Zhejiang Kingland Pipe Industry awarded PWS, an SMS Meer company, a contract for the supply of off-line spiral pipe welding equipment. As per the agreement, PWS will supply an integrated system solution consisting of a spiral pipe forming and tack-welding machine for forming and initial welding of hot-rolled steel strip. PWS will also provide three downstream off-line finish welding stands. The new installation is scheduled for commission in the second quarter of 2013. Zhejiang Kingland will have the option of adding a fourth finish welding stand at a later stage. This would boost annual capacity from above 180,000t to around 240,000t.
Michael Stark, CEO of PWS, states: “Installation of an additional finish-welding stand was included in our engineering planning from the start, as it would permit a significant increase in production capacity, with no interruption to ongoing operation”.
Zhejiang Kingland will be able to produce pipes with outer diameters from 508mm to 1,626mm and wall thicknesses ranging from 6.35mm to 25.4mm on its new off-line spiral pipe welding machine. Pipe lengths range between 8m and 12.5m.