Tube and pipe making

SMS group has years of experience in servicing Cold Pilger Mill equipment with not only technically knowledgeable field service personnel, but also dedicated service for the supply of O.E.M. spare parts.

SMS group has a focus on sub-assembly rebuilds, and pre-assembled sub-component supply in efforts to improve equipment uptime and reduce the burden on custom’s maintenance personnel. Proven modernizations, such as a drive solutions to eliminate CAVEX gearboxes, and feed-and-turn gearboxes, are available to be custom fit to your unique mill and production needs. Other safety and changeover modifications, such as ring die mounting improvements, are also in our daily business.

SMS group also focuses to coordinate with our pilger customers, who participate in a lot of inter-company data and experience sharing, to bring areas of improvement, spare part stocking solutions and information bulletins to ensure the best operations and maintenance strategies are available to all customers based on SMS’ equipment experience not only domestically, but all over the world.

SMS group has a high competency in cold drawing. Having over 80-years of experience and producing over one thousand draw benches under the Aetna Standard name, ranging from 10,000-lbs to 1,000,000-lbs of draw force. Draw benches for all tubular, bars and shape products, drawing carbon steels, stainless steels, exotic alloys, and copper/brass alloys.  We have been able to provide technical innovations while maintaining the relative simplicity and robust design of the equipment.

We have experience with single and multiple draws (up to 5 draws per pass) various tube loading arrangements and drawing methods (single chain, dual chain, hydraulic). SMS group is equipped to support all draw benches, regardless of maker or vintage and have a number of proven solutions to improve draw quality, reduce point lengths, improve machine operator safety, and improve changeover times.

SMS group can provide equipment modernizations on existing benches, new draw benches, field service to troubleshoot/provide general equipment checks, and onsite training for machine setup, operation, and maintenance.

SMS group provides the highest level of O.E.M. based service for upgrades, spare parts, and field service to your ERW lines. Our portfolio services to the Strip Preparation, Forming & Welding, Sizing / Forming & Cutting and Finishing areas within a ERW mill.  

We can offer component workshop rebuilds, roll profiling, in-field troubleshooting and alignment services, spare parts offerings and warehousing/stocking models. Modifications, such as forming/sizing stand upgrades and spindle rebuilds, are proven throughout the industry and allow for growth of the product range as the market evolves. Utilizing both the SMS group innovations from new mills as well as solutions jointly developed with our customers, SMS group in North America is capable of supporting in all areas of the process.

A new potential upgrade to the market is URD^® rolling and squeeze stands for high-precision manufacturing. Compared to conventional stands, this design comes with considerable advantages. The stands are extremely rigid and dimensionally stable thanks to closed plates, allowing the rolling forces to be absorbed both vertically and horizontally. Additionally, there is no need to readjust the roll setting positions. The system guarantees excellent product quality. This and other similar technical advancements can be implemented by SMS group.

Ever since the Mannesmann brothers' radical invention in 1885 and the formation of Aetna Standard in 1902, SMS group has continuously been in the forefront of improved the seamless tube production processes. This has put us one step ahead of current and future requirements of the pipe and tube market.  

SMS gorup utilizes this innovative power to offer our customers competitive solutions for seamless tube plants. From material entry through the finishing process, SMS group can be your solutions partner for all things seamless. We have proven equipment upgrades, such as three-roll bar steadiers, plug mill pass adjustment systems, increased mandrel mill roll face, and stretch mill extensions that have allowed for our customers to continually meet the ever tightening market demands with equipment designed and supplied decades past.

SMS group is your source for engineered solutions, O.E.M. and enhanced property (i.e. value added) spare parts and field service functions such as equipment inspection, equipment alignments, equipment installations, and down-day/outage maintenance support. We have also performed numerous on-site training sessions, split between classroom and field training on equipment functional design, mill set-up, and predictive maintenance measures.  

SMS group understands that the piercing process is the heart of any seamless operation. With today’s quality constraints focusing around eccentricity, wall thickness deviations and the need to roll heavier wall and higher grade alloys, we have put a concerted effort into keeping the piercers of times past competitive. Technological improvements to all aspects of the piercing process, briefly described below show our continued chase towards excellence.

SMS group has made a number of technological and controls improvements to the piercing mill proper to allow for more repeatable and accurate mill setups and alarms of deviation from those critical parameters during the rolling process. We have improved the adjustment systems for the gorge position and spacing, shoe (or disc) positioning, feed angle, and roll separating force measurement. This information affords the operations the ability to determine where the mill setup is at the pulpit and ensure the recipe is correct to eliminate the need to ‘setup pieces’ (yield loss) and reliance on manual gauging.

SMS group has improved the inlet and outlet handling to ensure the billet is presented square and on pass line to the mill from the inlet and the piercer bar with point is held rigidly and repeatedly on pass line by independently controlled three-roll bar steadiers. These improvements have led to dramatic improvements in shell eccentricity. In addition to these handling systems, SMS group has also developed improved methods of billet end preparation with precision cutoffs and double ended centering presses. Lastly, process and tooling improvements, such as PQSC Plugs and InCOAT Technologies have been developed and trialed to prove a better inside wall condition and method to deoxidize immediately after the piercing zone.   

SMS group provides the highest level of OEM based service for upgrades, spare parts and field service to your Spiral Welded Tube lines. Our portfolio services to the Coil Preparation, Pipe Forming, Pipe Welding (1 or 2 Stage Processes), Pipe End Finishing, Pressure Testing and Quality Assurance Measuring areas within a Spiral Weld Tube mill.  

SMS group can offer onsite or workshop rebuilds, roll profiling, in-field troubleshooting and alignment services, spare parts offerings, and warehousing/stocking models. Utilizing both the SMS group innovations from new mills as well as solutions jointly developed with our customers, SMS group in North America is capable of supporting in all areas of the process.

One of the latest offerings PERFECT^® arc, offers the perfect welding solution for all processes in the large diameter pipe production. With the PERFECT^® arc 1500 AC/DC power source for high-speed tack welding, SAW DC and SAW AC. One advantage is fully electronic power source technology, using power electronics instead of transformers, resulting in an efficiency of more than 90% with 30% less energy consumption – at the same welding output power rating compared to conventional power sources. This and other similar technical advancements can be implemented by SMS Technical Services.

SMS group has been on the leading edge of tube and bar straighteners in the earliest formations of Sutton Engineering in 1914. The Sutton brand was the most popular straightener designer/supplier in the North American Market. Offering a range of options, 2-Roll, 5-Roll, 6-Roll and 10-Roll Opposed-Roll Straighteners and the unique 7-roll cluster style KTC Straightener.

Today, SMS group offers numerous value-added improvements to these machines, as well as highly experienced personnel for spare parts and field service. Some examples of these tried-and-true upgrades include: 

• Mechanical Upgrades – Auto Roll Angling, Roll Changing Rigs, Infeed Pinch Roll Units and In-Machine Roll Honing Systems
• Hydraulic Upgrades – Roll Clamping, Middle Stem Clamping, Overloads, Power Screw Downs and Quick Opening.  The quick opening on the KTC Straighteners is ideal for OCTG Pipe that has upset ends
• Electrical Upgrades – Load Cells, Condition Monitoring and Automatic Guide Adjustments

In addition to the engineered upgrades, SMS group also has extensive experience in rebuilds. These rebuilds include: complete machine rebuilds (onsite and workshop), gearbox rebuilds, middle stem rebuilds, differential rebuilds and rebuilds of the slide block assemblies. With the extensive technical know-how, SMS group is your ideal straightener service partner.