In the intervening thirty years since YADA started as a piping accessory manufacturer, YADA has expanded under its corporate vision to be the leading green solution provider in the shipping and marine piping integration business. It has evolved into a one-stop piping solution provider capable of handling the complete business chain from design, fabrication and installation to maintenance & repair. YADA has delivered integrated piping solutions and products to over 2,000 ships and FPSO, FSRU, LNg marine and clean energy projects. With highly cost-effective products and services, it assists users in improving their sustainability while boosting long-term competitiveness.
By Laura Wang, Stainless Steel World, Shanghai
In response to intense competition and a changing market, YADA has strategically defined its mission as navigating the company towards sustainable development in an entrepreneurial manner. It aims to provide superior one-stop piping solutions by focusing on customer needs while continuing technological innovations. The YADA team believes that customer needs are always a priority. Rather than maximising profit, which is a standard business practice, YADA is keen on translating the different needs of its diverse customers into new development opportunities. This decisive, forward-thinking strategy enables YADA to avoid traditional development bottlenecks in the industry. It’s been thirty years since YADA set out on this road of development and transformation. From concept to reality, each step to upgrade the company has had its milestones. Today, the company has five subsidiaries covering upstream and downstream businesses, creating an integrated industrial chain. This strategy enables YADA to provide a one-stop solution based on systematic and intelligent products and services. Thanks to its decades of experience in serving global customers and the strength of its sustainable development strategy, YADA has realised complete manufacturing chains for twelve production lines. Today, it produces seamless pipe, welded pipe, fittings, flanges and brackets, prefabricated pipe, double wall pipe, pump towers and modular products. It has achieved a comprehensive level of flexible pipe manufacturing not commonly seen in the industry.
Tier one: pipes & basic steel products
YADA’s facilities include a fully equipped automatic welding pipe production line and online pipe welding with a maximum diameter of 726mm.
It independently developed 4,000-ton and 25,000-ton ultra thick and pressure welded pipe cold forming equipment capable of handling 100mm thickness 1.2-meter diameter welded pipe. YADA is the leading domestic provider regarding wall thickness of welded pipe products. Seamless pipe production equipment is also complete, with a maximum diameter of 520mm and wall thickness of 50mm. Customers from the LNG, LPG, petroleum refining, nuclear power and other industries have highly recognised the products.
Tier two manufacture: pipe accessories
With an independently developed complete production facility, YADA is able to provide 2-100mm pipe products, the total coverage of wall thickness range, and DN10-DN3000 products in the complete diameter range. Material options for pipe accessories range from austenitic stainless steel, super austenitic stainless steel, duplex steel, super duplex steel, and nickel-copper alloy through to nickel base alloys, the full spectrum of product material. In addition to standardised products, YADA develops and produces customised products such as multi-pass, isolation devices, elbowa with straight sectiona, Y-tee, etc., and the full spectrum of stainless steel pipe accessories.
Tier 3 manufacture: prefabricated product
Factory prefabrication is one of the key measures YADA uses to significantly improve quality, efficiency and safety, especially regarding pipe system structures requiring significant welding. 80% of the workload can be completed in YADA’s professional factory. It also reduces a lot of work at heights and cross-work, and improve the quality and safety management level of the construction site. In the 20,000+ m2 professional prefabrication shop, the flexible stainless steel pipe prefabrication line works according to the pallet arrangement. 80% of welding is carried out automatically.
Prefabrication, passivation and painting are performed in the same zone, improving efficiency and pass rate. In addition, YADA can optimise the design of multi-channel pipes and extended elbows from the manufacturer’s perspective, reducing 20% of welding work and improving the pipe system’s quality and service life.
Tier 4 manufacture: modular products
YADA has an annual production capacity of 350 sets of modular products. However, YADA truly stands out because it is able to provide one-stop solutions covering the full lifecycle from principle design through installation, maintenance and repair.
The R&D and production efficiency are secured by professional design, standardised manufacturing processes and an experienced production team. A professional quality control system and complete testing equipment guarantee quality.
Through pipeline prefabrication and modular integration, the installation time at the user end is reduced, simplifying management and eventually helping users reduce costs and improve efficiency.
Establishing a complete production chain was critical for YADA to provide full lifecycle service, but it was not the only condition. YADA is also investing heavily in digitalisation. In 2022, it realised logistic digitalisation and visualisation. The objective for 2023-25 is to realise production process digitalisation, lean production and the ongoing iteration of the digitised systems. By 2026, the company’s goal is to build a smart and platform-oriented factory.
The wider objective is to leverage digital technology to boost the development of YADA’s full production chain and the product family.
Development milestones
| 1993 | YADA was founded and started producing stainless steel accessories for piping systems |
| 2003 | Tier 2 manufacturing: flange production started, expansion of the product range for Tier 2 manufacture |
| 2009 | Tier 3 manufacturing: product scope expanded to prefabricated products |
| 2010 | New application area: started business in LNG industry |
| 2013 | Tier 1 manufacturing: upward move to seamless tube production |
| 2015 | Tier 4 manufacturing: modularised products |
| 2015 | Localised double wall pipes: the first Chinese company to produce double wall pipes |
| 2019 | AiP approval: development of vapour supply system and approval by AiP |
| 2023 | Business expansion: production of methanol vapour supply system; the ammonia fuel supply system is approved by BV, DNV classification Society AiP |
MAN + YADA: providing FgSS/LFSS full-lifecycle service
YADA has established a long-term strategic partnership with Man Cryo to provide worldwide customers with one-stop LNG Fuel Gas Supply System (FGSS) solutions. With the motto of “Designed by Man Cryo, manufactured by YADA”, Man Cryo is responsible for the principle design, global operation and maintenance for each project,
while YADA is responsible for the production and process design, components & fittings manufacture, piping prefabrication, skid integration and installation.
MAN Cryo + YADA can ensure the smooth operation of feeding systems for ships and offshore projects throughout the entire lifecycle.
Focused production
The YADA team graphically describe the company’s development path as being: “one metre wide and one hundred metres deep”. It has implemented a slogan highlighting its three company “Nos:”
1. NO cross-industry business,
2. NO ordinary products,
3. NO defective service!
Win/win for suppliers & buyers
In practice, optimising efficiency and cost-effectiveness is often contradictory to smooth operations and risk reduction. YADA’s answer to this strategic bottleneck for both suppliers and buyers is to tackle it from the angle of adding value rather than price fighting. This is particularly effective for a company such as YADA whose strengths lie in creating added value through innovative service. It is a win-win solution based on innovative thinking. Supported by its strengths in front-end design, fabrication, maintenance and repair, the full lifecycle service pattern is integrated into services usually performed by multiple suppliers, creating a reformed supply chain which inherently facilitates quality, consistency, rapid responses and flexible service. To solve customers’ problems, YADA upholds the principle of “focusing on service powered by technology”. With vast experience and significant technological strengths, YADA can provide flexible technical solutions based on the pipes’ material, thickness and application. YADA believes that traditional services can struggle to satisfy customer’s needs fully. Take design as an example; typically, designers and fabricators are separate firms, making it impossible for either to implement full lifecycle service to fully meet the needs of a project. Consequently, commissioning, maintenance and repair service must be sourced elsewhere.
The strong YADA technical development team has its own technology research and development centre with a professional team of over 100 staff. The centre has an established industry-university-research collaboration with shipbuilding institutes, aerospace institutes, Zhejiang University and Jiangsu University of Science & Technology, among others. Since its establishment, the centre has accomplished a series of national and provincial special projects and successfully developed more than 100 new products and new technologies; applied for several patents for inventions and utility models; and drafted or participated in the drafting of a series of national, industrial and group level standards.
High-tech manufacturing facilities
YADA’s fabrication strength is evident in its 100,000m2 manufacturing centre, where significant investments have been made, including some which were implemented to fulfil the need for custom-designed products. As a fully equipped flexible fabricator, YADA serves many -high and middle-end sectors, including shipping, offshore engineering, clean energy, oil, chemical, nuclear power, defence, etc. Under the full lifecycle pattern, YADA can get involved early at the front-end design stage to develop a solution specific to the actual requirements.
With a well-designed combination of standard commodity and customised solutions, efficiency and cost-effectiveness can be further improved and risks mitigated. It’s worth mentioning that both the full lifecycle pattern and the steady operation of YADA are favourable to shipbuilding and offshore engineering projects that often have a decades-long operation cycle. YADA has 120+ service outlets with a 24-hour response and 36-hour arrival time to provide superior customer service.
Towards a greener, promising future
In response to its corporate vision to be the leading green solution provider in the shipping and marine piping integration business, YADA helps customers stand out with professional product development capabilities and services and a focus on sustainability. To achieve their carbon reduction targets (net zero by 2060), YADA, MAN Cryo and other partners work together to explore clean energy solutions to boost the green and zero carbon development of the global marine, energy and chemical industries. YADA actively promotes using clean energy in production and is endeavouring to implement photovoltaic energy. To reduce energy consumption and meet strict discharge standards, YADA has made significant investments in advanced technology and equipment. With its three core competencies of: full supply chain fabrication and outstanding products, worldwide pro-active service, and green-oriented specialisations, YADA is determined to contribute to the low-carbon development of the global shipping, marine and chemical industries and the smooth operation of piping systems for users worldwide.
Facts & Figures
| Company: | YADA GREEN ENERGY SOLUTIONS CO., LTD. |
| Established: | 1993 |
| Headquarter: | Jiaxing City, China |
| Production lines: | 12, including welded pipes, seamless steel pipes, pipe fittings, flanges, prefabricated pipes, heating coils, double-wall pipes, pressure vessels, pipe supports, pump towers, skids, etc. |
| Annual Capacity: | 60,000 tons |
| Industries: | shipbuilding, LNG, marine engineering, clean energy, and petrochemical |
| Projects: | Ships 2000+, Cryogenic liquid cargo ships 100+, Double wall pipe projects 100+, countries involved 20+ |
| International certifications: | 39 (including LR, ABS, DNV, BV, CCS, RS, NK, RINA and KR class societies certificates, ASME, NORSOK-M650, API and food-grade recognition) |
| Service outlets: | 120+ worldwide |
| Website: | http://www.cnyada.net/en |
| E-mail: | yada@cnyada.net / marketing@china-yada.com |
About this Featured Story
This Featured Story appeared in Stainless Steel World December 2023 magazine. To read many more articles like these on an (almost) monthly basis, subscribe to our magazine (available in print and digital format) – SUBSCRIPTIONS TO OUR DIGITAL VERSION ARE NOW FREE.
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