Germany is the cradle of seamless tube production. Vallourec has some 3,650 employees in Germany. Vallourec has four production sites in North Rhine-Westphalia: three in and one in Mülheim an der Ruhr. In Germany, Vallourec has four production sites in North Rhine-Westphalia: three in and one in Mülheim an der Ruhr. Germany is also an important technology location for Vallourec, home to three of its Research & Development Centers. The Vallourec Research Center Germany in focuses on new steel grades for tomorrow's boiler tubes, piping systems and pipelines, while the neighboring Vallourec Research Center Technology is working on production processes of the future. The new materials and processes developed there are then tried out under industrial conditions at the Vallourec Competence Center Riesa. A proud history Seamless tubes have been produced in Germany for over 100 years now: in 1899, the brothers Reinhard and Max Mannesmann established the first seamless tube mill, thus laying the foundation stone for the success of their product. In 1997, Mannesmann-röhren- Werke AG and the Vallourec Group entered into a joint venture named Vallourec & Mannesmann Tubes, which in 2005 became a wholly owned subsidiary of the French Group. Since November 1, 2013, the German company has operated under the name of Vallourec Deutschland GmbH. Germany is also an important technology location for Vallourec, home to three of its Research & Develop- ment Centers. German production The four German mills manufacture tube and pipe in all feasible dimensions and supply all the divisions in the Vallourec Group: Oil & Gas: Tube and pipe, pipe connections and premium solutions for the exploration and production of oil and gas and the completion of oil and gas wells; drill pipe, line pipe and accessories for onshore and offshore pipelines. Mülheim a.d.ruhr -Conti mill -Plug mill -Pilger mill -Pierce and draw press - Research Center -Research Center Technology Riesa -Rolling Laboratory Powergen: Seamless tubes for boilers in conventional and nuclear power plants. Industry: hollow sections, tube and pipe and mechanical tubing for: - Mechanical engineering: cranes, hydraulic cylinders, agricultural machinery, etc. - Automotive industry: passenger cars, commercial vehicles and trucks - Construction industry: e.g. bridges, stadiums, airport buildings, exhibition and trade fair halls.
Administration in -Rath plant The -Rath location is home to two rolling mills: one of the biggest pilger rolling mills and one of the most advanced plug rolling mills anywhere in the world. Founded in 1899, the mills have undergone continual technological improvement and, between them, now cover a broad manufacturing program of seamless steel tubes and circular, square and rectangular hollow sections. The product portfolio includes, but is not limited to, oilfield tubulars, line pipe, boiler tubes and mechanical tubes for machining. Modern testing facilities and a comprehensive range of customized and finish-machining options round off the mill's capabilities to match the most stringent customer requirements. In all, some 1,600 employees work at the two mills in -Rath. Plug-mill and Pilger mill -Reisholz press plant The Reisholz site commands a special position within the Vallourec Group: Built in the South of in 1899, the mill produces exclusively thickwalled high-tech tubes for highly specialized applications. The pierce-anddraw process used here features two key units: a 4,000-ton hot piercing press and a 1,500-ton hot drawbench. The manufacturing program covers inside diameters of 220 to 1,300 mm and wall thicknesses of 20 to 250 mm. The main customers for these premium products come from the energy industry and from the heavy hydraulics and offshore engineering sectors. Reisholz employs a workforce of about 500. Pierce and draw plant Mülheim mandrel mill Built in 1966, the mandrel mill in Mülheim an der Ruhr is one of the Vallourec Group's most versatile rolling mills for seamless tubes in outside diameters up to 7'. Using the highly advanced mandrel rolling process, the company manufactures premium tubes along with square and rectangular hollow sections in a wide range of dimensions and in all current materials up to and including extremely high-strength 13 % Cr steel. The Mülheim location currently has some 900 employees. Conti mill
Vallourec Research Center Vallourec Research Center Germany At our 4000 m² Research Center in Rath, experts develop the tubes and pipes of efficiency of tomorrow. The new products are intended to help raise the e tap difficult-to-access oil and gas reserves. Work at the Research Center focuses on two main areas: Boiler tubes, line pipe and industry tubes. The activities include for instance developments of new steel grades and product qualifications. Activities in the field of line pipe and offshore structural applications include tests on materials for oil and gas production. About 30 Creep Testing Focal areas Boiler tubes: Development of new and improved steels for boiler tubes and tubes for piping systems in conventional power plants. Line pipe: Development and optimization of steel grades for oil and gas transport. Industry Tube: Development of new tubes for answering special requirements of shipyards and customers in terms of toughness and corrosion resistance. Notched bar impact test Tasks - Application-oriented optimization and analysis of these materials: Heat treatment, microstructure, mechanical properties as a function of temperature, corrosion behavior, weldability, etc. - Support for tube and pipe mills and technical customer service - External cooperation with universities, institutes, associations and work groups - Presentation of research results at international conferences and in technical journals Facilities and equipment Comprehensive laboratory facilities for specimen production, chemical analysis mechanical tests, metallographic examination, electron microscopy including EDX/EBSD, creep tests (currently 111 creep testing units), equipment for high-temperature corrosion and welding tests, software packages for simulating and modeling materials, library. Tensile test
Vallourec Research Center Technology Vallourec Research Center Technology At the Vallourec Research Center Technology in -Rath, experts develop tomorrow s rolling processes and technologies. Vallourec's tube mills use a wide range of different rolling processes for the manufacture of seamless steel tubes. Experts from the Vallourec Research Center Technology (VRCT) develop innovative features to improve these processes and technologies and make them more efficient. The scientists closely cooperate with their colleagues at the Vallourec Competence Center Riesa, a rolling laboratory affiliated since 2010. There, their ideas and developments are tested under industrial conditions before they are actually implemented in the mills. 12 Focal areas - Research and development on the established rolling processes (cross rolling, mandrel rolling, plug and pilger rolling, press drawing). - Research and development on more topical rolling processes (retained mandrel rolling processes such as PQF and FQM as well as radial forging of seamless pipes). Task - Technical support for the rolling mills in all issues concerning production processes. - External cooperation with universities, institutes and associations. Equipment Software tools for material databases, evaluation software for a wide range of measuring data, CAD
Vallourec Competence Center Riesa Vallourec Competence Center Riesa Unparalleled anywhere in the world, the Vallourec Competence Center Riesa has been contributing to the Vallourec Group's success since 2010. When a new steel is developed at Vallourec, it is thoroughly tested, and not just in the laboratory. Since 2010 the company has a 2,500-m² experimental facility of its own for conducting pilot tests. This saves materials, production continues uninterruptedly, and the results can be readily converted to the industrial scale. The core units of the competence center are its universal piercer-rolling stand, a 3-roll stands mill with retained mandrel bar (PQF ), and a 4-hammers radial forging machine for the production of seamless tubes and premium forged pipes (PFP ). In addition, the engineers and technicians dispose of most modern measurement tools for process monitoring. With this extensive equipment, it is possible to picture an Industry 4.0-suitable mill. With a vast number of tests on new steels, optimization of rolling processes and tool lifetime, the Vallourec Competence Center Riesa makes a successful contribution to the Vallourec Group in order to consolidate the company s position as world leader in the area of seamless rolled premium pipes. Universal cross rolling mill 13 Focuses Rolling tests under industrial conditions for the manufacture of seamless tubes, development of innovative production methods, steel grades and automation Tasks Development of new and improved processes for the Vallourec Group's product portfolio, external cooperation with universities, institutes, associations and working groups PQF - rolling equipment Equipment Walking-beam furnace, universal cross rolling mill, 3-rolls stand (PQF ), 4-hammers radial forging machine (SKK14 ), online process data monitoring, inline measuring technology, optical 3D measuring system, high speed thermography system, ultrasonic system, workshop facilities and equipment for normal operation and training. 4-hammers radial forging machine Juni 2017