SMS Meer. JSC Vyksa successfully commissions gap closing press

JSC Vyksa Steel Works from Vyksa, Russia, has successfully commissioned a new gap closing press from SMS Meer, Germany, thereby modernizing its large-diameter pipe production line. With the new machine, JSC Vyksa can significantly boost its productivity.

The new gap closing press enables JSC Vyksa to cost-effectively produce pipes with small diameters and heavy wall thicknesses. Pipes with these special dimensions are required in particular for offshore pipelines.
JSC Vyksa now also has the ability to form these highly demanding pipe sizes on both JCO^® pipe forming presses with the utmost precision and at maximum machine capacity. With no loss of cycle time, the new gap closing press then minimizes the width of the remaining open seam in a few steps, creating the precondition for a reliable tack-welding process.

The specially modified forming and closing processes are controlled by the SHAPE software developed by SMS Meer. The results are high-quality pipes with very close tolerances for demanding applications.

The gap closing press is equipped with the variable-speed pump control VSP (Variable Speed Pump), allowing the press to be operated with up to 50 percent less energy than the older machine generation. Vyksa's gap closing press thus satisfies the preconditions for the “ecoplants” label.

“We already have three expanders and two JCO^® pipe forming presses from SMS Meer in successful operation. It was therefore only logical for us to continue to rely on the solutions from SMS Meer,” says Alexey Sedychev, Vice President Large-Diameter Pipe Plants at JSC Vyksa. “This project is a further milestone in the successful technical cooperation between JSC Vyksa and SMS Meer.”

Thanks to the variable-speed pump control VSP, the machine consumes
50 percent less energy than the older machine generation.

Based on SMS Group inhformation