Stainless steel screws in the areas offshore, pipeline and plant construction

TOBSTEEL – Your partner
for the right material

Whether offshore or on land: We, at TOBSTEEL, are a leading specialist for corrosion-resistant connecting elements in the offshore sector and pipeline and plant construction.
We have the right material in stock for every corrosion resistance class, and the quality of our products is our top priority at all times.

In this way, we can supply your with the following connection material:

Screws for wind turbines
Screws for the petrochemical industry
Screws for the food industry
Screws for the pharmaceutical industry
Screws for biogas plants
Screws for pipeline construction

Corrosion resistance in pipeline construction

Pipes are a part of everyday lives that usually remain invisible, but all the more important as a result. Pipelines supply us with water,
energy and heat, dispose of dirt and waste and supply industry with raw materials and fuels.
Today’s high-quality living standards can only be maintained if new pipelines are built constantly and existing systems renewed and refurbished. Depending on the medium routed through the pipes and the aggressive environmental influences that the flange connections are exposed to, special materials for pipes and connecting elements are also needed when constructing pipelines to guarantee safety and economic efficiency. Highly corrosion-resistant materials are indispensable here, especially when food or aggressive acids are being transported.

Corrosion resistance in the offshore sector

Offshore structures in open waters are exposed to the highest possible levels of corrosion.
Aggressive salt water attacks the metal structures and can cause drilling rigs, production platforms, helidecks, wind turbines and research platforms to corrode within a short period of time. For this reason, in both General Building Inspectorate Approval Z 30.3-6 and European standard DIN EN 1993-1-4:2015-10/Eurocode 3, the technical authority in Germany, (DIBt), prescribes screws in corrosion resistance class IV
(= strong) for use with load-bearing components in offshore structures.

In accordance with DIN EN 1993-1-4: 2015-10/Eurocode 3 – Annex A, the coastal regions around the North Sea and Baltic Sea are
rated with -10 points in the calculation for the corrosion resistance factor CRF under Item F1.
The Atlantic coast of Portugal, Spain and France, the English Channel coast and the North Sea regions of the UK, France, Belgium,
the Netherlands and other coastal areas of Scandinavia are even rated with a very high exposure risk and -15 points.

You can find a more detailed explanation of the corrosion resistance classes here.

The ability of stainless steel or nickel base alloy to protect against pitting or crevice corrosion depends on different levels of alloying elements.
The effective value, or what is also known as the PREN value is used to estimate the corrosion resistance of a material.

The PREN value of Duplex 1.4462 (CRC IV) is about 30-35% above that of austenitic V4A alloyed steels (CRC III).
This means that material 1.4462 also offers optimal and long-lasting corrosion protection in seawater areas.

Conventional resistance in plant engineering

High-quality, corrosion-resistant materials are also relied in many other areas on the mainland, and not just offshore. When it comes to supplying plant engineering components, the petrochemicals industry, food industry and pharmaceuticals industry require the highest corrosion resistance. All plants that process liquid, flammable or water-polluting substances – chemical plants, tank farms, mixing plants
or dosing and filling plants – are therefore manufactured in stainless steel according to the highest corrosion resistance specifications.

The production of biogas represents a typical example from practice here. The production of the gas inevitably produces strong corrosive compounds such as ammonia and hydrogen sulphide.

For this reason, specialists in the industry use highly corrosion-resistant materials for economic and ecological reasons when manufacturing biogas plants.