JSC Volzhsky Pipe Plant, Volzhsky, Russia:

V. Yu. Tsyutsyura, Cand. Eng., Leading Process Engineer, Pipe Rolling Laboratory, Central Plant Laboratory (CPL), e-mail: tsyutsyura.vladimir@gmail.com
A. G. Ulyanov, Head of the CPL Pipe Rolling Laboratory, e-mail: speedy85@mail.ru
A. V. Niklyaev, Head of PRS-3 for Production – First Deputy Head of Pipe Rolling Shop No. 3, e-mail: niklyaev@mail.ru
S. I. Blagoveshchensky, Head of Pipe Rolling Shop No. 3

M. M. Orlov and A. I. Shutko took part in this work.

Research works to determine rational diameter of piercing mill rolls, tools calibration, and deformation schedule during billet piercing and its influence on pipe quality are still actual and important due to development of gas and oil industry of our country. Crisis of 2021-2022 years caused by pandemic made slow global process of supply and transportation. As a result, prices went up and shortage of different goods happened all over the world. It also changed the structure of world consumption. In this connection, the following questions became significant for MPM 16¾” screw rolling piercing mill: how to increase the rolls operation period and how to decrease the number of used rolls. At present, it takes about 4 hours for changing the rolls from one caliber to another one. The roll supports, which are the universal equipment, are also involved in fulfillment of the work. The enterprises of Public Joint Stock Company “TMK” take part in a program of increasing of operation efficiency to make optimization of the resources used for production. The engineers of Volzhskiy Pipe Plant offered a project which foreseen the improvement of production process and the reduction of rolls pass designs. Adjustment parameters, which allowed to reduce the number of working rolls pass designs from 3 to 2, were successfully tested and integrated during research work taking into consideration technical capabilities of MPM 16¾” screw rolling piercing mill. All necessary calculations were done, and the technological ability to use working rolls of diameter less than 1050 mm was confirmed by testing. This made it possible to successfully roll 17.5 thousand tons of pipes in the period from January to February 2023.

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