Sandvik, a developer and producer of advanced stainless steels, special alloys, titanium and other high-performance materials, has added a new cold finishing tube manufacturing line at its Mehsana mill in Gujarat, India.

Sandvik Mehsana is a high-tech tube mill that produces advanced corrosion-resistant tube, pipe and hollows for heat exchangers and process equipment across a wide range of industries, including petrochemical, oil and gas, chemical and fertiliser.

With the addition of this new high-tech line, Sandvik aims to increase the availability of its high-quality seamless stainless tube, add flexibility for introducing new grades and strengthen regional service, said a statement from the company.

The new line is mainly aimed at the production of heat exchanger tubing and for other demanding industrial applications, and will double Mehsana’s cold-working capacity and thus allowing swifter delivery times across the Asia Pacific (APAC) region.

Mehsana mill: a key pillar in Sandvik’s strategy

The cold forming process, which involves drawing and shaping of the tube, is used to impart higher strength than found in the initial annealed condition. To achieve the highest straightness, low eccentricity and tight dimensional tolerances, Sandvik employs its own patented cold pilgering technique.

The new cold finishing line will focus on heat exchanger tube sizes in austenitic, duplex and nickel-based alloys, which can be supplied straight or U-bent for shell-and-tube heat exchangers – cleaned and plugged.

Sharath Satish, president for Business Unit Tube APAC, Sandvik, said: “We’re delighted to announce the added annual capacity for cold finished tube.”

“It’s part of our ongoing commitment to customers in India and the Asia Pacific region to improve the availability of our top-quality products, broaden the portfolio and become the most reliable, one-stop-shop in the region,” Satish said.

The new line is mainly aimed at the production of heat exchanger tubing

“Together with fabricators and end users, we are expanding new opportunities to boost productivity and extend the lifecycle of their equipment with the help of predictable, high-precision tubing – delivered when they need it,” Satish added.

The Mehsana manufacturing facility has been successively expanded and modernised in recent years. The focus has been on boosting capacity, adding new grades and sizes, and constantly improving to meet the highest global quality standards.

Michael Andersson, head of tube division at Sandvik Materials Technology, said: “Mehsana is a key pillar in our strategy of being a reliable global supplier of advanced corrosion resistant alloy products, with a focus on materials expertise, innovation and setting the standard in our niches.”

Sandvik maintains a highly integrated and sustainable manufacturing process, with tube products made from 84 per cent recycled metal using efficient manufacturing processes. Driven by a “zero defects” philosophy and ambitious targets, the mill secures full traceability from melt to final tube. This means that individual heat exchanger tubes can be traced in every step of the production process back to the individual melt, heat and lot. Every tube undergoes a battery of chemical and mechanical tests, including positive material identification (PMI), so customers always know the material is what they ordered.

Developed and manufactured in the new facility, customers can anticipate all-new superaustenitic grades that will in many cases bridge the properties gap, at higher temperatures, between standard duplex/austenitic grades and more costly nickel alloys.

“Many customers know about our austenitic and duplex programs but are surprised to learn that we have a growing range of nickel alloy grades,” said Nitin Chaudhari, production unit manager of PU Mehsana.

“Many of these products fall under our Sanicro brand, such as Sanicro 30 (Alloy 800), Sanicro 41 (Alloy 825), Sanicro 70 (Alloy 600) and Sanicro 625 (Alloy 625), to name a few. All these alloys will be manufactured in our new facility increasing our range and local service offer to our customers,” concluded Chaudhari.