New slitter in Kentucky will be largest built in North America

Wilder, Kentucky (PRWEB) December 07, 2011

Global pipe producer TMK IPSCO and Ferrous Metal Processing have announced that they have entered into an agreement for the installation of the largest slitter in North America, a new .625” x 87” line, at the TMK IPSCO facility in Wilder, Kentucky. The new slitting operation will start commercial production in the fall of 2012.

The new slitting line will be installed in a new 43,000-square-foot building that will be leased by TMK IPSCO to Ferrous, and will provide skelp to the two Wilder ERW pipe mills. The slitter will be capable of processing master coils from 30” to 87” and up to 82,000 pounds. Slit width capacity will range from 12” to 85” in gauges from .156” to .625”.

Ferrous will own and operate the new facility and slit for TMK IPSCO on a toll basis. The companies have entered into a 12-year contract in which Ferrous will provide 100 percent of TMK IPSCO’s slitting needs at the Wilder plant.

TMK IPSCO has been making a number of capital improvements—including a new thread shop—at the Wilder plant to improve operational efficiency and add value for its oil and gas industry customers. The new agreement with Ferrous will allow TMK IPSCO to take advantage of FMP’s proprietary slitter arbor technology.

“We’ve worked with Ferrous for years at a number of our facilities”, stated TMK IPSCO President and CEO Vicki Avril. “They have very unique arbor technology that allows them to produce a very consistent, high quality slit edge that is ideal for ERW pipe production. We’re excited about having their technology on site in Wilder.”

TMK IPSCO operates in North America as a division of TMK, a global market leader in energy pipe production. TMK operates 24 production facilities around the world. TMK product offerings include a wide range of seamless and welded energy tubular products including oil & gas drill pipe, well casing and tubing, line pipe, LD pipe, standard pipe, hollow structural sections and related services. TMK also manufactures premium connections for oil and natural gas drilling and production under the ULTRA? Premium Connections and TMK Premium brand names.

Ferrous Metal Processing provides hot rolled toll processing and cold rolled conversion services to service centers, OEMs and mills throughout the Midwest and South. Ferrous is a division of Ferragon Corporation, a leading provider of flat rolled steel processing with locations in Ohio, Michigan and Mississippi.