CASE STUDY
FLANGE FACE REFORMING
Heat exchangers flange face reforming
Industry: Oil & Gas
Application: Flange face reforming
Products: Belzona 1511, Belzona 9411,
Customer Location: : NT, Australia
Application Date: Nov 2024
PROBLEM
Three Mac Coolers were taken out of service for maintenance, revealing corrosion on the gasket faces of the tube sheets and bonnets. Repairs were needed to prevent leaking. The previous faces were smooth, and the customer asked if we could apply gramophone finishes.
The three Mac Coolers with the bonnets removed exposing the tube sheets.
APPLICATION
It was decided to repair the corroded faces using prefabricated formers and Belzona 1511 (Super HT-Metal) because of the operating temperature of 95⁰C. In total, there were six faces of various sizes that needed to be reformed on each of the three Mac Coolers for the tube sheets, end caps and bonnets.
Because of the large size of the formers, they had to be fabricated from 50mm thick Acetal Plastic to the following sizes:
1) O/D: 26.8” x I/D: 22” with an 8mm centre Rib.
2) O/D: 30.75” x I/D: 26.25”
3) O/D: 24.25” x I/D: 21.82”
Bolt holes were predrilled in the formers and a gramophone finish was applied to one side. Four of each former were fabricated.
Two of the formers after application of Belzona 9411.
Belzona 1511 being applied to a former, creating a central peak allowing the product to spread outwards on application, preventing air entrapment.
The complete tube faces, end caps and bonnets were blasted to SA 2.5 Specs with a minimum profile of 75 microns. Belzona 9411 was applied to the former faces, nuts and bolts and any surfaces where the Belzona 1511 should not adhere to. Belzona 1511 was then applied to the face of the formers and areas which required reforming before bolting the formers on and allowed to cure.
Because of the size of the Mac Coolers, only the smaller of the three could be taken off site for the work to be carried out in a workshop. Rezitech used this opportunity to provide a week’s training for the applicators, so they would be confident to do the others on site.
A tube sheet, abrasive blasted and masked up in preparation to apply the former.
One of the tube sheets with the former bolted on.
A completed tube sheet.
Close-up of a finished face clearly showing the gramophone finish.
OUTCOME
Once the Belzona 1511 was cured, the formers were gently removed and the faces successfully formed. The applicators were confident they could complete the others in-situ.
More Information?
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Products
Belzona 1511 (Super HT-Metal)
A two-part repair composite based on a solvent-free epoxy resin reinforced silicon with steel alloy. This high temperature repair system is designed for metal repair and rebuilding equipment and provides excellent corrosion protection.
About Rezitech
Established in 1968, Rezitech is the sole Australian Distributor for Belzona. Rezitech offers a comprehensive range of industrial protective coatings and epoxy metal repair composites to many different industries including: oil and gas, mining, power, water and waste water, pulp and paper, marine, manufacturing among others.
We value growth and innovation within the maintenance solutions industry
Our Mission
To provide industry with easier maintenance solutions that provide cost effective, efficient and long lasting results for our valued clients. To provide an integrated industry service by striving for Rezitech being a truly complete solutions provider!
Our Values
We value the needs of our clients and place a huge emphasis on providing specialist skills and knowledge.
From engineering to fitting, blasting or coating to sales, administration and customer service, we highly value our organisation and encourage diversity andgrowth to benefit our client and our team of people.
Our Vision
To strive for excellence in our delivery of high quality industrial maintenance solutions. To be our clients’ preferred choice when it comes to solving all of their maintenance and new pump needs while helping to reduce their carbon imprint.
Health and Safety
Rezitech is committed to ensuring the health, safety and welfare of its employees, contractors, visitors and customers who may be affected by Rezitech’s operations. We strive to pursue standards of safety that meet and exceed statutory duties.
Community & Environment
While providing solutions for our clients Rezitech focuses on identifying ways to improve business environmental performance while increasing productivity and reducing costs of production for the benefit our clients and hence the community.
The Future
To continue to strive for excellence! To continue to lead the way in industrial maintenance solutions and services and provide our clientele with high quality, complete and reliable products and services.
Rezitech’s mission is to make its liquid ring vacuum pump expertise available to sugar mills, paper mills and process industries worldwide. We currently export to:
- Fiji
- Thailand
- Mauritius
- Indonesia
- United Kingdom
- Phillipines
- Malaysia
- New Zealand
- Papua New Guinea
We are constantly on the look out for new export opportunities and new countries to export to Rezitech places an emphasis on the development of export business worldwide.
For further information on a Flowtech Distributorship please contact us.
