It really can be a simple fix

Production machinery in manufacturing facilities is expected to go through normal wear and tear causing problems such as leaks and cracks, particularly machinery that handle chemicals and corrosive materials. However, in the world of manufacturing, no problem is considered small when it forces production to a halt. Often, production is forced to stop due to the replacement of damaged or worn machinery. Making simple repairs though, instead of replacing expensive machines or making hot welding repairs can minimize lost time. MCOR, manufacturer of advanced mechanical polymers designed primarily for maintenance, repair and protection of industrial structures, mechanical components and equipment, has the ideal products for these situations to avoid replacement or hot welding.

Tank

A prime example of such a repair took place at a chemical manufacturing location in South Florida. During a production run, a small external leak was found along the weld seam of the bottom drain of one of the facility’s numerous chemical mixing tanks.

Tank 2

Tank3

Replacing this expensive tank would have caused production to stop and incurred a hefty cost. A hot-weld repair also would have been expensive and time-consuming, and could have warped the metal surrounding the repair. With countless deadlines mounting, the manufacturing company elected to repair with “cold” weld solutions they had heard about at a recent MCOR presentation.

The owners contacted MCOR and quickly realized how easy the repair could be and how much money they would save. They also understood that repair would be permanent, and allow for a quick return-to-service, rather than stopping production to replace the tank.

To ensure a permanent repair, the tank was drained of any remaining chemicals. The weld and surrounding area were scarified using a coarse abrasive to achieve a proper anchoring profile and adhesion (SSPC-SP2 “Hand Tool Cleaning”). The preparation removes all loose mill scale, loose rust, loose paint and other loose detrimental foreign matter by scraping, sanding, and wire brushing. Soon after, the surface was further cleaned to a SSPC-SP1 “Solvent Cleaning” standard with MCOR #5 Cut & Clean, removing all visible oil, grease, soil, drawing and cutting compounds, and other soluble contaminants from steel surfaces with solvent, vapor, cleaning compound, alkali, emulsifying agent, or steam- not to mention the left over debris from grinding.

Tank 4

MCOR 3330 | mClad Ceramic Metal was selected as the repair product. It is a two component ceramic reinforced silicon-modified epoxy compound. This molecular ceramic is utilized as a trowel grade paste-like polymer to restore, repair, and reclaim the metal components of engineering-grade machinery, equipment, and other mechanical components, such as this chemical mixing tank. MCOR 3330 | mClad was applied with a simple applicator. One corner was cut to match the weld profile and achieve a consistent thickness around the perimeter.

Tank5

Once cured, MCOR 3330 | mClad Ceramic Metal replaced the worn metal and restored the metallic profile with poly-mechanical bonding and reinforcing as a cold-weld alternative.

Tank 6

Tank 7

 

Because MCOR 3330 | mClad Ceramic Metal is so easy to use, the restoration was completed in-house by an employee of the manufacturer. Within 24 hours this chemical mixing tank was back in service and the entire repair was complete.

When companies think in terms of repairing in-house, rather than replacing, production time lost is nominal and repair expenses are reasonable. To learn more about MCOR 3330 | mClad Ceramic Metal or other MCOR products, visit mcor.net.

PROJECT: Chemical Mixing Tank – Repair Leak and Coat
OWNER: Chemical Manufacturing Facility – South Florida
DATE: November 2015
PRODUCTS: MCOR 3330 | mClad Ceramic Metal

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