Uwira, an innovative Finnish pipeline manufacturer, delivers pipeline solutions to ships looking to deploy new fuels. Sales Director Samuli Kuusisto points out that Uwira has decades of experience in producing advanced pipeline solutions for the challenging maritime market.
“We have great know-how from the field and continue to push new concepts for sustainable fuels,” he says.
“Our customers worldwide depend on us to come up with industry-leading solutions that are both efficient and safe.”
Thomas Hägglund, Uwira’s Director of Development, points out that developing ground-breaking concepts for new fuels requires a cutting-edge, even visionary, mindset.
“Transition towards new, more sustainable fuels is a challenging process, but we definitely have a role to play in this evolution.”
Double your safety
Uwira’s key innovation is using double-walled pipes that guarantee safe transfer of hazardous fuels, such as methanol. Methanol, on the other hand, requires high pressure to work:
“Our pipeline solution for medium speed engines is able to deal with high pressure and pressure fluctuations,” promises Samuli Kuusisto.
The company’s double-walled pipes are made of materials such as stainless steel, Duplex, and Super-Duplex Stainless Steel.
Boosting manifold production
Uwira utilizes world-renowned T-DRILL collaring technology in the manufacture of T-fittings. The company has recently invested in a brand-new, fully automatic T-DRILL T-InForm-170 collaring machine, which mechanically forms outlets directly on the run pipe using a revolutionary internal forming method, comparable to the ball-pull technique.
“The entire process – from pilot-hole milling to the production of a complete, trimmed branch outlet – is performed on a single workstation in three automatic work cycles,” explains Kuusisto.
This eliminates the need for separate T-pieces, significantly speeds up production, and results in an exceptionally high-quality collar.
Uwira’s T-InForm-170, tailored to the company’s production needs, can handle stainless steel pipes up to 168 mm in diameter. The machine is expected to multiply Uwira’s production capacity.
The Challenge: High vibration and pressure in methanol pipes
Thomas Hägglund says that building double-walled pipes onboard ships requires very specific expertise. He points out that dealing with high vibrations and acoustic pressure waves – due to long pipes – is frequently a challenge on ships.
“We are always able to find a working technical solution for every case,” he says.
According to Hägglund, a couple of themes keep surfacing in the discussions with potential customers. First of all, finding a solution that can withstand the mechanical stress, and handle the specific fuel, is simply crucial.
“Securing the right solution is the biggest priority, along with safety and feasibility issues. Second, we have the required expertise in design validation, pre-fabrication and onboard installation to make it all work,” Hägglund replies.
EcoVadis Silver recognizes excellence
The world’s most trusted provider of business sustainability ratings, EcoVadis, recently awarded Uwira with a Silver Medal. The Silver Medal places Uwira in the top 15% of all companies assessed by EcoVadis.
“Our EcoVadis Silver Medal is a sign of our continuing commitment to social and environmentally responsible business practices,” Samuli Kuusisto says.
During the last four years, Uwira has been hard at work raising the bar in sustainability. In practice, this has meant evaluating and developing processes across all business areas (including production, administration, and personnel).
A key CO2 cutting measure was achieved with a new factory layout. The main objectives of the layout renewal were to shorten production lead times and improve employee well-being. A clear and functional layout also makes it easier to identify potential problems.
“We wanted to make our operations more efficient and cut down on emissions, too. The layout renewal has sped up our process considerably and we’re looking to finetune it further,” says Kuusisto.
Always keep improving!
Constant improvement has been the “Uwira Way” for well over a decade. As early as 2011, Uwira was already delivering solutions made of double-walled pipes to ships. Now, with several vessels under her belt, Uwira moves confidently into the future.
Kuusisto points out that nobody knows, as of yet, what will be the most used new fuels, say, 15-20 years from now.
“We are future-proof, however, in the sense that have working concepts in place for every alternative,” Kuusisto says.
Thomas Hägglund agrees: when a new ship hits the waves, the engine should run for good 30-35 years. Having the ability to use alternative fuels will become an even bigger advantage in the future.
“The market is currently looking for the winning fuels. We keep developing solutions in support of this this great transition.”
More information: www.uwira.fi
