Vallourec in Düsseldorf optimises its compressed air system with another KAESER component.
At Vallourec, red-hot loads weighing tons are moved around seemingly effortlessly – above the heads of employees. Compressed air from Kaeser helps ensure their safety.
The production of seamless steel pipes is highly involved. Vallourec in Düsseldorf uses the Ehrhardt drawing press process to manufacture pipes weighing up to 27 tonnes and up to 10.5 m in length in a 1300 °C cavity block.
It’s difficult and demanding work.
The biggest challenge, however, is the final processing of the pipes. The hollow grinding and turning on the large lathes requires millimetre-precision work from the specialists: The multi-tonne mammoth pipes are turned at impressive speeds. No wonder, then, that employee safety is of paramount importance. And to ensure the long, heavy hollow blocks do not slip, strong pneumatically operated shoe brakes are used, which require one thing above all else from the installed compressed air system: reliability.
The first rotary screw compressor from KAESER goes to work
In order to fill a gap in supply, a DSDX 243 rotary screw compressor with SFC variable speed control leased from KAESER was subsequently commissioned. This machine has more than exceeded expectation. There have also been other benefits in addition to outstanding reliability: thanks to its positive energy balance, the compressor has helped the customer achieve considerable cash savings.
The KAESER DSDX SFC compressor – the heart of the new compressed air station
End of service life – a new beginning
A few months passed and Kaeser finally received the news: the useful life of the compressed air system at Vallourec was coming to an end. Norbert Raspel, head of Controlling and Purchasing, and his colleague, Dipl.-Ing. Rainer Berz, Maintenance Manager, had decided to use compressors and air treatment components from KAESER KOMPRESSOREN to supply their plant with compressed air. It was a pleasant surprise!
An order followed for new DSD 238 leased compressors, and two DSD 202 machines, whose compressed air is dehumidified by two refrigeration dryers (TH 451), and fed to the plant air distribution network via a five-cubic-metre air receiver.
All compressors are equipped with heat recovery, which assists with heating of the plant and sections of the administration areas. This consequently enhances the already impressive energy balance of the compressed air station even further. There’s no doubt: it’s a classic win-win situation!
An all-round solution: Compressed air for safety.