Manufacture of critical process equipment such as reactors, heat exchangers and pressure vessels for the process industry
Christof Group
Gratkorn near Graz (Headquarters) · MariborNew on Amplifa
About the Christof Group
The Christof Group is a 100 % family-owned group of companies headquartered in Gratkorn near Graz and manufactures critical process equipment such as reactors, heat exchangers, pressure vessels, melamine high-pressure apparatuses, nitric acid equipment, special valves and piping. The group comprises nine specialized companies (ACE, ACE Metalna, APB, JCDA, JCH, JCH Slo, JCM, MOG and SBN) at ten production sites in Austria, Germany, Italy and Slovenia with around 2,000 employees, 193,560 m² of production space and 480,000 production hours per year. Manufacturing includes welding of high-alloy steels, in-house weld overlay cladding, blasting, heat treatment as well as pickling and passivation; materials processed include carbon steel, clad steels, duplex and super duplex steels, Safurex®, high-silicon steel 1.4361, nickel alloys, titanium and copper alloys. In addition to vessel fabrication, the group offers detail engineering, spare parts manufacturing, revamps, inspections, in-situ repairs and maintenance during shutdowns. Customers come from the fertilizer, chemical, petrochemical, pharmaceutical, polymer, oil & gas, paper, food, energy and environmental sectors; with an export share of over 95 %, deliveries have been made to more than 100 countries.
- Site
- Graz
- Processes
- Vessel fabrication / manufacturing of critical process apparatuses (Reactors, Heat Exchangers,, Welding of high-alloy steels (specialist for welding high-alloyed steels), Weld overlay cladding (in-house, specialized welders and machines), Processing of roll-clad and explosion-clad materials, Machining of large components (precision machining the big stuff), Mechanical processing of parts, components and equipment, Production of custom spare parts (critical spare parts) in own workshops, Detail engineering, mechanical and thermal design, design calculations, 3D modeling
- Materials
- Carbon Steel, Cladded Steels, Copper Alloys (Copper, Brass, Bronze, Inoxyda), Duplex Steels (Duplex, Super-Duplex, Hyper-Duplex), High Silicon Steel, Nickel-based Alloys (Alloy 59, Alloy 600, Alloy 800, Hastelloy B3, Hastelloy C4, Monel, Inconel), Safurex® (Sandvik/Stamicarbon Duplex), Safurex® Star
- Certificates
- PED 2014/68/EU / AD 2000 (Pressure Equipment)
- Employees
- 2,000
- Industries
- Fertilizer industry (urea/ammonia synthesis), Chemical industry, Petrochemicals, Polymer industry, Pharmaceuticals, Oil & Gas
- 01
Detail engineering (mechanical, thermal, 3D modeling)
- 02
Material preparation including blasting and cladding
- 03
Machining of large components
- 04
Vessel fabrication and welding technologies
- 05
Heat treatment, pickling and passivation, weld overlay cladding
- 06
Inspection and testing
- 07
Worldwide logistics transport
- 08
On-site assembly, in-situ repair, revamp and maintenance
Materials and Processes
Carbon Steel
Broad use in vessel fabrication, resistant to low and high temperatures as well as HIC-resistant for critical applications.
Cladded Steels
Roll-clad and explosion-clad materials with stainless steel, alloy and titanium cladding, supplemented by in-house weld overlay cladding.
Duplex, Super Duplex and Hyper Duplex Steels
For highly corrosive media, with in-house pickling and passivation.
Safurex® (Sandvik/Stamicarbon), Star and Degree
High-alloy duplex stainless steel for the corrosive environments of urea synthesis, extensively used in high-pressure vessel fabrication.
High-Silicon Steel 1.4361 (Böhler A610)
Austenitic steel with approx. 4 % silicon for concentrated nitric acid, welded with special cooling fixtures.
Nickel-Based Alloys (Alloy 59, 600, 800; Hastelloy B3/C4; Monel; Inconel)
For critical media, with in-house pickling and passivation.
2.4605
Material for melamine high-pressure apparatuses with loose-lining design.
1.8935
Base material for melamine high-pressure equipment according to AD 2000 / PED 2014/68/EU.
Stainless Steel
All stainless steel grades are processed, including in-house pickling and passivation.
Titanium (Grade 1, 3, 5, 7)
Used as solid titanium, explosion-clad or as a liner.
Copper Alloys (Copper, Brass, Bronze, Inoxyda)
Processing of copper alloys including special materials such as Inoxyda.
Graphite
Graphite heat exchangers for applications where high-alloy steels cannot withstand the corrosion.
Sites
Gratkorn near Graz
ATHeadquarters and administration
Maribor (ACE Metalna)
SIProduction of graphite heat exchangers for Europe, Russia, the Middle East, Africa and America; machining of large
- Materials
- Graphite
Industries
Processes & technical limits
| Processes | Tolerance | Max. part | Weight | Lot size | Materials |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vessel fabrication / manufacturing of critical process apparatuses (Reactors, Heat Exchangers,Joining | – | – | – | – | Carbon Steel, Cladded Steels, Duplex Steels, Super-Duplex Steels, Hyper-Duplex Steels, High Silicon Steel (1.4361 / Böhler A610), Nickel-based alloys, Safurex®, Safurex® Star, Safurex® Degree, Stainless Steel, Titanium, Copper Alloys, 2.4605, 1.8935, Graphite |
| Welding of high-alloy steels (specialist for welding high-alloyed steels)Joining | – | – | – | – | high-alloy steels, Duplex Steels, Safurex®, High Silicon Steel, Titanium, Cladded Steels |
| Weld overlay cladding (in-house, specialized welders and machines)Surface | – | – | – | – | Stainless Steel, Alloy, Titanium |
| Processing of roll-clad and explosion-clad materialsForming | – | – | – | – | Cladded Steels with Stainless Steel, Alloy and Titanium |
| Machining of large components (precision machining the big stuff)Machining | – | – | – | – | Steel, Stainless Steel, Castings |
| Mechanical processing of parts, components and equipmentMachining | – | – | – | – | – |
| Production of custom spare parts (critical spare parts) in own workshopsJoining | – | – | – | – | – |
| Detail engineering, mechanical and thermal design, design calculations, 3D modelingEngineering | – | – | – | – | – |
| On-site inspections (remaining service life assessment)Testing | – | – | – | – | – |
| Revamps (modernization/modification of equipment)Assembly | – | – | – | – | – |
| Supervision of on-site installations of critical high-pressure equipmentAssembly | – | – | – | – | – |
| Maintenance during shutdowns/turnaroundsAssembly | – | – | – | – | – |
| Relining (corrosion protection)Surface | – | – | – | – | – |
| In-situ repairs / on-site repairs (repair the unrepairable)Assembly | – | – | – | – | – |
| Pipeline constructionJoining | – | – | – | – | – |
| In-house sandblastingSurface | – | – | – | – | Carbon Steel |
| In-house heat treatmentsHeat treatment | – | – | – | – | Carbon Steel |
| In-house pickling and passivationSurface | – | – | – | – | Duplex Steels, Nickel-based steel, Stainless Steel |
| Special cooling fixtures for welding High Silicon Steel (1.4361)Joining | – | – | – | – | 1.4361 (Böhler A610) |
| Manufacture of graphite heat exchangers (Graphite Equipment) for Europe, Russia, the Middle East,Joining | – | – | – | – | Graphite |
| Manufacture of Melamine HP Equipment (melamine high-pressure apparatuses, loose lining)Joining | – | 5,670 mm × ø 1,000 mm | 17,000 kg | – | 2.4605, 1.8935 |
| Manufacture of high-pressure apparatuses for urea/ammonia synthesis (HP Scrubber, HP Stripper, PoolJoining | – | – | – | – | Safurex® |
Additional services
Reference customers
Quality
The melamine high-pressure apparatuses are manufactured according to AD 2000 / PED 2014/68/EU and tested at a test pressure of 363 bar. On-site inspections to assess the remaining service life of main equipment complement the service portfolio.
| Evidence | Gratkorn near Graz | Maribor (ACE Metalna) |
|---|---|---|
| PED 2014/68/EU / AD 2000 (Pressure Equipment) |
History
More than 150 years of experience in approx. 9,500 international projects
Founding of MOG (Marghera Oil & Gas S.r.l.) by combining the Christof Group's capacities with the Oil & Gas Division of ATB Riva Calzoni
- 2020
Delivery of high-pressure urea equipment (HP Scrubber, HP Stripper, Pool Reactor) for Stamicarbon to the end customer Volgafert in Togliatti, Russia
- 2021
Partnership agreement with Graphite Technology (China); production of graphite heat exchangers at the ACE Metalna site in Maribor (Slovenia)