Mills CNC supplies a large ram-type vertical turning lathe to a leading global manufacturer of flexible pipe systems for the offshore oil and gas industry.
Mills CNC, the exclusive distributor of Doosan CNC machine tools in the UK and Ireland, has recently supplied a new, large-capacity Doosan Puma VTR1620M Ram Type Vertical Borer to Fife-based National Oilwell Varco (NOV) Flexibles UK – a group within NOV Subsea Production Systems and a leading manufacturer of flexible pipe systems for the offshore oil and gas industry.
The machine was installed at the company’s recently upgraded and extended manufacturing facility in Glenrothes in April 2017 and represents part of an ongoing multi-million pound investment made by the company in plant, machinery and equipment. This investment will allow NOV to create a global welding and precision manufacturing Centre of Excellence at the site and help it to deliver its insourcing business strategy.
The Doosan Puma VTR1620M is being used to machine a diverse range of NOV’s proprietary and patented complex, high-precision and performance-critical components as well as repair (re-machine) worn parts that require refurbishment.
These components, made from difficult-to-machine materials, many of which have undergone Inconel weld overlay and inlay cladding and heat treatment processes, include large diameter end-fittings and flange connectors – components that provide the required secure interfaces between flexible pipe systems and topside/subsea facilities such as FPSOs/FPUs, platforms, wellheads, subsea installations, etc.
The Puma VTR1620M is the latest high-performance CNC machine tool NOV has acquired from Mills CNC in recent years. Other machines include several long-bed Puma horizontal single-turret lathes with driven tools, twin-pallet horizontal machining centres and a horizontal borer. All these machines, including the Doosan Puma VTR1620M, are rigidly built, powerful, and feature large working envelopes.
The VTR1620M is a box guideway vertical turning lathe equipped with a 63-in. chuck and has a 2000-mm maximum turning diameter capacity. In addition to its large capacity, the machine has a number of onboard technology features that make it suitable for the productive and precise machining of large diameter components.
These include:
- A powerful, high-torque (19875 N-m) table motor and spindle (45kW/250rpm) for heavy-duty machining operations;
- A large diameter crossed-taper roller bearing to withstand high axial and radial loads and ensure component accuracy and extended tool life;
- A responsive C-axis featuring a twin helical gear drive design that eliminates backlash and ensures high positional accuracy;
- Integrated driven tooling (18.5kW/3000rpm) that enables fast and high accuracy mill, drill and tap operations to be performed in one set-up.
Alex Mitchell, Flexibles UK’s Maintenance Manager, stated:
“The VTS 1620M, like our other Doosan machines, is reliable, versatile and delivers impressive cutting performance. We continue to invest in Doosan machine tools because they are technically sound and are competitively priced. They are also backed by Mills CNC’s integrated after-sales service and support which, from our experience, is difficult to beat.”
About NOV Flexibles
National Oilwell Varco (NYSE: NOV) is a leading provider of technology, equipment and services to the global oil and gas industry. NOV has been pioneering innovations that improve the cost-effectiveness, efficiency, safety, and environmental impact of oil and gas operations since 1862. The depth and breadth of NOV’s offerings support customers’ full-field, drilling, completion, and production needs.