Russian steel pipe producer TMK has announced that it has shipped the first industrial batch of large-diameter pipes manufactured using hybrid laser-arc welding technology, marking the first such delivery in Russia. The products were delivered to Gazprom Transgaz Surgut, a subsidiary of Gazprom responsible for gas transportation infrastructure. The pipes will be used for the repair of a section of a main gas pipeline.
The supplied pipes have a 1,420 mm diameter and 15.7 mm wall thickness and are made from K60 steel grade. Production took place at the Vysota 239 workshop in Chelyabinsk, where the pipes were manufactured in accordance with Gazprom’s technical requirements. The pipes feature internal smooth-wall coating and external polyethylene coating designed for pipeline durability.
The development of the new pipe product was implemented under the scientific and technical cooperation program between TMK and Gazprom. The hybrid laser-arc welding technology used in the production of the pipes was developed jointly by specialists from TMK’s Chelyabinsk facilities and the company’s Welding Technology Center.