“With the new state-of-the-art equipment, Axis Pipe and Tube will extend its product range opening up new customer segments,” said SMS group, which supplied the equipment and oversaw commissioning.  

SMS said the heat treatment facility includes a natural gas-fired walking-beam hardening and tempering furnace, a water quenching unit and a 10-roll hot straightener. The threading line is equipped with two stationary four-axis CNC threading machines that rotate the tube, a hydrostatic pipe tester, a finishing section and pipe handling equipment.

Axis Pipe and Tube is a unit of Prolamsa. Axis opened its US$150 million mill in Bryan, Texas, USA, last year. The mill has an annual capacity of more than 300,000 tons.