SANDVIK INSTALLS WORLD'S MOST MODERN TUBE MILL
Eighteen months after initial preparation of the site, AB Sandvik Steel has announced the start-up of a new mill which includes the world's latest technology for the production of seamless, stainless steel, heat exchanger tubes and brings several innovative changes to equipment design.
Located at its main manufacturing plant in Sandviken, Sweden, the new mill represents an investment of 250 million SEK ($38 million). It occupies approximately 11000mē and is over 300 metres long.
Commissioned in September 1998 and now in full production, Tube Mill '98 is a total facility and contains all operations from tube making to final finishing and despatch. Production methods have been developed to provide high quality tubes, increased productivity and an ability to manufacture more easily, special alloys such as duplex stainless steel. The mill has been installed as a fully automated flowline creating the possibility to offer delivery times down to 3 weeks.
The layout and equipment design give greater flexibility with short set-up and lead times. An integrated and networked computer system has been installed to allow operators access to necessary information at all stages from production planning to finished product.
The total process requires only 8 operators for each shift.
Faced with a green field site, Sandvik engineers were not only able to develop and utilise state of the art technology but they were also able to take account of internal and external environmental factors, down to such details as the amount of ambient light and the use of colour schemes.
In the construction of the mill, for example, much of the plant is built to reduce plant noise. The building fabric has been constructed to absorb noise and noise hoods have been installed in key areas. Pickling using acids, which is a normal part of the tube making process, has been eliminated. Also, heat from the oil used in the pilgering process and in heat annealing is being recycled to provide energy for factory heating.
The main project leader of Tube Mill '98, Leif Johansson says, "We have a mill which is better in terms of product quality and lead times. It is certainly the most efficient one and will strengthen our position as a leading producer of stainless, seamless tubes. By adopting what was already working well, developing previous techniques and thinking along completely new lines, we have created machines and handling equipment which differ from and improve upon earlier designs".
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