Arc Machines has supplied an automated orbital welding system for a unique project at chemicals company GrowHow's plant near Chester. GrowHow produces millions of tonnes of fertiliser a year for the global market.
The site in Ince makes a million tonnes of fertiliser each year. GrowHow needed to install a new converter vessel in its ammonia synthesis gas loop, but when faced with the welding of the large stainless steel pipes, the contractors Fabricom got in touch with Arc Machines Inc (AMI) with a view to use its expertise in the field.
AMI provided an automated welding system that could guarantee weld quality and speed unachievable by a manual process. AMI provided full training to the Fabricom engineers and supplied three M415 power source and M15 torch systems to enable the welders to work 24 hours a day, and complete the project with minimum loss of production time.
GrowHow said in a statement that it used AMI because of its established reputation for excellence in automated orbital welding. The company selected the AMI system for the guarantee it provides of repeatable high quality across all welds. The ability of AMI’s equipment to cope with the thickness of the pipe wall and maintain weld integrity under extremely high gas pressure and temperature has arguably given the company significant advantages.
AMI’s regional director, Michael Allman emphasised that the new venture with GrowHow demonstrated the continued relevance of automated orbital welding to a variety of industries ranging from oil and gas, petrochemicals and nuclear power generation to food and beverage, pharmaceuticals, and semi-conductors.
“GrowHow is the UK’s largest manufacturer of ammonia and nitric acid and prides itself on technical excellence, so our system had to match up to very high specifications. Not only did the automated orbital welding complete the job faster and more accurately than a manual system but it also provided a clean, high quality surface finish which is invaluable to accurate non-destructive testing,” he said.
AMI was established in 1976. The company now has one of the largest product ranges on the market, with a reputation for some of the highest manufacturing standards, technical strength, customer service and quality of materials.
George Archer
