhauled. France, which has The government is moving up a gear. Procedures for approval and permission for new nuclear power plants ‘ have been speeded up in order to help ’ the largest amount of nuclear plants in Europe, is currently building a reactor in Flamanville. Finland and Lithuania plan to build more plants with Poland keen to enter the market. The Russian government meanwhile, has decided to build a Baltic nuclear reactor in the Kaliningrad region.. Two reactors will produce 2300MW. The first reactor will be built between 2010 and 2016: the second, between 2012 and 2018. The development of the German nuclear energy market is unclear, as the former government’s agreement to withdraw from producing nuclear energy is still a consensus. The new government however, is considering extending the periods which reactors are allowed to operate. Until now, the core business has been limited to maintenance and repair. It can nonetheless be seen that higher maintenance investments in existing plants are under consideration, given the market demand. Gold rush fever Energy, pipeline and valve companies want to utilize the ‘gold rush fever’ for atomic energy. German energy corporation RWE already has projects underway in Romania and the UK. RWE is co-operating with five other European companies on a plant at the Cemavoda plant in Romania, with the aim to build and operate blocks 3 & 4 of the reactor based on Canada’s Candu technology. Candu is the name for highly efficient heavy water reactors which are in use in 40 plants worldwide. In the next six years, to new reactors will be built on site at the Cemavoda plant for a sum of 4 billion euro. Russian companies won a tender with a Turkish partner to build four blocks inAkkuyu, situated 350 kms east of the tourist city Antalya. The plant, which will cost 15.5 billion euro, could be finished by 2020. Turkey will fulfil its dream of having its own nuclear reactor with help from Russia. Schroeder valves, for example, delivers valves for the power plants Flamanville in France, and Ringhals and Oskarshamn in Sweden, plus Borssele in three Netherlands. Velan, which is headquartered in Montrewal will supply the Slovakian atomic plant Mochovce with shut-off valves. The shut-off valves are intended to be used for the main steam pipe and the water supply. Slovenske Elektrame is planning to bring the third unit online in 2012, the fourth will follow eight months later. US corporation Swagelock also got a piece of the action, and has secured deals for plants in Asia, Europe and North America Highly regulated industry The valve market for atomic power plants has its own laws. “Suppliers constantly have to interpret norms, customers specifications and regional rules”, explains Swagelock. The company with more than 4000 employees worldwide makes valves other components for nuclear power plants. 22 IMT June/July 2010 www.internationalmetaltube.com  Energy Forward thinking maintenance and repair are therefore more important. Damage through corrosion, aging, fatigue and wear have to be considered. High demands also require highly qualified, technical staff. As Swagelock is aware, these are hard to find in the field of nuclear energy. The industry in general lacks qualified personnel to meet the growing demand for new atomic power plants. China is the largest market by a street The middle kingdom is planning to build 60 nuclear plants in the next 12 years, all requiring pumps, pipelines , valves and fittings. “All large sized plant engineering companies are vying for orders in that market” states Schroeder Valves. Areva and Westinghouse have already been awarded substantial orders with Schroeder supplying valves to the Yanjiang energy plant. A joint venture called SEC KSB Nuclear Pumps & Valves will be supplying16 boiler feed and coolant pumps for two new plants on the South Chinese island of Hainan in a deal worth approximately 50 million euro. KSB is building a 28,000m2 large production facility near Shanghai. The British company Weir Power & Industrial will ship triple offset flow control valves for the new units in Sanmen and Haiyang Hoping for economic growth Other Asian countries also hope atomic energy will fuel their economic advancement, Thailand, for example, wants to build its first nuclear power plant and is relying on help from China, The country’s electricity generating authority signed a contract for nuclear technology with China Guangdong nuclear power group and the CLP holding company. The three parties will share knowledge over the course of the next three years. In view of climate change, Japan is speeding things up in its nuclear market. Five companies were charged to support the Japanese nuclear energy industry with new products. Japan’s government is providing financial support for research into new technology. Okano Valve Co is tasked with developing special steam safety valves. Ten new power plants are being considered in South Africa. The USA has the largest amount of atomic power plants, and is set to build more. The superpower is not only going to expand its number of plants to nearly 120 in the next 15 years, but also will extend existing service life. More than half of the plants have had their service life extended by twenty years to sixty years. Flowserve Corporation was able to strike a major deal, receiving an order worth over 45 million US dollars from Westinghouse Electric for plants ‘ In the atomic power plant construction business, the largest upturn for decades is underway, creating a lucrative challenge for the valve, pipes and gasket industry ’ in the USA for safety valves as well as check and ball valves. Mind games A lot of projects can be expected for the future, even if some plans are merely ‘unusual’ mind games. Russian power company Rao Ues is evaluating if electricity from Russian nuclear plants can be exported to Germany via a cable running through the Baltic Sea. If ever realized, the cable would run from Kaliningrad in Russia alongside the future North Stream gas pipeline and have a capacity of 600 to 1000 megawatts. The company wants to negotiate with Germany, Lithuania and Estonia about the project Whatever path the energy market may take, it seems certain that things are leading to a broadly diversified energy mix, including oil, regenerative sources, gas – and, atomic energy. More information on this article contact Messe Duesseldorf tel: +49 211 4560 541 tel: +49 211 4560-87 hartmannp@messeduesseldorf. de www.internationalmetaltube.com IMT June/July 2010 23  Non Destructive Testing Non destructive inspection of tube and pipe welds Non Destructive Testing (NDI) has been implemented for some time now but recent advances in laser based inspection systems provide an additional approach to NDI as a means of quality control. N N on-destructive testing (NDT) of welds has been implemented on Tube and Pipe mills as part of standard quality assurance and control processes for some time. Both the traditional testing techniques of Eddy Current Testing (ECT) or Ultrasonic Testing (UT) allow for in-line testing of formed and welded tubes and pipes, finding a number of weld defects and discontinuities at various mill speeds. As powerful as these technologies are, they can still be somewhat complex to set-up, are sensitive to external conditions in the mill, and require multiple probes to obtain reliable data. Even when these issues are addressed, there still are some specific weld defects that they are unable to properly detect. Recent advances in laser based inspection systems provide a new approach of Non Destructive Inspection (NDI) as an additional means of quality control that can be implemented on a tube or pipe mill to complement the traditional NDT methods. Advantages of Non Destructive Inspection Laser based inspection technology is a relatively new method of Non Destructive Inspection of the weld bead on formed and welded tubes and pipes. Xiris Automation Inc. has developed an NDI system using Machine Vision technology (known as the WI2000p) that complements some of the traditional NDT techniques by performing NDI to find specific weld defects related to the surface Weld Inspection System user interface profile of a weld. Certain weld defects found in precision welded stainless steel tube manufacturing such as Mismatch (typically, a Linear Misalignment as defined in IEC-13919-1) or small, gradually changing defects (e.g. deflections or bead irregularities), are very difficult to measure using anything but a surface contour measurement technique. The Mismatch parameter reflects the vertical differences between the two halves of the tube/pipe as they come together during the welding process: After welding, the actual mismatch can only be measured with an NDI tool that is capable of profiling the surface of the tube. Traditional UT or ECT tools are unable to provide good, reliable measurement data for these types of defects because they are neither qualitative (i.e.unable to determine what feature is out of control) or quantitative (i.e. unable to accurately measure the size of an anomaly). Certain other specific weld defects such as Undercut and Sunken welds are often lumped together into one classification known as “Sunken welds” by traditional NDT equipment as they are unable to distinguish between these defect types. However, an NDI system, such as the WI2000p, can provide qualitative and quantitative information for each defect, being able to differentiate between the defect types. Principle of measurement The NDI system is based on triangulation measurements using a laser plane and a camera whose optical axis is offset to the 24 IMT June/July 2010 www.internationalmetaltube.com  axis of the laser plane (by the “offset angle”). The resulting image shows a “cut-away” profile of the top section of the tube as if it was cut at the offset angle to the normal of the tube surface. Weld Inspection System User Interface If a tube is ideally round, the laser image will represent a section of an ellipse. By knowing the position of the actual laser profile, the ideal expected profile and the size of the pixels in the image, the System can calculate various profile defects, including Mismatch, Weld Height, Deflection, Roll Angle, Sunken or Undercut welds. While NDI systems are powerful defect detection systems, they are not a whole scale replacements for either Eddy Current Testing (ECT) or Ultrasonic Testing (UT) systems. However, they do not share some of the inherent shortcomings of the traditional NDT systems, such as ECT and UT, including: • Sensitivity to external conditions that can influence the measurement’s precision: The ECT and UT systems’ precision is An NDI system, such as the WI2000p, can provide qualitative and quantitative information for each defect, being ‘ able to differentiate between the defect types ’ MISMATCH The Mismatch parameter reflects the vertical differences between the two halves of the tube/pipe as they come together during the welding process influenced by coupling factors between their probes and the tube, the relationship between the tube diameter and defect location, and the electromagnetic characteristics of the material itself. • Requirement for multiple probes to obtain reliable measurement data in real-time: Statistics show that the most prone to defect presence is the weld area itself, so the logical positioning of the probe should be in the heat-affected zone (HAZ). NDI systems such as the WI2000p use a single sensor to acquire images of the tube’s weld profile at the HAZ compared to the need for several probes used by most ECT and UT systems to ensure the HAZ is covered. • Inability to measure gradual changes. NDI systems such as the WI2000p are able to make complete, absolute measurements of the contour of the weld in real time without comparing a measurement to a successive measurement. Therefore, those defects that gradually move out of tolerance are best detected with NDI systems, whereas UT or ECT systems will only detect something if there is a sudden anomaly in the tube structure or geometry. • Inability to make qualitative or quantitative measurements. NDI systems generate an image of the profile of the tube contour and are therefore able to determine when a tube welding process is out of control, providing detail as to which feature, and by how much, that feature is out of control. This ability allows for better process control as the operator is able to determine more accurately which parameters are moving out of control and by how much. • Difficult installation and set-up: Often, on a typical tube mill, there is some roll in the weld seam from side to side. Both UT and ECT systems are very sensitive to the position of the weld seam. Therefore, they require precisely located probes in relation to the point of inspection of the weld. Through the inherent design of an inspection system, the WI2000p acquires an image of the profile and can keep operating even if the weld seam location moves back and forth (“Weld Roll”), due to its ability to detect weld quality with the same resolution, anywhere in its field of view. Overall, an NDI system such as the WI2000p offers an excellent option for tube mill owners / operators that want additional, real-time defect detection of weld features beyond what traditional NDT systems can provide. However, it does not replace the need for other NDT technologies as they still can provide certain inspections beyond the contour of a weld. By measuring the outside contour of a weld, an NDI system can operate on any type of material, regardless of its reflectance or magnetic properties, using a single head to perform the measurement. Very often NDT systems are installed as a final check at the end of the production line. However, an NDI system can be placed right after the weld box, where it can be used in a more proactive manner, warning operators what is changing in their welding process so that they can perform corrective action before significant scrap occurs. More information on the Xiris Cameron Serles Xiris Automation Inc www.xiris.com/tube/ IMT June/July 2010 25www.internationalmetaltube.com International Metal Tube Magazine and Digital Versions published 6 times a year To subscribe visit our website: www.internationalmetaltube.com The leading independent magazine for Metal tube & pipe producers and processors IMTInternational Metal Tube  Specialist Supplier Profile Not your average used machinery dealer… I I n 1985, Universal Tube & Rollform opened its doors with a commitment of being the number one supplier of used tube, pipe and rollform machinery in the world. Universal’s presence in this industry has always been strong and honorable, working with companies both locally and worldwide. Located in Perrysburg, Ohio their warehouse contains one of the largest inventories of used tube mills and rollformers available for inspection than you will find anywhere in the world Universal Tube has over 125,000 square feet of used machinery in their warehouse. Schedule a visit and take a look around at all they have to offer in tube mills, rollformers, cut-offs, H.F. welders, straighteners and much more. One of the most recent purchases was a New 12” (325mm) SFM pipe mill from China. The mill came complete with cage forming and the option to upgrade to API. Contact the sales staff at Universal anytime for a quotation on your next project. The company will be exhibiting at Fabtech International, November 2nd - 4th in Atlanta, Georgia. Free tickets are available to the show and Universal welcomes your visit to booth number 3363 located in the tube & pipe pavilion. Universal controls group Located under one roof with Universal Tube & Rollform, Universal Controls builds new drive systems, die accelerators, 26 IMT June/July 2010 www.internationalmetaltube.com  Services Universal Tube & Rollform can offer many different types of tube mills or rollformers to fit your specific needs. Customers can fax or email a drawing of the part they need to make and Universal’s team will go to work putting together a complete specific quotation. Also offered is machine rebuilding, painting services or machines can be sold as-is. Universal will pay cash for customer’s surplus machinery, one machine or an entire plant. A trade-in of obsolete machinery can be considered in exchange for other machines or services provided. Universal will also do consignment deals where customers retain ownership of the machinery until the date of sale. The company will clean, paint and advertise your machines and send you a check when sold. The company specializes in complete machine reconditioning. Whether it’s one single machine or a complete line, they would be happy to send you a quotation for this service. Universal is uniquely qualified to assess the current condition of your machinery and offer expert advice for upgrades. Their experienced staff can clean, paint, rebuild, install & train your staff making certain your machine is running efficiently. Together with Universal Controls Group they have the ability to put new controls, drives, and motors on all machines. The experience and services that Universal provides helps them to stand out from your average used machinery dealer. Visit their website at www.utubeonline.com drives and other accessories to retrofit new or existing machinery in almost any industrial environment. Universal Controls with Universal Tube & Rollform has the knowledge to offer you a complete turn-key system from initial design to start-up. The unique relationship with Universal Tube enables them to offer a wide array of cost efficient services unmatched by others. They can help you increase accuracy and productivity while keeping your investment low. Universal Controls also builds expandable mill control systems, pre-engineered or custom fit to your specifications. They developed the U-Trak length Control System, which is a closed loop servo ball screw system that will accurately control the die on This machine was completely upgraded by Universal Tube in 2010. It has new drives, motors and accelerator with high speed gears for up to 400 FPM almost any press. The U-Trak Length Control System is perfect for use on tube mill and rollformer upgrades. They offer drive retrofit kits with all control components included at one low cost. Visit their website at www.universalcontrolsgroup.com for more information. HavenTrak™ Flying Shear The HavenTrak™ Flying Shear utilizes the speed and precision of Haven Manufacturing’s “Dual Blade” Shear Cut-Off Head with Universal Controls Group’s UTRAK Length Control System to deliver accurate, high quality, dimple free cuts on the fly. This innovative approach will provide improved production rates with increased accuracy at up to 250 FPM. What sets universal apart Universal goes a step further to offer you more of the options you need: We SPECIALIZE in Used Tube Mill & Rollforming Lines with the ability to provide: • Used and Rebuilt Machinery with New components for your Application • Retrofit New or Existing Machinery • New Control Systems • Custom Engineering • New Drive Systems • Home of the U-Trak Length Control System (as used in the New HavenTrak Flying Shear) • Installation Services Available • Start Up & Training Services Available • Import and Export Services • Cash paid for Surplus Machinery • Trade-in or Consign your Surplus Machines • Members of the Machinery Dealers National Association, TPA, FMA, SME and BBB Summary The HavenTrak™ Flying Shear tube cutting machine is the economical, precision cutting solution tube manufacturers need to remain competitive in the global marketplace. This cutting system has furthered Haven’s global reputation for over 50 years of innovation, reliability, quality and cost savings. The HavenTrak™ minimizes cost by providing an accurate and distortion free cut that eliminates the need for secondary operations. This system is simple to operate, easily maintained, and built for longevity. The HavenTrak™ Flying Shear tube cutting machine also has the highest return on investment of any competitive system. www.internationalmetaltube.com IMT June/July 2010 27  Events Diary dates IMTS International Manufacturing Technology Show Venue: McCormick Place, Chicago, Illinois, USA Date: 13-18 September 2010 More information: www.imts.com Tube China Venue: Shanghai New International Expo Centre, Shanghai, China Date: 21-24 September 2010 More information: www.tubechina.net Pipe & Tube Pittsburgh Venue: Pitsburgh, Pennsylvania USA Date: 3-5 October 2010 More information: www.pipe-pittsburgh.com EuroBlech – 21st International Sheet Metal Working Technology Exhibition Venue: Hanover, Germany Date: 26-30 October 2010 More information: www.euroblech.com Fabtech Venue: Atlanta, Georgia, USA Date: 2-4 November 2010 More information: www.fmafabtech.com Valve World 2010 Venue: Dusseldorf Exhibition Centre, Germany Date: 30 November 2 December 2010 More information: www.messe-dusseldorf.de BORU Venue: Istanbul Expo Centre, Istanbul, Turkey, Date: 8 - 11 January 2011 More information: www.borufuari.com Tekno Tube Arabia Venue: Dubai, UAE Date: 3 - 6 March 2011 More information: www.alfajer.net/tekno Tube Russia Venue: Moscow, Russia Date: 23 - 26 May 2011 More information: www.metallurgy-tube-russia.com Tube South East Asia Venue: Bangkok Thailand Date: 13 - 15 Sept 2011 More information: www.tube-southeastasia.com Tubotech 2011 Venue: Säo Paulo, Brazil Date: 13 - 15 Sept 2011 More information: www.feirasnacipa.com.br/tubotech IMT will be giving coverage to these major trade shows throughout the remainder of 2010 and 2011 If you are organising an exhibition, training course or conference of interest to tube and pipe professionals, IMT will be happy to publicise it for you in our diary section. Simply email the details to: pmdmagazine@btinternet.com 28 IMT June/July 2010 www.internationalmetaltube.com  Das ist der Gipfel ! Marktführerschaft Sind Sie als Rohrhersteller vorbereitet für Rohrinnenentgratungen auf höchstem Niveau? Dann führen unsere präzisen Spitzenprodukte auch zu Spitzenergebnissen. Durch ihre hohe Funktionalität, Präzision und Standzeit werden die werkzeugbedingten Produktions-Stillstände reduziert, Kostenlawinen vermieden und die Innenentgratungsqualität gesteigert – und zwar deutlich! Profitieren Sie von uns als Weltmarktführer. Erreichen auch Sie mit uns den Gipfel der Innovation und des Fortschritts. Made in Germany! Gipfelstürmer-Info: +49 (0) 2191-9982-0 info@blissenbach.de www. blissenbach.de  ALL THE TOOLS YOU NEED. ALL IN ONE PLACE. North America’s Largest Metal Forming, Fabricating, Welding and Finishing Event When it comes to getting the tools you need to improve productivity, increase profits and find new ways to survive in today’s competitive business environment, nothing compares to FABTECH. One week, one convenient location, one opportunity to keep your business on the cutting edge. REGISTER TODAY: www.fabtechexpo.com NOVEMBER 2-4, 2010 GEORGIA WORLD CONGRESS CENTER | ATLANTA, GEORGIA