When a company has the potential to lose $6 million a day in production costs if its cooling water system is shut down, it's important that repairs and maintenance be done quickly and efficiently. When a large customer in the eastern United States called with just such a problem, T. D. Williamson, Inc., answered the call with its team of project managers and technicians known as PointOne™ Solutions Management by TDW.
PointOne™ Solutions Management by TDW is the company's answer to customer requests for TDW to be involved with pipeline projects from the very beginning throughout the project. Made up of an accomplished team of TDW engineers, technicians, field personnel and outside strategic alliances, PointOne can assist customers with technical design, manufacturing, consulting and project management for pipeline maintenance projects.
This particular customer needed assistance with project management and the maintenance procedure, an expertise the PointOne team provides. To begin the job, PointOne™ Senior Project Manager, Larry Oden, PE, and Senior Weld Engineer, Bill Byrd, met with the customer to determine exactly what would be needed.
The cooling water system – both a supply and return line – were 12-inch (305 mm) stainless steel pipes with a flow reduction to approximately eight inches (203 mm), which affected how the plant's processes worked. It was determined that TDW would send in technicians who would use STOPPLE® machines to plug the line before creating a 12-inch (305 mm) bypass. Once the bypass was in place, a third party could remove the obstructed line and replace it.
Click on any of the photos in this article to see an enlarged image.
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The cooling water system – both a supply
and return line – were 12-inch (305 mm)
stainless steel pipes with a flow reduction to approximately eight inches (203 mm),
which affected how the plant's
processes worked.
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A tight workspace caused a few
difficulties for TDW technicians,
but it was quickly overcome to complete work within the deadline.
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While the bypass and removal were going on, TDW technicians also made 8-inch (203 mm) taps in the line and installed two 8-inch stainless steel ball valves. The customer specified that all materials used in the pipeline, bypass and ball valves would be stainless steel. Absolutely no carbon steel could be used.
A challenge the technicians faced involved the tight workspace, which made it difficult to rotate and operate the equipment. After work started, one brief glitch with the equipment caused a delay, but even that didn't cause the project to slow down enough not to make the deadline. Everything was finished on time and within budget.
TDW technicians worked quickly and efficiently. So quickly, in fact, that the third party doing the flow reduction work ended up finishing its work faster than originally slated.
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TDW's STOPPLE® machine is attached
to one of the water lines with very
little space left to maneuver.
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TDW technicians fit the necessary
equipment into the enclosed workspace
to complete this job.
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All plugs and valves used in this job
had to fit the customer's request of being
stainless steel, including the two
8-inch (203 mm) stainless steel ball valves.
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