TechnipFMC is a leading provider of subsea tree hydraulic control systems for wellheads. Traditionally, the organisation would plan the routes for the hydraulic tubing runs that interconnect the valves and other component parts of subsea trees, then fabricate the custom tubular part shapes while the trees were being built.
As this way of working slowed down the build cycle and limited the total number of trees that could be assembled in its sophisticated system building cells, TechnipFMC decided to investigate the use of 3D modelling of tubing. This approach would allow the tubing systems required for subsea tree orders to be designed and bent in advance of system building and then delivered to the manufacturing cells for immediate assembly.
Unison Ltd’s all-electric tube bending technologies were chosen over traditional, hydraulically powered tube bending machines. This was due to the uncompromising precision and right-first-time repeatability offered by Unison, avoiding unnecessary and costly scrap.
Subsea tree production demands lots of tubing parts with unique shapes, that TechnipFMC fabricates as a single batch for each tree project. As the tubular materials being bent are often very expensive alloys, including Super Duplex and Inconel 625, avoiding scrap is vitally important.
Unison’s all-electric tube bending machines are helping TechnipFMC to substantially reduce subsea tree build times and accelerate its manufacturing capacity. The success of switching to Unison was such that TechnipFMC now operates several Unison machines, supported by the company’s ‘design to manufacture’ Opt2Sim tube bending simulation software.
Since integrating Unison tube benders into its manufacturing processes, the time required for tubing assembly in TechnipFMC’s manufacturing cells has fallen by around two thirds. Unison’s standardised process and consistent quality has also helped negate the likelihood of human error.
Six TechnipFMC sites worldwide now use Unison tube bending machines in a new production method pioneered by employees in Norway and Scotland.
