Improve Productivity Through On-Site Maintenance
In nuclear power plants, oil and gas facilities, refineries, shipyards, etc., piping and fittings are subjected to severe conditions and tests. High pressure, continuous flow and hazardous products are just a few factors that result in equipment wear in these types of sensitive environments.
Energy-related companies are always susceptible to a variety of risks in their facilities. Of the many potential problems that can occur, leaks are certainly the most difficult to detect, locate and repair quickly. The proper functioning of flanges and valves is essential to production. When a leak appears, it is imperative to fix it quickly in order to not aggravate the situation.
For some time we have heard talk of explosions, fires and leaks of dangerous products in refineries, offshore stations or even nuclear power plants. The human and material consequences are often very serious and disastrous. Often these tragedies could have been prevented through maintenance performed on time and with the right equipment. SERCO machines can repair sealing surfaces directly on-site, without removing a welded valve or cutting a defective weld flange to replace it with a new one. On-site repair, therefore, saves time in disassembly, transport to a workshop, reassembly of equipment and performance of weld control functions. Depending on the size of the equipment, a standard replacement operation may take two or three days and generate excessive administrative management due to performance of many required operations. A SERCO portable machine can solve these problems in a few hours at most, thus saving large increments of time, which allows for a faster restart of the installation, and a large reduction in non-production related costs.
Maintenance and repairs performed directly on the installation can eliminate hidden time during the shutdown period dedicated to maintenance, thereby drastically shortening it. Even before an explosion becomes imminent, some leakage may cause a drop in pressure in the network causing a decline in production. Quick intervention on-site allows this type of problem to be resolved much more rapidly and plant operations to be resumed much faster.
Warning, it is mandatory to perform a high quality repair that is durable over time. The key to a high quality, durable repair is the importance of using appropriate equipment. The machine must be able to reach all the seal surfaces (valve seats, raised surfaces, grooves, etc.) and repair them to their original condition. SERCO machines were designed by our engineers specifically for these types of on-site uses. For over 40 years, SERCO has been using these machines for on-site maintenance and repair services. SERCO is continuously striving to improve its equipment in order to obtain the most suitable response to the issues of in-situ utilization; small size, light weight, accuracy and durability.