Cast Round Billets	Round Reheating	Rotary Piercing Mill (RPM)
Fairfield's and Lorain's continuous casters incorporate the latest steel processing technology to produce high quality rounds for superior seamless tubular products.	Conditioned rounds are identified, sawed to required length and weighed prior to reheating in a walking beam furnace.	The billet is gripped by the rolls, which rotate and advance it over the piercer point, forming a hole through its length.

Mandrel Mill (MPM)	Shell Reheating	Stretch Reducing Mill
The shell is rolled using 7 stands over a long restrained mandrel.	The MPM shell is transferred to the walking beam reheat facility where it can be cropped and weighed prior to reheating.	The reheated and descaled pipe is conveyed through a stretch reducing mill which utilizes up to 24 stands to reduce the diameter to the required finished size.

Cooling Bed	Batch Saws	NDT Inspection
The length and diameter of the tube is automatically determined for computer calculation of average wall for unit weight control prior to placement on the walking beam cooling bed.	After cooling, batches of the as-rolled mother pipe are roller conveyed in parallel to carbide tipped batch saws for cropping and cutting into specified lengths.	Following sawing, the pipe is inspected for longitudinal and transverse flaws (electromagnetic), wall thickness (ultrasonic) and grade verification (eddy current).

In-Process Storage
All pipe is transferred to an in-process storage area employing stackable containers that are handled by two gantry cranes. From in-process storage, containers of pipe can be delivered to one of three primary work stations: (1) heat treatment, (2) finishing and (3) special pipe processing.

Heat Treating

Austenitizing Furnace	Quenching Unit	Tempering Furnace
Pipe to be heat treated can be austenitized in this walking beam furnace at a maximum temperature of about 1900ºF.	On leaving the furnace, the hot pipe passes through a descaler and a three-section OD water spray quench.	The as-quenched pipe is tempered in a walking beam furnace at temperatures varying from 900ºF to about 1300ºF depending on grade.

Sizing Mill	Hot Straightener	Cooling Bed
Pipe diameter tolerance is maintained by a three-stand, two-roll sizing mill.	To insure minimal effect on physical properties, all heat treated pipe are warm rotary straightened.	Pipe is allowed to cool on a walking beam cooling bed.

Straightening	NDT Inspection	End Finishing
Each pipe delivered from storage passes through a rotary straightener.	EMI inspection is used to detect longitudinal and transverse flaws and UT is used for wall thickness and grade verification on all products. If required, full-body UT inspection for longitudinal flaws and also wall verification can be performed.	Carbide tools cutoff, end face and bevel pipe ends.

Threading and Coupling	Hydrostatic Testing	Final Inspection
When required, pipe is threaded and coupled at the mill. Couplings are automatcally made-up to position with position/torque capability. After coupling make-up, the pipe is transferred to an automatic drift station.	All pipe is then pressure tested on a machine with a maximum capacity of about 21,000 psi.	Following a final visual inspection, pipe is weighed, measured and stenciled. External coating can then be applied if required.