ThyssenKrupp Magazin

34 OIL TOOLS
A “power slip” has to be
adjusted precisely to the drill
pipes. Otherwise the pipe
will collapse. Firmness and
stretch limits have to be very
high for this purpose.
dards in any possible country. Moreover, it is part of the market value
of, as Lutzhöft observes, “the world market leader in these tools,” to
adhere to all existing security standards.
Changing the materials used in these tools in such a way that the
loads can become increasingly heavy was one of the challenges that
Lutzhöft and his colleagues faced on the shipbuilding yard. The earlier
specification, in which high-tensile material was cast, is no longer adequate.
Strength and yield points had to be increased, “basically, with
new chrome nickel alloys from which much more potential can be
gleaned,” is how the production manager describes the circumstances.
This was relevant for the heat treatment process via which the mechanical
parameters could also be changed, he said.
CLOSE INSIGHT INTO CRITICAL AREAS
The pictures he loads onto his computer give a playful impression.
The detailed view of the interior of such tools conveys its
own aesthetics. Color shots show the expert at a glance the
areas where the critical stress is. This in turn makes it clear to
which zone the engineer must pay particular attention.
What would happen otherwise? Many of the “elevators” –
the technical term for the tools which lift loads from drill pipes
while raising or lowering via sleeves – which are built in the spacious
TK Magazine | 1 | 2004 |