After around two years of planning and preparation, Schoeller, the North Rhine-Westphalian manufacturer of welded stainless steel tubes, has completed the installation of its new laser welding systems. The company announced this on 21 November. With the system, which represents „the largest single investment in the company's history“, it wants to emphasise its „commitment“ as an „innovation leader and to strengthen its competitive position“.
„The standardisation and automation of the machinery and the acquisition of a large pipe laser welding system (‘Laser XL+’)“ were the focus of the current transformation of the company site into a „laser competence centre in Hellenthal“.
The laser welding machine (dimensions of 96 x 11.5 metres) will be used for the production of longitudinally welded stainless steel tubes (dimensional range from 65 mm to 127 mm, wall thickness from 0.7 mm to 3.5 mm) and, according to Schoeller, is „unique in the industry“ in its configuration.
Preparations for series production and tapping into new market potential
Commissioning and parameterisation for setting up the machine are currently underway. The system – which can process austenitic, ferritic and duplex steels – has a high degree of automation and thus enables a reduction in the „previously necessary manual work, including a fully automated coil change process (automatic coil loading and welding of the strip ends), new tube cleaning technology, fully automated quality control, further improved tube end processing and automated packaging of the tubes produced“, the tube manufacturer explains on its website.
The aim of the new laser system is to secure a „quality advantage in the areas of strip edge processing and seam quality“ and to open up new potential on the market. Schoeller counts both existing customers and growth sectors such as heating technology, heat exchangers, hydrogen applications and solar technology among its customers.
