If your company is looking to buy or rent a flange facing machine you will have a clear idea of what you want the machine to do, but what features and benefits should you be looking for to ensure your chosen machine produces accurate results every time?
There’s more to choosing the right machine than you might think, so our engineers have listed the key considerations and questions to ask when you are researching the many products available.
This infographic shows the different types of power plant and the amount of electricity generated by each kind. It also covers the share of renewables, power plant types used around the world and the efficiencies of each method.
Take a look and feel free to download our case study pack
Portable band saws are ideal for cold cutting decommissioning projects. Read on and watch the video to see the BS1636-H Mirage Band Saw cutting through Super Duplex and a 30” diameter pipe.
The Casing Double Pin Drill
In our previous blog we told you about our band saw and how it performed during workshop trials. This time we take a look at the DDU1636 double drill unit which was also designed by the Mirage team for offshore decommissioning projects.
In 2012 the Mirage DDU was runner-up product at the World Oil Awards on the ‘Health, Safety, and Environment / Sustainable Development Offshore Award’ category.
The machine is mostly used for drilling lifting holes into casings, which can then be severed using a portable band saw and lifted out of position. The robust construction and carbide tipped cutters makes it an ideal tool for cutting through different materials as used in cemented casing strings.
Above: The compact flange a sealing ring and angled faces which come together when the bolts are tightened
Applications for compact flanges
Compact Flanges are commonly used in offshore rigs and various subsea installations including;
Joints of this type are thought to be stronger than the actual pipe they are connecting and also have better fatigue properties than the flange pipe weld. This means they are specified for critical areas where conventional flanges are not accepted. There are commonly 3 sealing faces in a compact flange joint, with the ‘heel’ sealing the internal bore.
Machining valves used in the energy sector
Replacing faulty valves in the oil, gas and power generation industries can be very expensive and difficult to carry out. This is not only because of the expense of replacement parts and the manpower needed, but decreased plant availability has significant cost implications.
What is a keyway?
A keyway is the slot created in a shaft to accept a ‘key’ that connects a rotating machine element to a shaft. The key prevents relative rotation between the two parts, enabling torque transmission. Commonly used machine components using a keyed shaft include gears, pulleys, couplings, motor pumps and turbines.
The keyway method has been used commonly in the power transmission industry for many years. When used correctly, this method guarantees that virtually no relative motion can take place between a shaft and its respective connected component.
Above: The Mirage CHT1000-SSSW subsea hot tapping machine
Hot tapping challenges
Although the hot tapping has process has been carried out routinely by pipeline engineers for many decades, each project presents different obstacles to be overcome such as:
There are a number of different kinds of heavy duty diamond wire saws available to rent or purchase and choosing the right machine along with all of the relevant the options and accessories for your particular needs can seem a little daunting.
2015 was an unprecedented year for the wind industry with more than 63 GW of new wind power capacity being brought on line. Construction of huge turbines to meet this increased demand presents difficult challenges for manufacturers, including the accuracy of the machined faces on the tower and on the rotor blades.
This infographic is designed to provide an overview of the flange facing process and covers types of flange damage, ASME finishes, gaskets, machine types and specialist applications.
Above: Watch the video showing set up process of the MM600e flange facing machine
Ring Type Joint flanges are typically used in high pressure and/or high temperature applications and differ from other flanges as angled faces are cut into the flange faces to accept steel ring gaskets, to create a metal to metal seal.
When an RTJ flange is damaged before installation or is in need of maintenance, this can be carried out using a flange facing machine. Read on and watch the video to get an insight into the steps needed to return the RTJ flange to its original condition.
Removing seized bolts is a frustrating and time consuming process and is fraught with risks to both the machine operator and the components surrounding the bolts. By their very nature, flange joints in the oil, gas and power generation industries are tight, stubborn and difficult to dismantle. But with the right equipment the job can be carried out efficiently and safely.
Here we look at two very different methods of bolt removal and give an insight into the portable machine tools available to carry out the job.
Visit almost any manufacturer’s website and the chances are you’ll soon find phrases such as “committed to total quality”, “quality assured” or “continuous improvement”.
We all know that the stakes are high in the oil, gas and power generation industries, so how can you tell if there’s any real substance behind these reassuring claims?
Finding the right products to suit your decommissioning project can sometimes be more time consuming than it should be.
That's why for your convenience, we've brought together videos of our machines suitable for offshore decommissioning projects in one handy place. Why not take a look and bookmark the page for later reference?
Some of the commonest applications for a portable line boring machine include the machining items such as hinge pins, gearboxes and drive shaft housings. However many machines have the capacity for boring much larger items of up to 80” diameter. This makes them suitable for use in industries such as shipbuilding (for stern tubes), steelworks (for the rolling mill drive gearbox) and power stations (on feed pumps).
The video example above shows the Mirage LB150 line boring machine fitted with a large boring arm for machining diameters from 48” to 80”.
In each of our 'In-focus' blogs we take a look at a specific portable machine tool. This time we're examine the MM1000i internal flange facing machine.
The MM1000i is an internally mounted flange facing machine used for many types of flange facing, flange seal grooves, weld preparation and counter bore.
The problem of flange face corrosion
Piping systems in petrochemical refineries and oil & gas installations rely on hundreds of bolted joints which are exposed to corrosive conditions.
To ensure safe operation at these plants it is vital to carry out regular inspection to assure joint integrity is maintained. Until recently, the normal procedure to do this was to physically disassemble each flange joint to check on its condition. Using this method was costly as it required shutdown and in many cases is entirely unnecessary. Before we look at the alternatives lets first take a look at the different types of flange corrosion.
The flange surface finish for the sealing area is commonly represented by the symbol Ra. Irregularities in the surface can impact upon the effectiveness of the gasket’s ability to close potential leak paths and the friction values needed to keep the gasket in position.
Those new to this field of engineering are liable to incorrectly assume that a smoother finish will provide a better seal. But this isn’t necessarily the case. This subject has been debated over many years and the optimum flange surface finish really depends upon each individual application.
Following the success of our last video round-up: "Machines Used for Offshore Decommissioning" we now bring you a collection of videos showing our flange facing machines in action including two demonstration animations.
As always,iIf you want to know more you can either get in touch with us or download one of our popular buyers guides: The Complete Guide to Managing Flanges or the Flange Facing Machine Buyers Guide.
