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Equipment and Logistics Upgrades for Historic Tubular Facility
The new Dura-Bond ERW steel pipe mill in McKeesport, Penn., sits on the original site of National Tube Works, which began production in 1872. After United States Steel acquired National Tube in 1901, the company continued to expand, and McKeesport became known as "The Tube City." At one time, more pipe was produced in the city, than anywhere else in the world. In 1964 the ERW mill was built by U.S. Steel.
In 2013, U.S. Steel Tubular made massive investments in the plant to improve reliability, capability and quality. The mill's entry area was renovated, and a modern drive installed. U.S. Steel also rewired the entire facility and added a programmable logic controller (PLC) system. The plant's mill drives were upgraded in 2013 with AC motors, increasing power and improving dependability. A new edge miller was installed, and the shear upgraded. U.S. Steel also rebuilt the hydro-tester and added new tooling to accommodate all pipe within the plant's outside diameter (OD) range.
"The addition of the McKeesport ERW pipe mill to the Dura-Bond family strengthens our position as a critical American manufacturer in the line pipe industry. Our range of steel pipe and pipe coatings now meet the requirements of most pipeline projects in North America," according to Jason Norris, president, Dura-Bond Industries.
Today, this 317,000-square-foot plant employs advanced high-frequency electric resistance welding (HFW) technology and produces API 5L line pipe and ASTM certified steel pipe. Dura-Bond has made improvements that incorporate new technology with the plant's existing functionality. These improvements can be found throughout the facility, from improved coil trimming capabilities to the PLC-controlled OD...