The Tube Rolling Mill Will Modernize the Key Production Line

The modernization of Big Mannesmann, the key production line of the Třinecké železárny operation in Ostrava, where the company produces pipes, will take four years. The tube rolling mill modernization will start in September this year. The goal of the investment for almost CZK 25 million is primarily to increase the quality of seamless tubes.

The individual selected equipment of the line will be gradually modernized. Namely, a rotary hearth furnace, a punching machine including lubrication of a mandrel, a non-destructive inspection device for measuring the surfaces and dimensions of tubes. “The benefit of modernization is not only an increase in the quality of seamless pipes produced, but also higher utilization of input material, reduction of gas consumption by creating an automatic control model, or reducing the risk of injury to workers," explains Daniel Szotkowski, the Head of Operation of the Tube Mill.

The mill will be modernized during the planned downtime in the years 2021 to 2024. “After the completion of the project, there will be no increase in the consumption of electricity, cooling water or compressed air. We do not expect an increase in the number of employees, rather we will try to optimize the production process," added the head of operations.

This will be greatly aided by the overall organization of the processes, but also by the creation of an automatic model for controlling the carousel furnace in the fourth phase of the project. This will help to heat the steel blank more evenly along its entire cross-section and length, which will improve the forming condition.

The tubes made by the Tube Rolling Mill from two lines of operation – Big and Small Mannesmann – can be seen in many places in the Czech Republic as well as around the world. The examples of end use include the construction of the Ostrava-Svinov railway station hall, the football stadium in Berlin, the roller coasters in Buffalo or Madrid, one of the carousels in the Vienna Prater park, or casings of the oil wells.

The tube rolling mill can produce tubes up to a diameter exceeding 40 cm and a wall thickness up to more than 6 cm. It is used in energy facilities, chemical and geological industries for the extraction and distribution of oil, natural gas, and water. Next use is for axles, frames, car bumpers, or as micro-piles, masts and other steel constructions of various buildings and structures. This is made possible by the unique production, where the tube is created from steel bar by gradual forging.

Petra Macková Jurásková
Press Secretary of the Třinecké železárny - Moravia Steel Group
phone: +420 558 535 841
mobile: +420 602 265 738
e-mail: Petra.Mackova@trz.cz