Houston-based MSI Oilfield Products has introduced the MaxX line of thread protectors, the first, the company claims, to have been independently tested to fully comply with new standards set forth in API 5CT Annex-1. The plastic resin protectors are available in sizes ranging from 23/8in to 95/8in and are manufactured at the company’s recently expanded Houston plant.
The MaxX pipe thread protectors have been tested to withstand Arctic temperatures and include a ‘ribbed’ diaphragm designed to remain stable while absorbing and dispersing energy from an impact – which, with corrosion, is the most common source of damage to pipe threads. The MaxX protectors feature spanner holes for easy installation and removal with a specialty tool, as well as an auxiliary ‘slot’ for installation and removal with tools commonly found on a job site.
MSI, a subsidiary of the UK’s Filtrona, invested some $20 million in the Houston plant, including the addition of new injection moulds for the 24 hour operation. With 23 moulds operating, the Houston facility currently can produce some 2.5 million thread protectors each month, said MSI president John Boben.
The expanded plant can accommodate 30 injection moulds, which would boost capacity to 3.5 million units per month.
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