Plymouth, United Kingdom – Fine Tubes, a leading manufacturer and global supplier of precision tubes for critical applications, continues to extend and promote its industry-leading nuclear capabilities together with its sister company, US-based Superior Tube.
Both companies are showcasing their latest high-specification tubing ranges in stainless steel, titanium, zirconium and nickel alloys at the World Nuclear Exhibition (WNE), June 28-30, 2016, in Paris, exhibiting in Hall 2B at Stand M23 as part of the GIIN (Groupe Intersyndical de L’Industrie Nucleaire).
Fine Tubes and Superior Tube have long records of working closely with the world’s leading nuclear reactor suppliers on new build, maintenance and decommissioning projects, including the manufacture of critical heat exchanger tubing for the Flamanville, France, European pressurized reactor.
Fine Tubes also has recently raised its profile still further across the entire nuclear industry supply chain by successfully completing the Fit For Nuclear (F4N) programme run by Nuclear Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC). F4N is a unique service designed to help UK manufacturing companies win contracts in the civil nuclear supply chain by measuring their operations against the exacting standards required by the nuclear industry. Whilst primarily a UK initiative, F4N status provides Fine Tubes with additional global exposure through Nuclear AMRC’s international partners.
Nuclear AMRC was established in 2009, in response to the UK Government’s Low-Carbon Industrial Strategy and led by the University of Sheffield and the University of Manchester with Rolls-Royce as lead industrial partner. Other founding partners were Areva, Westinghouse, Sheffield Forgemasters and Tata Steel.
Both Fine Tubes and Superior Tube have over 80 years of experience in meeting the most demanding tubing requirements with their leading-edge metallurgy and their long records of innovation.
Fine Tubes’ involvement in the nuclear power industry began when the company started supplying nuclear fuel cans to the United Kingdom’s first generation of gas-cooled reactors. Since then the company has manufactured products for advanced gas-cooled, pressurized water, light water, heavy water and fast breeder reactors. Today, Fine Tubes products are deployed in plants throughout the European Union, the United States, Canada, India and China. Superior Tube, which has had an association with the nuclear industry since the 1930s, continues to work with the United States Government on a wide range of nuclear energy projects.
Charles Ferreira, Western Europe Business Development Manager commented: "Fine Tubes and Superior Tube, in partnership, are in an excellent position to take advantage of the opportunities in the nuclear industry across the globe. Not only are we at the forefront of technological expertise in the marketplace, but we also have the agility and flexibility to deliver the very best solutions to end users, operators and OEMs across the globe."
Despite issues around nuclear safety and the increase of technical and financial constraints of the nuclear sector, Fine Tubes and Superior Tube strive to support research into new technical solutions. With over 80 years of experience in the manufacture of high-performance tubes, both companies continue to satisfy the stringent expectations of light water and heavy water reactor technologies around the world.
Fine Tubes and Superior Tube are reliable partners recognized for high-quality tubing solutions as well as metallurgical and technical expertise.