Production processes

FAD INTERNATIONAL’s extensive experience in fitting manufacturing has enabled the company to obtain important internationally recognized technical certifications and qualifications. This expertise, combined with a constant focus on quality and regulatory compliance, has paved the way for participation in the most prestigious global projects in the Oil & Gas sector. Thanks to these recognitions, FAD INTERNATIONAL is now a reliable partner in the supply of fittings for complex and high-tech infrastructure.

Incoming Materials

The management of raw materials at FAD INTERNATIONAL is organized through a structured and reliable supply system. Forged components are not stored directly at the company site: to ensure availability and quality, reference is made to the warehouses of FAD FLANGE and FORGE NICROMO, long-standing partners of the group.
A dedicated pipe warehouse is in place, where the most commonly requested types and sizes for production are kept in stock. Any additional materials required are ordered on demand, ensuring full compliance with customer specifications.
Each incoming material is placed in a designated area, recorded in the company management system, and prepared for the preliminary inspections required before production begins

Cutting Area

The cutting area is equipped with a machine park consisting of six cutting machines, organized to efficiently handle both raw material cutting and post-forming operations. Four cutting machines are dedicated to the initial cutting of forged round bars and pipes, ensuring operational precision and speed in the preparation of semi-finished products. The remaining two cutting machines are used on already formed material, handling the removal of excess material and achieving the required final dimensions. The department is completed by a plasma cutting booth, used for specific operations that require greater flexibility or special machining characteristics

Forming Department

The forming department is designed to ensure high production capacity and strict control of the material’s plastic deformation parameters. The area is equipped with five presses of different capacities, allowing us to cover a wide range of sizes and application requirements:

Press 1 – 2000 tons: dedicated to heavy forming operations for large-diameter and thick-walled components;
Press 2 – 800 tons: used for medium-duty operations;
Press 3 – 300 tons;
Press 4 – 300 tons;
Press 5 – 100 tons: used for precision operations and smaller diameters.

The combination of presses and dies enables the production of elbows and tees from 2” to 30”, handling a wide range of materials (carbon steel, alloy steel, stainless steel, and special alloys) as well as various wall thicknesses. The department is also equipped with:

5 gas-fired forging furnaces, designed to ensure temperature uniformity and thermal cycles in compliance with the metallurgical requirements of different materials;
2 cooling tanks, used for preliminary heat normalizing phases and for dimensional stabilization of the parts after forming.

This configuration allows full control of the entire process, from hot deformation to the preparation of semi-finished products for subsequent heat treatment stages

Heat Treatments

For the heat treatment phase, the company relies exclusively on FORGE NICROMO and other qualified external suppliers, selected for their proven expertise in metallurgical processes and their ability to comply with the standards required by the oil & gas sector. Although the process is not carried out in-house, each thermal cycle is managed and monitored through strict technical control. The suppliers operate certified facilities and ensure full traceability of all operations, including heating parameters, soaking times, and cooling methods. The available treatments include, among others, normalizing, quenching, tempering, solution annealing, and stabilization, ensuring that components achieve the mechanical and structural properties required by applicable standards and project specifications. This organization ensures high quality standards, process repeatability, and full material compliance before the components proceed to the next stages of inspection and processing

Mechanical Testing

Mechanical tests are carried out at a specialized laboratory, S.M.T., located near the company headquarters. The facility is equipped with certified equipment and has the necessary expertise to test a wide range of materials, geometries, and wall thicknesses, fully meeting the production requirements of the manufactured components.

The tests performed include, depending on specific requirements:

tensile tests,
impact tests (Charpy),
hardness measurements,
metallographic analyses,
and other mechanical tests required by applicable international standards.

The collaboration with a qualified laboratory ensures reliable results, full traceability of certificates, and complete compliance with the technical requirements of the oil & gas sector

Blasting Department

The blasting department is designed to ensure optimal surface preparation of components prior to the subsequent inspection and processing stages.
The area is equipped with:

Two manual blasting booths:

one dedicated exclusively to carbon steel materials,
one dedicated to stainless steel materials and special alloys;

This separation prevents cross-contamination and ensures consistent quality standards.

Two automatic blasting machines, designed for processing components up to 30” in diameter, ensuring uniform finishing, process repeatability, and greater efficiency in production volume management.

This configuration allows for properly cleaned and prepared surfaces, fully compliant with the requirements for subsequent grinding operations, non-destructive testing, and final machining stages.

Grinding Department

The grinding department is dedicated to the surface improvement of components, with the aim of removing any imperfections, discontinuities, or defects resulting from the forming and cutting stages. The area is equipped with three grinding booths, designed to operate safely on parts of different sizes and materials.

Before being transferred to the inspection area, each component undergoes a specific grinding cycle carried out by qualified personnel. This stage ensures:

complete removal of surface irregularities,
improved appearance and surface finish of the part,
optimal preparation for non-destructive testing,
reduced risk of defects being detected during subsequent inspection activities

Machining Department

The machining department is designed to ensure precision, versatility, and full control over dimensional tolerances, which are essential requirements for the production of fittings for the oil & gas sector.

Four CNC horizontal lathes and one vertical lathe, suitable for machining components of different sizes and materials, ensuring tight tolerances and high-quality surface finishes.
A large boring and milling machine, used for special machining operations and for components characterized by large dimensions or complex geometries.

The integration of these technologies allows us to:

strictly comply with dimensional specifications in technical drawings,
achieve consistent repeatability across production batches,
ensure high-quality finishes and compliance with relevant international standards.

This configuration enables efficient management of both standard machining operations and more complex requirements, covering the full range of mechanical needs related to the production of fittings

Testing and Inspection

FAD INTERNATIONAL ensures full compliance of its products with customer technical specifications through a comprehensive range of laboratory tests and inspections, including:

chemical checks and analysis,
mechanical testing,
metallographic examinations,
corrosion resistance tests,
non-destructive testing (NDT), including liquid penetrant testing, ultrasonic testing, and PMI.

All products are supplied with a 3.1 certificate, confirming full traceability and compliance of production batches. Upon customer request, 3.2 certification can also be provided, involving validation of results by an accredited third-party inspection body, ensuring maximum transparency and reliability of the tests.

This approach ensures that each component meets the highest quality standards of the oil & gas sector, through the combination of strict internal controls and qualified external certifications

Inspection and Shipping Area

The shipping area is located in a separate zone from both material receiving and the production area, optimizing logistics flows and reducing carrier waiting times.

Components are prepared according to strict internal procedures and packed on pallets or in dedicated crates designed to ensure safety and integrity during transport.

Each item is marked in accordance with customer specifications, while crates are clearly identified, ensuring full traceability throughout the entire logistics chain.
This system ensures that products reach the customer in optimal condition, fully complying with technical specifications and quality standards.