Pipework Upgrade With Minimal Downtime, Not Such A Pipe Dream For Plastics Client

Replacing or upgrading outdated or faulty equipment always presents challenges, but for manufacturing sites working to 24/7 production schedules, any interruption or downtime can have a serious financial and operational impact.

Old, leaking pipework was causing a plastics manufacturing client a major issue, which was compounded by their 24/7 operation. The faulty pipework supplied cooling to their hydraulic machinery as well as tool cooling for the factory presses. It was running into a maintenance pit, close to electric cabling, so any leakage presented an immediate H&S risk.

Aqua engineers designed a new pipework layout that could be installed alongside the existing system, allowing the factory to operate as normal throughout the upgrade project.

The replacement pipework was prefabricated off site in stainless-steel. Then, on delivery it could be put together quickly using press fit rather than welded connections. The stainless-steel construction enhances its life span as it’s inert, as well as being lightweight which helps from an installation point of view.

The new design enabled the pipework to be installed higher up, rather than at floor and pit level, making it much more accessible for maintenance and if any leaks should develop at any time in the future they would be easily spotted and at a safe distance from any electrical cabling.

“This project was a great example of how we can help clients get around what often seem like huge obstacles” explains Aqua Sales Engineer Mark Hopper. “Initially our client feared they’d be faced with weeks, possibly months, of interruptions to production, but our solution saw them shut down for just 2 days over a single weekend.”