DESIGN AND MANUFACTURING

IF YOU ARE LOOKING FOR PRESSURE EQUIPMENT MANUFACTURERS, YOU NEED TO READ THE FOLLOWING:

Why is it important for pressure retaining equipment to be properly designed and manufactured?

Equipment subject to pressure loads can be a ticking time bomb if designed and manufactured incorrectly.

When a fluid is compressed, especially compressible fluids such as gases, the molecules are forced to occupy a smaller space, increasing their kinetic energy. This essentially causes a significant amount of energy to be stored inside the equipment. The higher the pressure, the more energy can be stored in the same volume.

This accumulated energy, in the event of a sudden depressurization due to the loss of the retaining capacity of the equipment, can be lethal. Imagine if, in fractions of a second, the volume of the contained gas expands several times, releasing all the contained energy into the environment.

It is not surprising that in an accident involving pressurized equipment, parts of the equipment end up hundreds of meters from where it was installed. The entire equipment has even been propelled by this energy many meters from its installation site, destroying everything in its path.

The damage is often irrecoverable, resulting in loss of life, substantial economic losses, loss of reputation, compensation, environmental damage, among others.

The energy induced by pressure causes stresses in the equipment that contains it, which are distributed among the different parts of it, such as the shell, heads, nozzles, chambers, pipes, tubes, among others. Therefore, the equipment must be designed so that its components can withstand these pressure-generated loads, as well as the other various loads to which the equipment will be subjected during operation.

While these types of catastrophic events are rare, considering the enormous number of boilers and vessels in existence worldwide, the risk is real and always present if the proper measures are not taken during the construction process and subsequent operation.

Due this risk can affect not only the plant where a pressure-retaining equipment is located, but also third parties and the environment, the containment of pressurized fluids is a very delicate matter. This is why the industry, based on past experience, has developed various construction codes for pressure-retaining equipment to minimize the risk of these types of catastrophic incidents from occurring.

One of these codes is the ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code (ASME Code), which consists of several sections containing mandatory requirements, specific prohibitions, and non-mandatory guidelines for materials, design, manufacturing, examination, inspection, testing, certification, and pressure relief for pressure-retaining equipment such as power boilers, pressure vessels, transport tanks, water heaters, and others.

This ASME Code addresses and establishes rules of safety relating to pressure integrity, Users of the ASME Code should refer to the pertinent codes, standards, laws, regulations, or other relevant documents for safety issues other than those relating to pressure integrity.

The rules established in the ASME Code allows reasonably certain protection of life and property, providing a margin for deterioration in service to give a reasonably long, safe period of usefulness, provided that the rules established therein are followed.

What mistakes can be made during the design and manufacturing of pressure-retaining equipment that are potentially dangerous?

• Incorrect selection of materials for equipment manufacturing, for example, the use of brittle materials in pressure-retaining equipment.


• Poor design, insufficient thicknesses, inappropriate types of joints, lack of reinforcement in connections, among others.


• Inadequate description of material specifications for purchase or verification prior to use.


• Receiving materials without a system to prevent defective or substandard materials from entering production.


• Use of materials that lack the corresponding markings and certificates to verify their traceability and compliance with the requirements established in their specifications.


• Failure to verify the toughness of materials for use at low temperatures or whose thicknesses are too thick. There is a risk of brittle behavior of the materials at low temperatures.


• Forming of shell courses outside of tolerance or without the appropriate stress relief when the elongation of the extreme fibers requires it.


• Forming of heads with improper or out-of-tolerance knuckle or crown radii, or cold-forming when they should have been hot-formed and not subsequently stress-relieved due to the elongation of the extreme fibers.


• Weld joint assemblies out of alignment tolerance, which can lead to stress concentrators.


• Welding without properly qualified welding procedures.


• Welders or operators involved who have not been qualified or whose qualifications have expired.


• Welding defects such as:
• Lack of fusion.
• Incomplete penetration on butt welds.
• Cracks.
• Excessive reinforcement in weld joints causing stress concentrations.
• Inadequate or insufficient shape and size in fillet welds.
• Undercuts.
• Overlaps.
• Among others.


• Poor manufacturing practices such as:
• Improper handling or store of welding filler materials.
• Arc strikes on the base material.
• Materials used for joint assembly without traceability or from unknown metallurgical sources that contaminate pressure parts.
• Inadequate joint cleaning prior to welding.
• Peening forming.
• among others.


• Tack welds for assembly with defects not removed or repaired prior to final welding.


• Failure to perform PWHT when required due to residual stresses or service.


• Non-destructive examination (NDE) not performed, inadequate examination, or poorly performed, poorly selected, or in an insufficient or unrepresentative quantity.


• NDE personnel without the appropriate training, qualifications, and certifications.


• Use of measurement and examination equipment without proper calibration, resulting in unreliable measurements.


• Failure to perform a pressure test or to perform a poorly performed test.


• Failure to generate the necessary and sufficient documentation and records to provide a baseline for subsequent in-service inspection, repair, and/or alteration activities.


• Among others.

The lack of rules that establish a framework for the manufacture of pressure equipment allows manufacturers to carry out their activities at their discretion, at their good or bad criteria, and may commit one or more of the aforementioned mistakes.

This significantly increases the risk of a potential catastrophic failure.

The ASME Code establishes clear rules that have been tested over the years in different industries which minimize the risk and have proven to guarantee the pressure integrity of pressure-retaining equipment.

Now, it is important to understand that the partial use of a Code does not guarantee the desired results, as codes establish rules that must be used consistently. If one or more rules are eliminated or ignored, the entire consistency of the Code is lost.

For example:

• It makes little sense to use Code formulas to determine thicknesses if, in practice, materials without traceability that guarantee the mechanical properties required in the design will be used.


• It makes little sense to use materials that have the markings, certifications, and traceability required by the Code if they will be formed in any way or welded without a qualified welding procedure.


• It makes little sense to weld using properly qualified welding procedures if the welders or operators who weld the equipment have not been qualified and have not demonstrated their ability to make sound joints.


• It makes little sense to weld with qualified welders or operators if the Non-destructive examination (NDE) will be performed without proper procedures or by personnel without the respective experience, qualifications, and certifications.


• It makes little sense to perform non-destructive examination (NDE) with procedures and by competent personnel if they will not be performed in the necessary quantities in critical and representative locations. Or used unsuitable techniques, for example, surface or sub-surface techniques instead of volumetric ones.


• It makes no sense to perform a pressure test at any pressure that doesn't allow the equipment to be stressed enough to verify its integrity.

In brief, it makes no sense to choose only the requirements from the Code that suit us. All of these activities are logically correlated and serve the purpose of preventing the manufacturer from making potentially dangerous mistakes in the equipment.

Every poorly material selection, every poorly executed design, every low-quality material used, every poorly performed weld, every control not performed, every poor manufacturing practice performed, every NDE poorly performed or poorly selected, every welding defect, every imperfection in the materials, causes a high risk of failure during the operation of the equipment.

Many companies consider this unimportant and leave it in anyone's hands. It's no wonder they end up with so many problems in their plants.

What can we offer you?

The design and manufacture of pressure-retaining equipment in materials such as: carbon steels, low alloy steels (Cr-Mo), high alloy steels (austenitic, ferritic, duplex stainless steels), non-ferrous materials (copper, nickel, aluminum, titanium alloys) and cladding materials.

What kind of equipment can we manufacture for you?

• Pressure vessels according to ASME Code Section VIII, Div 1.
• Oil separators (test and production) according to ASME Section VIII, Div 1.
• FWKO according to ASME Section VIII, Div 1.
• Heat exchangers according to TEMA and ASME Section VIII, Div 1 and API-660.
• Air coolers.
• Gas scrubbers.
• Direct and Indirect Oil Heaters according to API-12K.
• Fired Heaters according to API-560.
• Power piping according to ASME B31.1 (BEP)
• Power boilers according to ASME Code Section I.
• Silos.
• Chimneys.
• Pig launchers and receivers.
• Process piping systems according to ASME B31.3.
• Manifolds.
• LACT units.
• Fire suppression and foam systems for API tanks and pressure vessels.
• Autoclaves.
• Tank trucks.
• Bulk tanks.
• Cryogenic tanks.
• Mobile Test Units (MTUs).
• Refinery equipment (H2S, Carbonate, Caustic, Amine services).
• Process towers.
• Internally coated vessels (Bonded cladding, Weld overlay cladding).
• All types of Oil & Gas equipment.
• Skid-mounted packaged equipment.
• Floodgates.
• Prefabricated pressure piping and bifurcations for hydroelectric plants.

What quality system do we use?

We use a quality system evaluated and approved by The American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) specifically for the design and manufacture of power boilers and pressure vessels.
We have a Certificate of Authorization for the use of the ASME Certification Mark and its "U" designator for pressure vessels.
Also we have a Certificate of Authorization for the use of the ASME Certification Mark and its "S" designator for power boilers.

What does the ASME certification of the equipment we manufacture include?

When a pressure retaining item has the ASME Certification Mark and its "S" designator for power boilers or the “U” designator for pressure vessels, it means that it has met the requirements of the ASME Code, Section I or Section VIII Div. 1, its complementary Sections and referenced Standards:

• The manufacturer holds a valid Certificate of Authorization for the use of the ASME Certification Mark and its “S” or "U" designator and has a Quality Control System evaluated and approved by ASME.


• The design calculations and drawings meet the requirements of the ASME Code, Section I or Section VIII Div. 1, complementary sections and its referenced standards.


• Manufacturing has been performed in accordance with the ASME Code, Section I or Section VIII Div. 1, following an Inspection and Testing Plan.


• The materials used in the pressure retaining item meet the requirements established in the ASME Code, Section I or Section VIII Div. 1, Section II, and its referenced standards.


• The welding procedures used (WPS’s) and the welders or welding operators involved in the fabrication of the pressure retaining item have been qualified according to ASME Code, Section IX.


• The nondestructive examination (NDE) has been performed according to the requirements of ASME Code, Section I or Section VIII, Div. 1 and Section V.


• The post-weld heat treatment (PWHT) (if required) has been performed in accordance with ASME Code, Section I or Section VIII, Div. 1.


• Inspections by the Authorized Inspector (AI) have been performed.


• The respective pressure test has been performed in the presence of the Authorized Inspector.


• After all requirements have been met, the Authorized Inspector has authorized the stamping of the ASME certification mark and its designator “S” or “U” on the nameplate.


• The Manufacturer Data Report (MDR) has been certified by the manufacturer and the Authorized Inspector.


• The records and documents required by the ASME Code will be retained by the manufacturer for a period of at least 5 years for Section I and 3 years for Section VIII Div. 1.

The ASME Certification mark and its “S” or "U" designators are a guarantee of trust, and above all, SAFETY, for power boilers and pressure vessels in any industry.

Do we offer a warranty?

Our equipment has a warranty of up to 18 months for defects in materials or workmanship.

What is our delivery time?

It will depend on the size of the equipment and primarily the type of material you require, but the delivery time will range between 4 and 16 weeks for carbon steel equipment.
For low allow, high-alloy equipment (austenitic, ferritic, and duplex stainless steels), non-ferrous materials (copper, nickel, aluminum, and titanium alloys), and cladding materials, this time can range from approximately 8 to 24 weeks.

How can you contract our services?

Simply send us your information and a message below with your requirements. We will contact you within the next few hours to analyze your case and see if we can help you.