With more than 120 years of experience in the distribution and processing of steel and, as specialist suppliers of highly specified steel plates in carbon steel, alloy steel, and stainless steel, Brown McFarlane is a leading supplier of steel plates and cut pieces to the world’s offshore, energy, and oil and gas industries.
The range of steel plates on offer includes high strength structural steel for offshore applications, pressure vessel steel for pressure vessels and heat exchangers, hydrogen induced crack resistant steel (HIC) for sour service applications, and duplex and super duplex stainless steel.
The Brown McFarlane offering to the offshore industry is so comprehensive that a visit to the company’s website is advisable in order to get the full picture.
Structural steel plates for offshore applications
Brown McFarlane’s range of structural steel is available, depending on the specification, from 3mm to 350mm thick, from 2,000mm to 4,000mm wide, and up to 20,000mm long. Plates are supplied in the as rolled, normalised, TMCP, and quenched and tempered condition.
Steel specifications in stock range from ‘basic’ structural steels to EN 10025 (S235, S275), through high-strength steels like S355K2+N and A572 Grade 50, higher strength steels with a minimum 460 MPa yield (S460), ultra high-strength quenched and tempered steels like EN 10025 S690QL, and on to specialist offshore grades such as EN 10225 S355G8+N and API 2H Grade 50 Z35.
All steel plates are supplied with complete manufacturer’s certification and, where appropriate, are third-party inspected in accordance with the rules of the major classification societies.
Pressure vessel steel plates and HIC resistant steel plates
Steel plates to American (ASTM and ASME), European and British pressure vessel specifications are held in stock in the UK, Belgium, Dubai, and Singapore, giving a comprehensive range of supply options to the offshore fabricator. Brown McFarlane also holds stocks of pressure vessel plate tested for its resistance to hydrogen induced cracking (HIC) in wet H2S (sour service) environments.
Duplex and super duplex stainless steel plates
The range of stainless steel plates stocked by Brown McFarlane includes large area plate (12,000mm long x 3,000mm wide) in grades 304L and 316L, which is particularly useful for larger fabrications, minimising the amount of welding required by the fabricator.
However, for the offshore industry the range of duplex stainless and super duplex stainless steel plates should prove to be of considerable interest. All plates are sourced from Western European manufacturers and fully certified – brief details as follows:
- Duplex 31803 (1.4462): 5mm to 50mm thick, up to 3,000mm wide, up to 12,000mm long
- Super Duplex 32750 and 32760 (1.4410 and 1.4501): 5mm to 50mm thick, up to 2,500mm wide, up to 12,000mm long
Steel plate processing – cut pieces and components
Brown McFarlane is not only a supplier of a wide range of steels to the offshore industry in plate form but also has comprehensive facilities to process steel plates, which include cutting (through plasma, laser, and water jet technology), bending and machining. In this way steel plate products can be supplied as pre-cut components, saving time and money for the fabricator or manufacturer. Examples include discs for producing vessel heads or tube sheets and rings for making flanges.
Highly specified steel plates from stock or direct from the steel maker
Brown McFarlane has operations in the UK, Belgium, the United Arab Emirates (Dubai), Singapore and China, bringing the company closer to its international customer base.
Carbon, alloy and stainless steel products can be supplied to any location in the world using the company’s international logistics organisation. Steel plates can be supplied directly from stock or manufactured to order with ex-works delivery times as short as two weeks and with no minimum quantity requirements.
Steel plate specialists
The expertise of our team of sales engineers is unrivalled in the steel plate industry and their knowledge can assist our clients in selecting the most cost-effective route for their requirements. Many of the team are mechanical engineers and can assist the customer in design and subsequent fabrication of the component or plate that may be required.
When specialist steel is supplied to the oil, gas, and offshore industries robust quality systems are imperative. Brown McFarlane’s quality systems are ISO 9001 accredited and every plate sold is uniquely identified by its own piece number allowing full traceability.
In addition Brown McFarlane is accredited to ISO 14001 for environmental policy procedures and ISO 18001 for health and safety. The company implements a process of continuous improvement to ensure that its quality systems are permanently being appraised and upgraded.
See also: Brown McFarlane – Abrasion Resistant and Quenched and Tempered Steel Plates for the Mining Industry