Stupp Commissions Spiral Tube Welding Line from SMS Meer
11/13/2009 - Stupp Corp. recently started operation of its new spiral tube welding line supplied by PWS GmbH, a company of SMS Meer, Germany.
Stupp Corp., Baton Rouge, recently started operation of its new spiral tube welding line supplied by PWS GmbH, Germany, a company of SMS Meer, Germany.
The new tube welding line, which produces pipes using the submerged-arc welding process, is designed for an annual capacity of 240,000 tons. Developed by PWS, the line uses the offline (two-stage) process to produce pipes ranging in diameter from 24 to 60 inches with wall thicknesses from ¼ to 1 inch and a maximum pipe length of 80 feet. Material grades up to X80 are welded on the line, producing predominantly pipes for the construction of oil and gas pipelines to the API-5L standard.
In addition to the key machines for production of spiral-welded pipes, PWS also supplied all the machines for the pipe finishing area, including pipe end dressing machines, hydrostatic pipe testers, and corresponding machine groups. The PWS scope of supply also included automation of these and other key machines, as well as integration of the periphery and handling equipment for the complete plant.
SMS Meer credits close cooperation between PWS and Stupp for the spiral tube welding line’s early commissioning, with the result that Stupp produced its first pipe on the line just 15 months after the order was placed.
Stupp Corp. is one of the leading suppliers of steel pipes for the energy market and manufactures pipes to the API-5L, API-5CT, ASTM, AWWA and ASME standards. An agreement has already been concluded for spiral-welded pipes from the new mill to be supplied to one of the leading gas providers in the USA.
SMS Meer GmbH is a company of the SMS group, which is, under the holding SMS GmbH, a group of companies internationally active in plant construction and mechanical engineering for the steel and nonferrous metals industry. It comprises the two Business Areas SMS Siemag and SMS Meer. In 2008, some 8900 employees worldwide generated a turnover of more than EUR 3.6 billion.
