SMS Meer to Replace Hydrostatic Pipe Tester at Berg Steel Pipe
11/23/2011 - Berg Steel Pipe Corp. has placed an order with SMS Meer for the supply, installation, and commissioning of a new hydrostatic pipe tester for longitudinally welded large-diameter pipes at its works in Panama City, Fla.
Berg Steel Pipe Corp. (BSPC) has placed an order with SMS Meer for the supply, installation, and commissioning of a new hydrostatic pipe tester for longitudinally welded large-diameter pipes. The new tester is to replace an existing tester in the works in Panama City, Fla., where BSPC mainly produces line pipes.
The new hydrostatic pipe tester is designed for 12.4-m-long large-diameter pipes with diameters of 24 to 62 in (609.6 to 1574.8 mm) and wall thicknesses of ¼ to 1½ in (6.35 to 38.1 mm). The maximum test pressure is 35 MPa; the clamping force attains 40 MN.
Project Manager Matthias Büchter of SMS Meer said: "We have designed the tester in such a way that we can almost fully use the existing foundations at the customer’s works. BSPC thus saves considerable costs. Furthermore, the revamping time and, consequently, the production downtimes will be minimized thanks to the use of completely prefabricated and pre-assembled units."
The new plant is designed for a higher throughput than the existing machine, thus equipping BSPC to face future capacity expansions in the works.
Completion is scheduled for the fourth quarter of 2012.
Founded in 1979, Berg Steel Pipe Corp. has been part of Europipe GmbH, Germany, since 1992. Europipe is a joint venture of Dillinger Hüttenwerke and Salzgitter Mannesmann GmbH. In the U.S., Berg Steel operates another plant in Mobile, Ala., in addition to the works in Panama City.
SMS Meer GmbH is a company of the SMS group which, under the roof of the SMS Holding GmbH, consists of a group of companies internationally active in plant construction and mechanical engineering for the steel and nonferrous metals industry. With about 10,800 employees, the group generates sales of over EUR 3 billion.
