The company

Sosta is one of the major European manufacturers of welded stainless steel pipes for applications in the oil & gas and (petro)chemical industries. Located in Koennern near Leipzig, in the centre of Germany’s new industrial heart, Sosta started the production of welded stainless steel pipes from plate in 1995. Three years later, the Sosta plant extended its possibilities and capacity with a fully automatic production site for welded stainless steel pipes from coil. Today the annual capacity of the plant equals about 10.000 tons.Sosta operates according to an ISO 9001:2000 certified quality programme. A complete range of testing facilities on-site contributes to consistent quality control. Due to investments in modern forming & welding techniques, we can meet the most stringent market demands in terms of price, quality and delivery times.

Products and production methods

Sosta produces from coil as well as from plate. During continuous production from coil, in one single operation the base material can be formed into a pipe, welded, heat-treated and subjected to non-destructive testing. All welding processes are controlled by laser seam tracking equipment to optimize the quality of the weld seam. Production from coil can be used for pipes with a diameter between 6” (168,3 mm) and 20” (508 mm), a maximum wall thickness of 0,5” (12,7 mm) and a maximum length of 12 m. For the production of pipes from single stainless steel plates, the base material is formed into a pipe in a three roll bending system and subsequently welded by fully automated welding equipment. Using this production technique pipes can be produced with a diameter between 16” (406,4 mm) and 80” (2032 mm), a maximum wall thickness of 1” (25,4 mm) and a maximum length of 6 m. In addition to the manufacturing of welded pipes in the standard austenitic grades, we have excellent facilities for the production of nickel alloy, high temperature and duplex grades.

Quality assurance and testing

Our quality assurance system is certified in accordance to the ISO 9001:2000 standards. An independent quality assurance department is responsible for all working procedures required to ensure that all manufacturing processes are carried out in accordance with international technical delivery conditions like ASTM/ASME, EN, ISO, DIN, AFNOR, BS and API, and with the customer’s specifications. In assuring the quality of our products, our own in-house material-testing facilities play an important role. Our quality-testing laboratory is well equipped to perform a wide variety of both destructive and non-destructive quality tests. Destructive testing includes tensile tests, impact tests, bend tests, hardness tests and corrosion tests. For the purposes of non-destructive testing we have at our disposal state-of-the-art equipment for ultrasonic and radiographic examination, Eddy Current testing and hydrostatic testing.

Project management

Sosta has built up a vast experience in working compliant with the customers’ requirements and specifications. This is due to the flexibility of our organisation and our project-oriented way of working, we can handle any project from the initial contact to the final transportation of goods. Our experienced and highly qualified staff will prove to be an excellent partner.Our Project management includes accurately keeping all documentation, communicating all relevant facts about inspection, testing and quality control and meeting the agreed terms for packaging and transportation. Sosta can also manage any external treatment of pipes, like the application of polyethylene or polypropylene coating.

Customers

Sosta is well known in most countries worldwide with a (petro)chemical, LNG- or shipbuilding industry of any importance. Most of our clients use our products for building pipe-lines and installations for the transportation of liquids and gases, both for short-distance applications (process piping) and for long-distance applications (line pipe). Sosta is a supplier for end users as well as EPC contractors and intermediaries. Our products have been approved by several national and international authorities and many renowned companies have accepted us as a manufacturer of high quality products.