1st December 2013
By the time you read this, a brand new tube mill – replacing our old number 2 mill and capable of rolling bigger diameter, heavier tube – will be installed and ready for commissioning.
The new mill is capable of rolling tube from 12.7 to 50.8mm diameter and 0.8 to 2.5 gauge. It was completed, in Taiwan, at the end of November and is, in fact, one of the very first Taiwan-built tube mills to be employed in the UK.
Constructed under the direction of Top Tubes Operations Manager Simon Moore, every effort has been made to ensure that the new mill’s capabilities are perfectly matched to our present and future requirements. And with an ever-widening customer base bringing new applications, those requirements are increasing all of the time. “This mill means that we’ll be more than capable of serving the demands of a wider market into the foreseeable future”, says Simon.
A host of innovative features are incorporated including:
- Centralised welding head chuck adjustment.
- A quick-change welding head.
- Single-point adjustment of individual stands.
- Integrated scarfing tools.
- 2-speed gearboxes.
- Integrated oil coolers.
The mill’s commissioning marks a significant milestone in our investment programme and we’re looking forward to its making a significant contribution to increasing our capacity from January 2014 onwards.