April 2024 | Wuppermann is taking part in the Tube trade fair in Düsseldorf from April 15 to April 19, 2024. The steel processor will be exhibiting profiles and tube components at the world’s leading trade fair for the tube industry. In addition to the products, visitors to the stand can find out about the tube manufacturer’s latest investment and sustainability projects.
In March 2023, Wuppermann put a new roll forming line into operation at its Austrian site in Judenburg. The company has thus significantly expanded its manufacturing capabilities and production capacities. The new roll forming line with automatic packaging line offers a wider range of dimensions and therefore a wider range of products.
Raw material with a width of between 100 and 600 mm can now be processed. Profiles can be produced with a strip thickness of 1.5 to 4.0 mm, a profile width of 25 to 300 mm, a profile height of 20 to 140 mm and a length of up to 13.5 meters. With a zinc coating of up to 1,300 g/m² (Z1300) or a zinc-magnesium coating of up to 1,000 g/m² (ZM1000) and an optional galvanized edge, these products also meet the highest corrosion protection requirements.
The plant has opted for an inline strip perforation system, which allows the strip to be perforated in a single production step before profiling. This means that profiles can now be produced with individual and complex hole patterns according to customer requirements, saving time and money, and delivered in exact quantities.
Construction of a new tube plant in Altmünster
At the beginning of 2024, construction work began at Wuppermann in Altmünster, Austria, on a new hall for two tube welding lines and highly automated primary material and finished goods warehouses. The planned total investment is around 39 million euros. In future, the company will be able to produce not only pipes but also profiles. It will also be able to produce significantly more complex geometries.
The existing tube welding line will remain in operation so that a seamless supply to customers is guaranteed. Production of the new pipe welding lines is scheduled to start in 2025.
Corrosion protection with WTopCor
Wuppermann produces steel strip with maximum corrosion protection with WTopCor. WTopCor is produced in Wuppermann’s continuous strip galvanizing lines using the so-called “heat-to-coat process”.
The high corrosion protection is due to the special chemical composition, which consists of approximately 3 percent magnesium and approximately 3.3 percent aluminum in addition to zinc. This creates a stable, dense and durable protective layer that allows the steel to be used in the most adverse environments.
For example, WTopCor is the preferred material for steel substructures for photovoltaic fields. But the use of WTopCor is also advantageous in silos, road guard rails and in the construction industry.
About the Wuppermann Group
The Wuppermann Group is a medium-sized family business based in Leverkusen, Germany, which has been successfully active in steel processing for over 150 years. The product portfolio includes surface-finished flat products, tubes and tube components made of steel for the mechanical engineering, furniture, food, packaging, automotive, construction and solar industries as well as water and wastewater technology. The Wuppermann Group currently has five production sites and employs around 800 people. In 2023, the Wuppermann Group achieved a turnover of 664 million euros.
