On September 26th 2009, Hubei Xin Yegang Special Tube Co Limited has successfully rolled the first tube on the world’s largest Assel mill supplied by SMS Meer.

SMS Meer received the order to supply the mill in July 2007. Erection began in May 2009.

The new seamless tube plant was installed on the site of the tube mill owned by the Citic Group in Huangshi, Hubei Province, where two Assel mills supplied by SMS Meer are already in operation. The mill is designed for the production of seamless tubes in the diameter range from 219 mm to 500 mm, predominantly for structurals.

The design capacity of the mill is 420,000 tonnes per annum. The SMS Meer scope of supply includes a KSW 1500 VL cone type piercer for piercing billet diameters of up to 460 mm and the core machine, an Assel mill AM 1100.