In January this year, Rautaruukki OYJ - Metform, Finland successfully commissioned a stand for a 16" tube welding line supplied by SMS Meer after a short standstill period at its Pulkkila works. SMS Meer GmbH, Mönchengladbach/

Germany, is the Tube and Copper Plants Division of SMS Demag AG. In a record time of only two weeks, the existing stand was dismantled, the new stand installed and then commissioned. All the contractually specified performance data were subsequently successfully tested.

A technical innovation of the stand is the fully automatic computer-controlled roll changing which is carried out in less than ten minutes, including roll adjustment. Tube diameter changes, e. g. for different wall thicknesses, can be carried out from the computer. The line no longer has to be stopped for these changes. The squeeze stand allows a separate changing of the top rolls without the tube strand having to be cut.

SMS Meer had already supplied and commissioned a sizing mill for the same plant in Pulkkila in a similarly short standstill time in 1996.

Further information can be obtained from:

SMS Meer GmbH
- Addr: Ohlerkirchweg 66, D - 41069 Mönchengladbach, Germany
- Tel: (+49-2 11) 8 81-44 49
- Fax: (+49-2 11) 8 81-43 86
- WWW: http://www.sms-meer.de/
- Email.
- Contact: Bettina Altenkamp