Pipe & Tube Memphis 2022

Shape a New Future

Pipe & Tube Memphis is back for 2022! All sectors of the tube and pipe industry will come together to discover cutting-edge technologies, experience interactive education, and build valuable relationships through networking opportunities.

Get the best of both worlds! The conference will once again be co-located with the World-Class Roll Forming Workshop to offer even more ways to learn and connect with industry leaders and peers.

FMA’s economic analyst Dr. Chris Kuehl will open the program with an informative and humorous industry keynote address. A two-hour interactive panel, featuring five industry executives and facilitated by The FABRICATOR® Editor Dan Davis, will take you through the ins and outs of tube mill efficiencies. A second panel will help you navigate the current state of hiring and employment practices. Plus, get a tube and pipe market update from Preston Publishing, learn about the latest trends and market conditions from 16 enlightening presentations, and explore tabletop exhibits.

Nucor Steel Arkansas will open its doors for a tour of their Blytheville mill for 60 attendees and Nucor Steel Memphis will open its facility for 50 attendees across both Pipe & Tube Memphis and World-Class Roll Forming Workshop. Tour attendance is limited and is on a first come, first served basis, and you must register for the tour you wish to attend during the registration process. Nucor will require a completed confidentiality form prior to the tour. Tour attendance is subject to approval by Nucor.

You’ll walk away from this must-attend event with innovative ideas to help you fine-tune tasks and make informed decisions to forge advanced process changes to your operations.

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Event Details

Pipe & Tube Memphis 2022

Date

April 11-13, 2022

Location

The Guest House At Graceland

3600 Elvis Presley Blvd

Memphis, TN 38116-4106

Reserve a Room

Registration

Registration for this event is not currently open.

Featured Speakers

KEYNOTE

Dr Chris Kuehl

Managing Director
Armada Corporate Intelligence

Sessions

Session Name

Time (CT)

Rum Boogie Café Optional Event Registration

5:30 p.m. - 6:00 p.m.

Rum Boogie Café Optional Event

Looking for a fun way to network and get to know your fellow attendees? Register to attend the opening night optional event at Rum Boogie Café on historic Beale Street. Live music, good food, and drinks provide the foundation to renew old, and make new valuable industry connections outside of the conference atmosphere. Transportation is provided. Don’t miss out! Add this event to your conference registration.

$100 per person includes food, 2 drink tickets, live music, and transportation.

6:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.

Session Name

Time (CT)

Registration Desk Open

6:59 a.m. - 8:30 p.m.

Breakfast

7:00 a.m. - 8:00 a.m.

Exhibits Open

7:00 a.m. - 7:30 p.m.

Opening Remarks

8:00 a.m. - 8:15 a.m.

Keynote Address: Economic Update

FMA’s economic analyst Dr. Chris Kuehl will open the program with a keynote address. What does 2022 look like now? Is it what we hoped it would be or are we dealing with a whole new set of challenges and opportunities? We all know the old adage — "Be careful what you wish for as you just might get it".

8:15 a.m. - 9:15 a.m.

Morning Break

9:15 a.m. - 9:45 a.m.

Tube Mill Efficiencies Panel Discussion

Maximizing tube/pipe mill efficiency in difficult times

Five industry experts take a strategic view of running a mill efficiently, weighing in with best practices to maximize yield, a concern that is especially critical when the raw materials are scarce and extremely costly.

Topics include:
1. Coil considerations — coil length, coil width and condition, and how it's formed by the mill’s tooling
Operations and maintenance — training mill operators and developing a comprehensive maintenance routine (and sticking to it)
2. Chokepoints — improving mill efficiency by finding, reducing, and eliminating process bottlenecks, focusing on getting coil into the mill and removing the finished product from the mill
3. Changeovers — weaving together every step necessary to prepare for, and execute, fast changeovers
4. Best practices — bring together the dozens of factors that determine a mill’s uptime.
5. Budgetary matters — A look at how the time and money dedicated to purchasing quality tooling, running a regular maintenance schedule, and establishing a comprehensive training program, which seem like costs, actually contribute to the revenue stream and support profits.

9:45 a.m. - 11:45 a.m.

Networking Lunch

12:00 p.m. - 1:00 p.m.

U.S. Pipe and Tube Market Update

Get an in-depth update of the pipe and tube market update for 2022 including a demand driver review, demand by segment, supply update, import review, and other market factors.

1:00 p.m. - 1:30 p.m.

Adapting to Changes Within the Tube Bending Industry

Explore the benefits of adjusting to advancements within the tube bending industry due to the emergence of e-mobility and the latest tube bending machine concepts that are creating new opportunities: (1) Requirements for tubes and the bending process including changes in bending machines; (2) The processing of plastic tubes is becoming more important and requires new processes; (3) New technology for bending non-traditional materials in the tube industry; (4) The use of these new opportunities in combination with an open mindset of end-users will create more flexible and more efficient process chains.

1:30 p.m. - 2:00 p.m.

Tube-Making Trends for Hydraulic Tubing in a Pandemic World

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused an unexpected shift in the availability of certain types of bulk tubing for steel fluid lines and similarly for steel hydraulic lines. This gap can be filled, perhaps at a lower total cost, by considering alternative types of steel tubing. Re-engineering of tube end connection may or may not be required. This current trend caused by the pandemic is actually just another example in the progression of tube materials from bamboo to lead, to seamless steel to welded steel, and ultimately to welded and cold-finished steel hydraulic tubing.

1:30 p.m. - 2:00 p.m.

Dynamic System Modelling Vs. Static Throughput Calculations

Often entire pipe and tube lines are configured, purchased, and installed using hand calculations for throughput. While these lines generally function as planned — meeting line rate requirements for particular products — they often present surprises and problems. Perhaps they can never be optimal. Throughput calculations are static. They show the bottleneck operations and the line throughput for various products. However, they cannot show the dynamic effects of product changeover, of batch sizes, of planned or unplanned maintenance on specific operations or the buffers needed to accommodate these. Using a dynamic system model with animation you can: (1) Optimize layout, equipment, and labor; (2) Optimize throughput with product scheduling; (3) Experiment with any number of scenarios — examine options without emotion, politics, or "pet projects"; (4) Communicate new project / line ROI to corporate management.

2:05 p.m. - 3:05 p.m.

Tube Forming and Mandrel Tube Bending Lubrication

Lubrication is an integral part of the tube and pipe bending and forming processes. In order to maximize cost and process efficiency, manufacturers need to know what chemistries work the best for certain processes and substrates and how to optimize the conditions. Learn which methods have proven effective results and are used in today's processes. Bring your questions for a Q&A session at the end of this presentation to discuss specific process variables and case studies to help set you in the right direction for success.

2:05 p.m. - 3:05 p.m.

Afternoon Break

3:05 p.m. - 3:30 p.m.

5 Key Steps: Putting People and Process First for Successful, Ongoing Digital Transformation

When undergoing a digital tranformation: (1) Get beyond case-by-case technology implementation; (2) How integrating people, processes, and technology is essential for success; (3) Technology: The last thing you need for digital transformation; (4) 5 key steps for successful, ongoing digital transformation.

3:30 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.

A Path to a Better High Frequency Weld

High frequency (HF) welding is a type of electric resistance welding in which metal strip edges are heated using induced current and then forged together during a roll forming process to create a continuous seam weld. The HF welding process relies on key process parameters such as welder power, frequency, precise heat input, raw material, and mill setup. With advancements in steelmaking, the process window for achieving a successful HF weld becomes smaller, making it important to closely control and monitor process parameters. This presentation summarizes the effects of HF welding parameters and mill setup and describes how to reduce costly scrap while achieving a better weld by optimization of process parameters.

3:30 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.

Blockchain for Pipe Manufacturing Quality Data Collection, Access, and Storage

The oil and gas pipe industry requires data collection and archiving of the various quality tests performed during the manufacturing process to ensure a pipe's viability for use in the field or well with minimal risk of catastrophic or costly failure. A new paradigm of quality data management for O&G pipe is upon us for revolutionary improvements in the methods of quality data collection, querying, manipulation prevention, and permanent storage. Through blockchain technology, a permanent, immutable, peer-to-peer, open-source, company-agnostic, cross-platform, decentralized record of pipe manufacturing process and quality test data will be achieved using more reliable and less costly methods than those currently employed in the industry.

4:00 p.m. - 4:30 p.m.

Scratch Coatings and Compression Fittings

Extruded coatings on fuel line tubing are susceptible to leak paths from scratches on the surface caused by irregularities in the extrusion process. This paper will explore the challenges and the difficulties in detecting hair-like longitudinal scratches on the tube surface. Scratches may appear at any random time, in any random position around the tube requiring a full 360° inline inspection.

4:00 p.m. - 4:30 p.m.

Storm Water Compliance — Permitting and Considerations

Storm water permitting programs and compliance determination programs are in place to cover every facility. Permitting and registration can be for an individual facility or a general permit covering one or several sectors. Sampling practices and techniques can easily and inadvertently affect your compliance status. State programs are increasingly going digital for reporting; compliance; issuing Notices of Violation, and sharing data with the U.S. EPA through the CDX system. It is important to know where your facility stands now to work and track compliance to avoid nasty surprises later.

4:35 p.m. - 5:05 p.m.

The Secret to High Cut Quality While Meeting Today's Processing Demands

Discover how to: (1) Produce proper setups and repeatable cut quality; (2) Learn the latest methods to improve slitter setup times; (3) Achieve automation in the slitter setup area; (4) Use proper tool care and maintenance.

4:35 p.m. - 5:05 p.m.

Coolants, Coatings, and Lubrication Systems for Welded Tube

This will be a general overview of the various processes of chemicals and dispensing systems used in the production of welded tube: (1) Mill Coolants — Chemicals and filtration/purification system designs and options; (2) In-line Coatings — Interim (short term) and permanent (long-term) coatings; (3) Chemical types and dispensing systems; (4) Cut-off — Lubricants and coolants used for the guillotine and saw type cutting to length in-line on the mill; (5) The emphasis will be on differentiating the impact of metal produced (hot-rolled, pickled, cold-rolled, stainless, galvanized, aluminized, etc.), secondary fabrication/finishing, and end-use.

5:05 p.m. - 5:35 p.m.

Cost-Effective Robotic Phased Array Inspection of ERW Tube

This presentation will demonstrate how ultrasonic phased array inspection can be coupled with robotic technology to provide a cost-effective online inspection solution for ERW mills. This technology can be used for weld profiling, flaw detection, or both simultaneously. The concept, implementation, and cost savings estimates will be presented.

5:05 p.m. - 5:35 p.m.

Networking Reception

Make connections with roll formers and tube and pipe attendees during the networking reception with exhibits.

5:35 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.

Session Name

Time (CT)

Breakfast for Nucor Steel Arkansas Tour

6:00 a.m. - 6:30 a.m.

Plant Tour: Nucor Steel Arkansas

Nucor Steel Arkansas will open its doors for a tour of their Blytheville mill. The Blytheville mill produces hot and cold rolled sheet products. This tour is limited to 60 attendees across both Pipe & Tube Memphis and World-Class Roll Forming Workshop. Attendance is on a first come, first served basis and you must register for the tour during the registration process. Nucor Steel Arkansas will require a completed confidentiality form prior to the tour. Tour attendance is subject to approval by Nucor. Transportation provided.

TOUR SCHEDULE:

6:30-8 a.m. - Travel to Nucor Steel Arkansas

8-11:30 a.m. - Nucor Steel Arkansas Plant Tour

11:30 a.m.-1p.m. - Travel to Hotel

6:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.

Plant Tour: Nucor Steel Memphis

Nucor Steel Memphis will open its doors for a tour. The Memphis facility produces Engineered Bars (SBQ) . This tour is limited to 40 attendees across both Pipe & Tube Memphis and World-Class Roll Forming Workshop. Attendance is on a first come, first served basis and you must register for the tour during the registration process. Nucor Steel Memphis will require a completed confidentiality form prior to the tour. Tour attendance is subject to approval by Nucor. Transportation provided.

TOUR SCHEDULE:

8:30-9 a.m. - Travel to Nucor Steel Memphis

9-10:30 a.m. - Nucor Steel Memphis Plant Tour

10:30 a.m.-11 a.m. - Travel to Hotel

8:30 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.

Building a Sales & Marketing Plan to Grow Your Revenue

This work session will be conducted with Lisa, who has 20+ years of professional sales and marketing experience and will walk attendees through steps for creating a sales and marketing plan. The attendees are encouraged to bring a computer for completing work on the sales plan during the session. This session will give attendees a great start for completing and implementing a strategy to grow their business.

NOTE: This session will be recorded for those attending the Nucor Steel Arkansas Plant Tour.

11:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.

Exhibits Open

12:45 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.

Networking Lunch

12:45 p.m. - 1:30 p.m.

Gen Z: A Case Study on Successful Recruiting, On-Boarding, And Hiring

In the fall of 2020, Wertzbaugher Services established an internship to capitalize on young college students opting out of a four-year degree or taking a break from school. This talk will cover: (1) Effectively recruiting Gen Z and selling them on manufacturing as a career; (2) Setting up and managing internships; (3) Retaining Gen Z and integrating them into the workforce; (4) Getting buy-in from all members of your team.

1:30 p.m. - 2:30 p.m.

Reliability & Repeatability with Less Talent

In today’s world there is critical knowledge you need to improve reliability, repeatability, and accountability for your mills to be competitive. Learn why things happen on a tube mill or roll former; why matching your tooling design to your specific tube mill/ roll former and material and is critical to your ability to achieve faster speeds; the importance of knowing and documenting where you have been before trying to move forward, and how this will greatly improve speeds, reduce downtime, decrease scrap; and the importance of how creating and documenting a preventative maintenance program, complete with critical spares from mill to tooling, will greatly improve downtime, speeds, reduce long-term downtime, decrease scrap and improve reliability, repeatability and accountability.

1:30 p.m. - 2:30 p.m.

Employment and Hiring Practices Panel

2:35 p.m. - 3:35 p.m.

Networking Break

3:35 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.

Automation in the New Economy

Understand the reasoning and advantages to adding automation to the production floor: (1) Sourcing / supply chain issues reduce reliance on purchased parts offer “value-added” production; (2) Review Business Model to determine feasibility; (3) Skilled Labor shortage; (4) Less time required for training; (5) Ease of equipment operation; (6) Data acquisition and reporting Modern Software integrates with IoT production-ready equipment (7) Real-time production reporting; (8) Profitability Predictive Maintenance possibilities allow reduced downtime.

4:00 p.m. - 4:30 p.m.

International Trade Developments Affecting the Tube and Pipe Industry

In this presentation, trade attorney Brooke Ringel will discuss the top international trade issues affecting the tube and pipe industry including: (1) Rollback of Trump tariffs (232 and 301 tariffs); (2) Supply chain issues implementation of the USMCA and potential new bilateral and multilateral trade agreements.