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Otago Witness, Issue 2524, 30 July 1902, Page 73

UNKNOWN

The new process of rolled iron or steo-l pipes of which Mr H. Pei-ran is the inventor has revolutionised the mam-facture of an article for which there i« a lar<*e and increasing demand. By the old method of manufacture the pipes v/rre expanded from the solid bar, requiring no lesp than seven different processes, involving as many different heats, with a corresponding expenditure of fuel. Some attention having been directed to the new process in our cables, a representative of this paper waited upon an engineer of standing in this city, who gave some interesting particulars concerning the process, which we reproduce for the benefit of our rerders We may note in passing that the engineer in question brought the matter tinder the notice of the Federal Government, who has it under serious consideration. As an indication of what is thought of the new process in large industrial centres it is only necessary to mention that the patent rights were sold to an American manufacturer for over a million sterling. Similar rights have also been sold in France, Russia, and Australia, while Gtrman firms are negotiating for the right to use the piocess. Mr Perran secured his patent rights in Great Britain in March and April of last year, and the utility of the process has been since fully demonstrated. The process: is as simple as it is efficient, although it is not quite easy to describe it. Briefly s f ated, it is as follows: — Four or more iron blooms, each of a more or less segruental shape, are piled in position in the furnace and heated until they adhere. They are then withdrawn and rolled over a mandril of the required size. The essential feature of the process consists in the rolling being done before the iron has had time to cool. While pushing between the rolls the blooms aro welded into a.

homogeneous mass, and after being taken off the mandril the pipes can be expanded of stretched to any required diameter The following illustration shows the principle of the process: —

In the meantime the process will Lp em ploj-ed fur the manufacture of pipes from liri to Bin in diameter. It i= claimed for the method that a greater quantity of tubing cs>n be obtained from a given weight of metal ; and it is needless to add that the adoption of the Penan process will effect an »normoub economy of fuel and labour, i=ince hvo sets of operation? do what iequir« J s seven under the old piocr-s. The ol'l method utilised two tons of cod! for every ton of pipe manufactured, while only B£c wt is required with the nn\ process. In bringing the matter under the notice of the Federal Parliament, Mr Char ter, Chairman of Committees, claimed that the new process would, if adopted in Aus traha, effect a sa\ing in the cost of pipei of at least 30 per cent. By the process at least 50 per cent of labour is saved, and £0 pei cent, of fuel. Mr Chanter, who is representing the holders of t lie patent rights m Au° tralia, showed samples of pipes manufactured by the Perran process, which weie pronounced by expert-, to be a fiiat-rate article, being uniform in grade and rolled truly cylindrical. The holder? of the patent lights in Australia, it was stated, were willing to Bell their rights for a sum of £60,000, or as an alternative io take half the share 1 (fully ],aid up) of a company with a tub -crj!>ed capita! of £60,000; or, in the event of c-tabhihcd firms undertaking the manufacture the patent right holder r> would accept a royalty of £1 per ton for steam, gas, and water pipe=, and £3 a ton for their copperplated pipe.-. When the- e\tensi\e demand for iron and i-tccl pipe-, is taken into account the value of the new pfocf" becomes apparent, and it is cleai that it would pay to give ike royalty asked r&tUej Uum to import

pipes of an inferior kind. The oversea freight on pipe? is a big item, as 'hat class of goods take= up a good deal of stowage room, co that local manufacture has the advantage. It is stated that the English firms that have adopted the new process are ' v able to turn out pipes at what it origir / cost for the bar iron on which the ma-. jl facturer commenced operations. Moreover, it is claimed that, as the iron pipes made by the new procers are drawn and welded, they are equal, if not superior, to the best steel pipe=i made by old methods ; while their re-istance to bursting pressure is at least 30 times greater than the old style of pip«. If all that is claimed for the new procers is true, it is e\ident that iron and steel pipe-making in the future will be completely revolutionised ; and a betljr class of article made at a greatly reduced cost. The ineiitable result will be to give an enoimous impetus lo the manufacture of an article that finds a w ider use daily in the progress of modern industry and sanitation. In view of the importance of the matter, it might be advisable for leading New Zealand firms to seriously' consider tho advantages of the new process, and the practicability of introduciiig it for the manufacture of pipes in this colony.