SMS group’s second largest cold pilger mill goes to Tubacex
Tubacex S.A., a global manufacturer of seamless stainless steel tubes, has placed an order with SMS group for a cold pilger mill, type KPW 290 L, at its new greenfield site close to Abu Dhabi, in order to effectively serve the growing demand for cold pilgered tubes in the oil and gas industry.
KPW 290L: A new level of cold pilgering for the oil and gas industry
In cooperation with SMS group, Tubacex plans to commission its first OCTG (oil country tubular goods) plant in the Middle East and is expanding its product portfolio to include seamless stainless steel tubes.
Project highlights:
- Stainless OCTG tubing with the highest outer diameter and wall thickness tolerances for reliable oil and gas extraction
- One of the most flexible cold pilger mills in terms of the finish tube range
Tubacex’s new KPW 290 L, is the second largest cold pilger mill and the second of its kind that SMS group has built in terms of size and flexibility of the dimensional range. Following the successful operation of other cold pilger mills, the KPW 370 L in Germany and the KPW 290 L in China, this new order strengthens SMS’ position in the market for large-scale pilger mills.
SMS group’s scope comprises the design of the complete pilger mill, including the delivery of mechanical, electrical and auxiliary systems, right up to supervision support and technical production assistance. A data logging unit is part of the equipment package and provides increased production efficiency and continuous system analysis for operators, maintenance workers and production planners.
The cold pilger mill is expected to go into production by early 2025 and will enable Tubacex to serve its growing customer demands.
What is special about the KPW 290 L?
The KPW 290 L is an innovative cold pilger mill that supports Tubacex’s strategy to increase its proximity to end users in the Gulf region and to serve the growing demand for gas extraction in sour environments, which requires the use of corrosion-resistant stainless steel tubes.
SMS group’s KPW 290 L features a comprehensive product portfolio, producing seamless stainless steel tubes with diameters ranging from 89 to 255 millimeters. This versatility and precision make it ideal for various applications, including drilling, production, and transportation.
The KPW 290 L enables high reliability in oil and gas extraction operations by maintaining tight outer diameter and wall thickness tolerances. It incorporates tailor-made digital features that provide real-time insights for operators, maintenance personnel and production planners, optimizing performance and minimizing downtime.
The mill is particularly suited for high-alloyed stainless steel tubes with small wall thicknesses, enhancing roundness, eccentricity, stress homogeneity, and surface roughness through numerous forming steps. It can achieve simultaneous cross-section reductions of up to 85% for stainless steel tubing, ensuring application-specific yield strength and superior quality. These capabilities make the KPW 290 L a preferred choice for producing high-performance stainless steel tubing for the oil and gas industry.
Greenfield or brownfield cold pilger mill? There is a concept for each type!
SMS group not only designs solutions for new installations but also offers retrofit solutions for existing equipment. Key upgrades of cold pilger mills for instance include handling higher shell diameters, installing new tool changing systems for lateral changes of ring dies, and incorporating the CM system for proactive maintenance and reduced downtime.
