NEWS

4Sealing Technology January 2013

Contact:

Bal Seal Engineering Inc, 19650 Pauling, Foothill

Ranch, CA 92610-2610, USA. Tel: +1 949 460 2100,

Fax: +1 949 460 2300, Email: sales@balseal.com,

Web: www.balseal.com

Power-train components benefit from using Victrex PEEK

Compared with metals, Victrex poly-etheretherketone (PEEK) polymers

provide weight savings of up to 80% in power-train components such as seal rings, thrust washers, bushings, bear-ings, shift fork wear pads and gears.

So says Metaldyne Llc, a designer and sup-plier of components and assemblies for power-train applications, which is based in Plymouth, Michigan, USA. Furthermore, these weight savings, combined with a low coefficient of fric-tion and low wear-rate, and excellent corrosion resistance, can improve the overall efficiency of the transmission. The reduced stress on com-ponents and lower friction leads to greater fuel economy, a reduction in maintenance costs, and can increase the lifetime of the power train.

High-performance Victrex PEEK thermo-plastics also offer many other benefits including dimensional stability at temperatures over 200°C (392°F), excellent corrosion resistance to automo-tive fluids, and the ability to withstand temporary loss of lubrication, all of which can extend part service-life, especially as manufacturers are offering more aggressive extended warranties to help them stand out in a competitive market place.

Contacts:

Metaldyne Llc, 47659 Halyard Drive, Plymouth,

MI 48170, USA. Tel: +1 734 207 6200,

Fax: +1 734 207 6500, Web: www.metaldyne.com

Victrex Plc, Victrex Technology Centre, Hillhouse

International, Thornton Cleveleys, Lancashire FY5 4QD,

UK. Tel: +44 1253 897700, Fax: +44 1253 897701,

www.victrex.com

Victrex Europa GmbH, Langgasse 16, 65719

Hofheim/Ts, Germany. Tel: +49 6192 96490,

Fax: +49 6192 964948

Hydratight completes challenging project in Brazil

Joint integrity specialist Hydratight Ltd has completed a challenging,

major contract using its unique mechani-cal connector (previously known as Morgrip) to solve corrosion problems on an oil platform off the coast of Brazil.

Nine separate leaks in high-alloy, thin-wall duplex and super-duplex stainless steel pipelines had previously been repaired temporarily with standard split-sleeve clamps, but were at risk of leaking again because of galvanic corrosion.

Hydratight supplied 18-off flange adaptor connectors, ranging from 152 mm to 508 mm (6–20 inches) in diameter – crucially, built from the same alloys as the pipework – and which had to be designed, manufactured, tested and delivered in a period of 17 weeks for a scheduled ten-day shutdown.

The project carried with it several significant challenges, in manufacture, but especially dur-ing installation.

During manufacture, the stainless raw materi-als were kept completely separate from standard carbon steel stock to avoid contamination that might lead to the same corrosion problems in later years. The material also had to be cut at far lower speeds than usual to avoid galling, which meant that tight workshop management was required in order to meet the delivery deadline.

Hydratight also supplied a liner kit for each flange adaptor, to strengthen the pipework internally so it could withstand the connector’s massive sealing forces and provide a permanent repair. It also supplied all the installation and service equipment for the repairs.

‘One of the main reasons why we were asked to do the work was because the operator knew our products, knew our service quality and knew he could rely on us to meet deadlines,’ explained Hydratight applications engineer Mark Fisher.

Two teams marked, cut and repaired the dam-aged sections during the shutdown – the major-ity of the sections being in tight, hard-to-reach spaces. The most challenging repair was made to a 254-mm (10-inch) pipeline carrying cooling water for the platform’s air conditioning system.

The connector was needed on a vertical pipe coming down over the side of the platform, over the open sea. Scaffolding was erected over the side and the repair took place at night during good weather – at which point engineers found another problem: the pipe’s flow valve would not seal, which meant there was a constant flow of water in the affected pipe and a halt to the repair work. Hydratight’s engineers managed to solve this problem by using the company’s Hydrablock weld-testing tool. By connecting bypass hoses to the test ports, they deployed the device and iso-lated the line so the repair work could continue.

While one team was solving that problem, the second team was attempting to work on a 406-mm (16-inch) pipeline with severely restricted access and a manufacturing fault at the point of repair.

The pipe could not be cut back any more because of the access problem, so the team had to fit the connector to pipe 9 mm out of roundness. This defect, caused by the weld bead pulling on the pipe, was beyond even the wide tolerance of the Hydratight connector’s seals. But having dealt with this type of issue before, the technicians were able to remount the pipe cutter in a way that allowed its brace points to be tightened asymmetrically, to effectively dis-tort the pipe and bring it back into tolerance.

‘We have done thousands of repairs and know every one is different and brings its own prob-lems, so it is important to have the right people and the right products on hand. There was noth-ing here we had not done before and could not fix without too much trouble,’ concluded Fisher.

Contacts:

Hydratight Ltd, Bentley Road South, Darlaston,

West Midlands WS10 8LQ, UK. Tel: +44 121 5050600,

Fax: +44 121 5050800, www.hydratight.com

Hydratight, 1102 Hall Court, Deer Park, TX 77536,

USA. Tel: +1 713 860 4200, Fax: +1 713 860 4201,

Email: houston@hydratight.com

Company News

Momentive opens global R & D centre in India

Speciality chemicals and materials company Momentive Performance

Materials Holdings Llc has announced that its subsidiaries Momentive Performance Materials Inc and Momentive Speciality Chemicals Inc have opened a new global research and development centre, and business headquarters in Bangalore, India.

Covering the India, Middle East and Africa (IMEA) region, it is located on a 8000-m2 (2-acre) plot in the west of Bangalore’s “Electronic City” and will initially house around 100 associates.

Research scientists based at the facility will work on global technology platforms and product development for new and existing applications in diverse sectors, including the automotive, electronics, construction and energy industries. In addition, as the firm’s regional headquarters it will house its commercial, business support, business process and information technology functions.

‘This new global research centre and regional headquarters represents an important step in our continuing investment in India and dem-onstrates our commitment to customers in the region and all over the world,’ commented John