SINOPEC invests in state-of-the-art spiral pipe plant
SINOPEC Shashi Steel Pipe Works (SINOPEC SSPW) has placed an order for the supply of a spiral pipe plant for its facility in Jingzhou, China. The plant will be designed for both submerged arc and MAG (Metal Active Gas) welding (PERFECT arc).
SINOPEC SSPW plans to process higher material grades with the new plant, while boost productivity. This will be achieved thanks to a stable forming process and the PERFECT arc technology developed by SMS, enabling, for example, energy savings of up to 30 percent compared to equipment from other suppliers.
The new plant will produce spiral tubes for oil and gas applications within the 508 millimeter (20 inch) to 2,032 millimeter (80 inch) diameter range, with a maximum wall thickness of 25.4 millimeters (1 inch) and a length of 15 meters.
The plant will be able to produce pipes in an online and in an offline process. After forming, the pipe can be either directly finish-welded on the machine (online) or tack-welded at a three to four times higher speed and finish-welded later, on separate finish-welding stands (offline).
The plant will be integrated into a production planning and management system (Industrie 4.0) and providing production data in real time. To this end, it features the latest automation systems, including Siemens TIA (Total Integrated Automation) control technology.
The equipment for the new pipe plant is scheduled to be supplied in the third quarter of 2021. Following the installation, commissioning is planned to take place in the middle of the fourth quarter of 2021.
