Corinth produces HFI tube welding line from SMS Meer

Monday, 26 Oct 2009

In the Thisvi Pipeworks in Greece, Corinth Pipeworks SA has produced the world's first 26 inches longitudinally welded pipe by using the High Frequency Induction Process. The line had been supplied by SMS Meer and SMS Elotherm as an ERW tube welding line and was put into operation in 2001.

Its main products are pipes for gas, oil and water lines in the dimensional range of 220 mm to 610 mm, with wall thicknesses from 4 mm to 20 mm, to API 5L and/or 5CT. Corinth Pipeworks additionally manufactures hollow sections with square (maximum 500 x 500) and rectangular (maximum 600 x 400) cross sections in wall thicknesses up to 20 mm by cold finishing.

During a shutdown of only three weeks, the line has now been extended jointly by Corinth Pipeworks und SMS Meer to allow the production of 26 inches pipes.

On September 7th 2009, the first 26 inches pipes in different wall thicknesses and material grades were successfully produced. Furthermore, the trial production of 610 mm pipes in up to 25 mm wall thickness was successfully concluded. The lines in operation at Thisvi have a capacity of approximately 775,000 tonnes per annum.