THE OIL & GAS INDUSTRY
An oil rig is a massive, highly impressive feature in a seascape. In contrast, the regulators
controlling the pressure at which oil is pumped are rather more modest in appearance. Yet if the regulator fails, so does the rig. These features highlight the importance to this key industry of innovative component manufacturers like Pressure Tech.
PRESS FEATURE
SHUTTLE BALL DIPLOMACY!
New innovation from Pressure Tech is a major advance in hydraulic systems efficiency
In water glycol and other hydraulic systems chattering - or unstable frequency resonance - can be seriously bad news. However the Shuttle Ball, a highly innovative new product from Pressure Tech, now dramatically reduces the problem, as well as bringing a host of other significant benefits. Clients in the oil and gas industries can look forward to reduced downtime, lower costs, lighter maintenance and faster servicing.
So how does the Shuttle Ball work?
UK-based regulator manufacturer Pressure Tech is earning a burgeoning reputation for innovative thinking and the Shuttle Ball is the latest example. It’s a unique component that makes the already popular LF-690 hydraulic regulator massively more efficient than any other product on the market.
Why is it so effective?
Some background. In any high pressure system, the regulator is critical. In turn, the fit between the valve and seat is critical to the effectiveness of the regulator. Yet uneven wear and chattering often cause a poor seal. This means leaks, more frequent maintenance and increased downtime.
Enter the Shuttle Ball.
Crucially, it maintains a perfect seal, promoting even wear and solving the chattering problem that can prove so damaging. It all means greater control, less downtime, longer service life plus speedy service in-situ thanks to easy access to the seating area.
Lasts five times longer than competitors
The secret of the Shuttle Ball is the revolutionary TX2000 ceramic material that both valve tip and seat are made from. Indeed, it lasts a staggering five times longer than even tungsten carbide. With massively superior resistance to cavitation and erosion, it’s guaranteed to outperform all metal and plastic-seated regulators. Stable control and positive shut-off on liquids under pressures from 10-1000 bar are further benefits. Altogether, you can expect the ultimate protection in harsh hydraulic system environments.
Of course, for all this extra performance you would expect to pay more. Not with Pressure-Tech, however. In common with all their range, the LF-690 regulator with Shuttle Ball represents exceptional value for money and is supported by flexible delivery.
For more details of the Shuttle Ball and other innovative Pressure Tech products, call 01457 899307, email sales@pressure-tech.com or visit www.pressure-tech.com
PRESS FEATURE
PRESSURE TECH WIN TEST MATCH!
Creating reliable test systems that genuinely replicate the harshness of real-life conditions can be a testing exercise in itself. However, now innovative manufacturer Pressure Tech offers a totally new level of reliability with its LF-690 hydraulic regulator.
In the oil and gas industry, there is nothing more vital than testing equipment. After all, post-commissioning equipment failures do not bear thinking about. Yet what happens when the testing system fails the test?
This was the tricky position Koso Kent Introl – KKI - found themselves in recently.
KKI’s new Test Hydraulic Power Unit for the testing of subsea stepping and modulating actuators was failing, and the regulator was implicated. In such systems the pressure regulator is a critical component, a vital control valve reducing high upstream pressures of 10kpsi pressure to 3-5kpsi downstream.
Crucially, the low fluid volume combined with stepping or pulsating effects put a high premium on the regulator’s endurance, with a requirement to modulate to maintain a constant downstream pressure.
Unfortunately, in KKI’s case the regulator did not just fail. It was, to quote the original manufacturer’s own inspection team, ‘completely destroyed’. Indeed, they confessed that they had never seen that extent of damage before, and that it was irreparable.
At the same time, they also maintained the failure was due to excessive cycling rather than any inherent design fault.
Unsurprisingly, the material and labour cost implications for KKI were serious. They urgently needed to replace their testing system with a unit that was reliable.
What to do?
KKI contacted Glossop-based manufacturers Pressure Tech, with a view to replacing the suspect regulator with their proven LF-690. Pressure-Tech then clicked into gear, testing their unit in realistically simulated conditions for over 120 hours – or around 150,000 pulses. In contrast, the previous regulator had failed at 1,000 pulses!
Unsurprisingly, KKI will now install the Pressure Tech unit in their testing system, where it’s expected to withstand some 2 million pulses over 12 months. Another example of Pressure Tech ingenuity and reliability going head-to-head with much better known manufacturers – and winning hands-down.
For further information, please call 01457 899307 or email sales@pressuretech.com