Tuflesa upgrades ERW tube production with SMS group

Spanish tube manufacturer Tubos y Flejes SLU (Tuflesa), part of the Bornay Group, is continuing the modernization of its ERW tube production facility in Las Torres de Cotillas near Murcia. SMS group will upgrade the sizing section of the company’s almost 30-year-old ERW-RD-240 tube welding line. Installation is scheduled for the 2027 summer shutdown.

Supplied by SMS in 1998, the line produces welded steel tubes and sections for a range of industrial applications. Its product portfolio includes round tubes with diameters of up to 240 millimeters and square sections up to 200 x 200 millimeters. Tuflesa also manufactures demanding, tolerance-critical products for the solar industry.

New sizing stands improve dimensional accuracy

After almost three decades of operation, wear of the existing sizing equipment has affected dimensional accuracy. SMS will therefore replace all four sizing stands as well as the associated changeover tooling.

The new equipment is designed to restore the required dimensional accuracy, ensure more reliable compliance with tight product tolerances and improve the productivity of the tube welding line. According to SMS, the upgrade will also enable Tuflesa to meet future product requirements and introduce new products.

Existing equipment including the main drive, base frames and changeover cars for automatic stand exchange will remain in operation. Reusing these components reduces the overall scope of the modernization as well as installation work and costs.

Short shutdown for tube line upgrade

To minimize the impact on tube production, SMS will deliver the new sizing stands fully pre-assembled, wired and piped. Replacement is scheduled to take place during Tuflesa’s planned summer shutdown in 2027. SMS will also supervise commissioning and support the start-up of the upgraded line.

The project marks the second major modernization of the ERW-RD-240. In 2024, SMS already upgraded the forming and welding section of the tube line.

“The ERW-RD-240 has been in operation for almost 30 years. The modernization of the sizing section is the second project carried out by SMS on this line, following the forming and welding upgrade completed in 2024,” says Juan Bornay, Managing Director and owner of Tuflesa.

The cooperation between the two companies also includes newer tube production equipment. In 2021, Tuflesa commissioned an SMS RD 40 high-frequency tube welding line for the production of high-quality round, square and rectangular tubes. Tuflesa has been manufacturing welded steel tubes for various industries since 1965.