Barrett Steel is set to make history in November 2014 when it installs a 1500mm diameter tube plasma profiler at the Barrett Steel Offshore site in Middlesbrough. The RB1500 profiler is the first of its kind to be installed in England and represents a EUR 600,000 investment. The machine will be used for applications within the expanding offshore renewable (wind), oil & gas and constructional sectors.
Rob Kirby, commercial manager of Barrett Offshore, explains the significance of the investment: “Barrett Steel Offshore is uniquely positioned as the only steel stockholder to offer both this technology and stockholder expertise for a 1500mm diameter tube plasma profiler. The ultra-modern German engineered tube/pipe plasma profiler (RB 1500) offers innovative technology and ground-breaking software for processing pipe up to 1500mm diameter. Its main functions include scalloping and both standard and reverse weld preparations. It can also be used on ‘free issue’ material, where customers are offered the choice of buying either processed steel or supplying the parent material, catering for the diverse needs of offshore fabricators.”
The new machine will process the company’s current grades including S355J2H, G15+N and API X52, including the recently added large diameter X65 seamless pipe range. Tubes can be etched, hard stamped or marked up to customers’ specifications providing full traceability with CE accreditation.