Swagelok Field Engineers Help Optimize Fluid System Performance

A lot of the issues that we see are design issues because the customer would design a like-for-like system without thinking about process changes that have happened over the last 10 years.

It can be as simple as a three-way valve that has been misapplied, a check valve installed backward, or it can be as complex as the system not doing what the customer intended.

We see hoses bursting because it’s too hot or because they’re cycling. We see valves failing because of the changing conditions and uses they see.

Water in gas is a very common problem. Removing water is one big solution.

Typically, the engineers on-site have a whole host of other responsibilities besides the small pipework that runs around the facility. It’s not necessarily that things are deliberately missed, but I think that, over time, they’ve come to accept that that’s always been the case, right or wrong. Then, we came on-site with a fresh pair of eyes, and we’re able to identify areas where we can make quite a significant improvement.

There was a cancer treatment facility, and there was a proton therapy unit that had these massive electromagnet coolers cooled by hoses. They were vibrating and failing from fatigue fracture. We recommended a different type of hose, and they went to that and never had any problems again, as far as I’m aware.

But the outcome of that is that a proton therapy unit is able to maintain its uptime and keep caring for people with cancer. That’s a wonderful thing.

So, as customers are trying to do more with less and dealing with a shrinking workforce, a lot of the knowledge that has been present with customers for many years is starting to retire and head out the door.

If the customer can get a turnkey or plug-and-play solution that takes all the assembly work out for them, it really provides something they can put right into their system and get up and running. It takes out the assembly time, takes out the guesswork, and removes the question of whether their employees can put it together themselves. It’s really a huge benefit for the customer.

Lower cost of ownership. Lower cost of operating their facilities. They get maintenance benefits, fewer man-hours needed to keep their system running, and greater uptime. And that’s what we work toward.

It’s going to save you from having to redo it later or having to maintain it, take it apart, fix it, or replace it. Because this is going to last longer, it’s going to work better, and it’s going to reduce your cost of ownership.

We’re working on safety. We’re working on technical issues. We’re trying to decrease costs. We try to improve the installation and decrease unexpected issues with pipes.

So, the report generally includes an overall assessment of the stations or analytical systems. We’ll do a review of the findings: what is really there and what exists today.

We look at safety, environmental quality, and functionality. We aim to grade them, often on a scale from one to five, with one meaning it’s excellent and five meaning it needs immediate replacement. We’ll also provide P&IDs—piping and instrumentation diagrams—of the existing systems. Then, we take our recommendations and provide a recommended P&ID with our solution. By having us on-site and delivering the sorts of reports that we do, they can really achieve maximum efficiencies and maximum output.

Our method statement used to be very simple and short: helping customers win. To this day, I still like that because it pretty much underlies everything we do.