Interpipe invested $ 8 million in the construction of a pipe finishing line

The Ukrainian industrial company INTERPIPE has begun pilot operation of a new line for finishing pipes at the INTERPIPE NIKO TUBE plant in Nikopol (Dnepropetrovsk region). $ 8 million was invested in its creation. The additional capacity will increase production of line pipes for export markets and improve product quality.

On the new finishing line, pipes will be finished before loading: degreasing, branding, marking, varnishing.

The existing line uses water-based varnishes to coat the pipe body. Coating equipment runs at a slower speed than the rest of the production chain. In addition, water-based varnishes have relatively low corrosion resistance.

The completed finishing line will operate using a different technology - with the application of ultraviolet varnishes. This will increase productivity and increase the shelf life of the anti-corrosion coating up to 12 months.

The installation of the equipment has already been completed. A pilot operation of the line has begun, within the framework of which the production personnel are working out the coating technology and the selection of application modes depending on the pipe size. After reaching the design capacity, the line will be able to process up to 93 thousand tons of pipes per year.

To apply anti-corrosion coating on the new TubeMax UV200 unit manufactured by the German company INTEC, special paints and varnishes are used, which harden under the influence of ultraviolet radiation. The varnish on products from this line hardens within 1 second. On older hardware, this took up to 15 minutes.

“The construction of a new line is the next step of the Company to reorient production and sales to non-CIS markets. We have already shipped the first order, completed with the use of new equipment, ”comments Denis Morozov, Interpipe's director of finance and economics.