Forming, Welding, Grooving, & Flanging of AL6XN spools for Seawater Application

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Applying our experience to customer requirements is what allowed Appleton Stainless to excel at an unusual project while maintaining an advantageous turnaround. We were contracted by a company in the Caribbean to fabricate various sizes spools and fittings out of AL6XN which is a high performance steel alloy. Their original system built of #16L was constatntly having problems due to the corrosive nature of seawater. Despite the challenges posed, our diverse portfolio of prior work turned this project into an everyday affair.

The S10 and S40 spools pieces requested by the customer were to be made from AL6XN steel alloy, a superaustenitic and highly corrosion resistant material. The spools were cut from pipe, and welded with some ends left plain end, while others were grooved or vanstone flanged. Other fittings were formed from flat sheet and formed into reducers and other unique fittings. They were formed using high-definition plasma cutting approach, and assembled with form, seam, and MIG welding, with some ends flanged, others rollgrooved. Pickling and passivation ensured clean and corrosion-free surfaces. Tolerances were held to ASTM A774. The entire project was completed and shipped to the customer on a turnaround of three weeks.

Cutting-edge material forming and robust experience came together to make possible an otherwise unlikely combination of material and scheduling requirements. To learn more about this project or the many others Appleton Stainless has worked on, see the table below or contact us directly today.