The speciality metals company, ATI-Allegheny Ludlum, has been awarded a USD $30 million contract to supply a high-nickel alloy that will be used to repair a foreign pipeline break. The companys state-of-the-art hot rolling facility in Harrison, Pennsylvania, which was unveiled in 2015 and cost $1.1 billion, is the only mill in the world that can make the specific nickel-based alloy required to repair the pipeline on time. The nickel-based alloy that will be used for the pipeline, is perfectly suited to extremely corrosive environments.
A spokesman for ATI, Dan Greenfield, commented that, No one else in the world can make a coil of this product the way ATI can and it’s because of the Hot-Rolling and Processing Facility.The analyst John Tumazos agreed, also stating, The high-nickel alloy is very hard to roll. It has a much greater hardness than stainless steel, which is why the order couldn’t have been placed with any competitor. Because of the newness of the plant, it has gauge and shape controls to produce a more reliable quality. If there were variations in thickness or variations in gauge and shape, it could affect the durability of the pipe.
The location of the oil pipeline, as well as the name of the client that awarded the contact, have not been disclosed.