steel pipes for automatic fire sprinkler systems · continuous galvanising: the coating is almost...

Steel Pipes for Automatic Fire Sprinkler Systems

from the pipe manufacturer’s point of view.

J. Ortner, 18.3.2015

FG-sprinklerkonferansen 2015, Oslo

J. Ortner I Wuppermann Stahl GmbH I Gußstahlwerkstraße 23 | A-8750 Judenburg 2

1. Wuppermann. A short presentation of the company.

2. The variety of standards & approvals in regard to sprinkler pipes.

3. Sprinkler steel pipes on the test bench (e.g. FM, UL and LPCB).

4. Quality management & control in the production process.

5. The WGalweld pipe from Wuppermann compared to a traditional galvanized pipe.

2

Topics


Business Unit

Flat Products

Business Unit

Service & Consulting

Business Unit

Technical Products

Wuppermann AG (*)

Leverkusen / DE

The Wuppermann Group

(*) 100% family owned


Product Overview

Business Unit Flat Products

Commercial flats & specialities

• Pickled hot-rolled flat products

• Hot-dip galvanized strips

• Zinc-magnesium coated strips

• Polyolefin-film-coated galvanized strips

• Pre-punched strip with zinc-coated edges

• Cold re-rolled & edge-dressed strips


Steel tubes & Sheet Metal Components:

• Black & pickled tubes and profiles

• Stainless steel tubes & processing

• Perforated tubes

• Sheet metal assemblies

• Galvanized tubes & profiles

• WGalweld, galvanized pipe with the fully

galvanized inner weld

Product Overview (small excerpt)

Business Unit Technical Products


2014Employees: > 1,300

External Sales: 550 Mio. €

2015Production plan:

Flat products 786,000 t

Perforated tubes 12,000 t

Unperforated tubes 102,000 t

Tube & sheet-metal components 103 Mio. €

Facts and Figures of Wuppermann Group


Our Locations

7

Austria

Czech Republic

Germany

France

Hungary

Netherlands

Poland

Romania

Sweden

Switzerland

Turkey

Wuppermann Austria GmbH

Judenburg

Wuppermann Tube and Steel AB

Göteborg


Wuppermann Austria GmbH

Judenburg, Austria

Figures 2014

• Employees: 140

• Delivered: 111 kto

Production

• since1989


The pipe mill

9


National Specifics

* VdS CEA (DE)

* SBF (SE)

* others

10

Continental Standards

* ASTM A795 (USA)

* EN 12845 (EU)

* others

Approvals

* FM

* UL

* others

The variety

of regulations

Illustrating its complexity

and Interplay

The challenge

for a pipe producer:

To meet all the requirements

in any country!


Steel Pipes for Automatic Fire Sprinkler Systems

11

Black Steel Pipe

• Limited to wet pipe sprinkler systems only (i.e. FM, UL)

• Organic coated outside surface is mandatory (i.e. EN 12845, VdS)

Galvanized Steel Pipe

• Permitted in wet and dry pipe sprinkler system (i.e. UL)

• Recommended in dry systems (i.e. EN12845, VdS)

• Mandatory in dry systems (i.e. FM)


Steel Pipe Specifications

12


Wall Gauges

13


Fitting

Pipe

WDX

Taper Pipe Thread

(ISO 7-1)Threaded Pipe:

WDX = Wall gauge under the 1st exposed thread.

WDX40 = 1,45 mm (NPS 50; Schedule 40; ASME)

Roll Grooved Pipe:

WD = WDX = 1,65 mm (NPS 50; Schedule 5; ASME)

WD = Wall gauge

Minimal Wall Thickness

(FM)


Downsizing of system components

15

6,05 x 105

P = --------------- x L x Q1,85

C1,85 x d4,87

P = Pressure loss in bar

C = Pipe friction constant

Q = Flow rate inside the pipe

L = Length of the pipe net

d = Inner diameter of the pipe

Option 1:

• The larger the inner diameter,

• the lower the pressure loss,

• the cheaper the hydraulic system.

Option 2:

• A given inside flow rate,

• implies smaller nominal pipe sizes,

• means cheaper pipe costs.


5

Data sheet


7

Data sheet


Approvals

7 5


• Each NPS is tested under four times the rated working pressure.

• Test duration of 5 minutes without cracking, rupture or permanent distortion.

Hydrostatic Strength (FM)


• Each NPS is tested under rated hydrostatic working pressure of 12 bar.

• Leakage, fracture or coupling pull off must not happen!

Bending Moment Resistance (FM)


• After the vibration exposure, the assembly is to be subjected to the Leakage Test.

• Leakage Test: 1 Minute, two times the rated pressure, no leakage!

Vibration Test (UL)


Certified according to ISO 9001:2008 and ÖNORM EN ISO 3834-3

Pipe standards: EN 10.217-1 / ASTM A 795

Galvanizing standards: EN 10.346 / ASTM A 53

CE conformity according to EN 10.217-1

Test report according to EN 10.204 - 3.1

Certified welders according to ÖNORM EN ISO 14732:2013

Certified NDT-personnel according to ÖNORM EN ISO 9712

Quality standards at Wuppermann – taken for granted


* Entrance dataRaw material

pickled hot rolled wide strip

Slitting into thin strips* Thickness (Isotope gauge; continuously)

* Width (inspection plan)

Continuous galvanising

of the slit strip

* Regulation of the zinc layer (air knife; continuously)

* Total thickness of the strip (Isotope gauge; cont.)

* Width of the galvanized strip (inspection plan)

* Zinc layer (magnetic inductive; inspection plan)

(stripping test; inspection plan)

* Zinc adhesion (ball-, folding test; inspection plan)

Strict Process ControlWuppermann

Production Process


* Pipe geometry (diameter, lengths; insp. plan)

* Weld seam (Eddy current test; continuously)

(Thermographic test; continuously)

* Flattening test (inspection plan)

* Zinc layer weld seam outside (insp. plan)

inside (Cu-sulfate; insp. plan)

* Marking (inspection plan)

Roll forming & high frequent

welding of the galv. strip

to a round pipe

--------

Thermal post galvanizing

of the weld seam

(inside & outside)

Pressure Test

* A-Gauge (inspection plan)

* Groove diameter (Pipe tape; inspection plan)

* Tool measuring (each dimension change)

Roll-grooving

* 85 bar (each pipe)

Wuppermann

Production ProcessStrict Process Control


unpickled hot rolled wide strip…

Conventional

Production Process

slitted into thin strips…

roll formed & high frequent

welded to a round pipe…

batch galvanised.


Batch Galvanized 7

Galvanizing Technologies by comparison

Flaking of the

zinc coating

Pipes roll grooved

after the coating


Batch Galvanising Technology

Degreasing

Rinsing

Pickling

Rinsing

FluxingZnCl2 + NH4Cl

Drying

Galvanizing

Cooling

Galvanizing

pipe


Continuous Galvanising Technology

Sp

üle

Trock

ner

Zink

bad

Kühl

ung

Zunderbr

echer

Induktion

sofen

Das kontinuierliche Bandverzinken „Verfahren Wuppermann“

Pickling(Hydrochloride)

Rinsing Drying Galvanizing

Cooling System

Scale breaker

Induction furnace

Air wiping


Galvanizing technologies by comparison


FeZn alloy versus pure zinc (Micrographs)

31

Batch Galvanising:

The coating consists of approx. 30%

pure zinc on the surface, the rest below

of a FeZn-alloy. The cracks in the brittle,

iron-rich zone are typical of it.

Continuous Galvanising:

The coating is almost 100% pure zinc.

The very thin intermetallic layer FexAlyacts as a bonding agent and prevents the

forming of a FeZn-alloy.

FeZn-layer

Pure zinc layer

cracks

Pure zinc layer

FexAly < 0,5 µm

Steel pipe Steel pipe

Source: WE, R&D


Thin wall gauges affect low weight of pipes.

Light & straight pipes are easier to install.

Larger pipe inner diameter make down-sized system components possible.

A smooth coating surface ensures a safe seal seat of the coupling and the

sprinkler outlet fitting.

The high quality of the outside surface makes a powder coating finish cheaper.

A subsequent roll-grooving on site works without any loss of corrosion

resistance.

All in all high grade WGalweld quality pipes are very cost-effective.

The customer’s benefits at a glance

Pipe


Thank you

for

your attention!

33

steel pipes for automatic fire sprinkler systems · continuous galvanising: the coating is almost...

Documents