VARD finds the perfect fit
Jo Shailes on Case Studies · Nov 11, 2020
Norwegian-based shipbuilder VARD has been installing Pipeotech’s DeltaV-Seal™ in its vessels since 2016 and the cost-saving benefits have been very clear to Johny Morland, Principal Engineer, QA and Standardisation at the Fincantieri-owned company.
VARD is known for building specialised, cutting-edge vessels and its approach means it pays close attention to innovation and high quality from its suppliers.
Saving man-hours
The company uses the DeltaV-Seal from Norway’s Pipeotech in large steam systems for its expedition cruise ships, of which it has built 10 to date.
Morland highlights the significant cost saving in man-hours at the commissioning stage for these vessels as being a key factor in why Vard has chosen this particular gasket.
"Before we started to use the DeltaV-Seal we did not have so many projects requiring such big steam systems as we have now on these kinds of vessels," says Morland. "We saw that as a challenge with this kind of system as we know about the problem of leakage in steam systems."
"The steam system is a very difficult system to manage without leakage. During commissioning we start and shut down this system repeatedly, so it will be heated up and cooled down over and over again and the material will expand and contract many times... it’s a very big challenge for the material."
"Typically, in the past during these types of commissioning periods, we experienced difficulties with leakage, so by selecting the DeltaV-Seal we believe this can be sorted."
Any leakage at the commissioning stage for VARD can become a very expensive problem to troubleshoot and resolve, involving many lost man-hours and costing many thousands of dollars. "It’s very time consuming to repair any leakage from a gasket as you have many hundreds of connections to check," adds Morland.
Changing priorities
Morland and VARD put great emphasis on getting the most efficient, durable and reliable seal they can, and as a result priorities at the procurement stage have changed over the last few years.
Procurement offices once saw gaskets as a low priority item in the overall system and would shave a hundred dollars off prices, but then costs could run into many thousands of dollars later in lost man-hours at the commissioning stage when chasing leakages.
"It is a mistake to only look into a price list. In the end, maybe the cheapest is the most expensive, and we have learned this lesson many times now," adds Morland. "There are many more parameters than just the buying price."
In addition to the significant cost savings brought by using the DeltaV-Seal, Morland also highlights the safety issue for Vard during the commissioning process, where standards have to be at their highest at all times. Trust in the DeltaV-Seal is important.
Pipeotech’s DeltaV-Seal is designed to never leak or deteriorate. The unit is a one-piece gasket made from the same metal as the flanges it mates with.
The steam systems VARD builds for its expedition cruise vessels create fluctuating temperatures that directly affect key components such as gaskets. It is vital for VARD that these parts maintain their integrity at all times in this challenging environment.
Pipeotech’s DeltaV-Seal expands and contracts in unity with the flange forming a perfect match, unlike other ductile seals not made from the same material as the flange. The DeltaV-Seal is different.
– It is a mistake to only look into a price list. In the end, maybe the cheapest is the most expensive, and we have learned this lesson many times now
Johny Morland, Principal Engineer, QA and Standardisation, Vard
Wide appeal
Morland sees Pipeotech’s innovation as having a wider appeal beyond building companies such as VARD. He sees the DeltaV-Seal as being so durable and with such a long lifespan it can dramatically reduce maintenance costs for ship and installation owners over many years of operations beyond any construction yard warranty period. The seal itself has a long-term guarantee from Pipeotech.
"It is a real positive for Pipeotech making such a reliable and dependable seal," says Morland. "So because we are choosing this seal for those reasons, we are putting it into our ships at the building stage, so then the shipowner can look at that years later and then say ‘hey our maintenance costs have come down because of this system that VARD has built’, and so our reputation at VARD is enhanced and Pipeotech gets more noticed."
Morland believes this element of durability in Pipeotech’s product and the trust that it can build will lead to ship owners insisting on the DeltaV-Seal being put into their design construction specifications in future. "If the shipowner knows more about this then they will put this in the specification for the ship - that they want this particular gasket because they want to cut maintenance costs after they take the ship," says Morland.
"But of course the standard of seal in our steam systems also affects our reputation, so that if we can deliver something that can remain in use for much longer than our competitors it is a good reason for ship owners to come back to build another vessel with us," says Morland.
So it seems the partnership between VARD and Pipeotech is sealed as a perfect fit for now, perhaps as tight as the DeltaV-Seal itself.
More from Case Studies
DeltaV-Seal increases available up-time on Ammonium Nitrate flanges
James Knights on Case Studies · Sep 16, 2024
Legacy semi-metallic gaskets leak, this is particularly visible on Ammonium Nitrate flanges. The DeltaV-Seal provides a significantly tighter seal than legacy gaskets, enabling fertilizer…
DeltaV-Seal - Preventing emissions of NOX gas during fertilizer manufacture
James Knights on Case Studies · Sep 16, 2024
NOX is considered an indirect greenhouse gas, with strict PPM values for the amount of emissions a chemical plant can release. The DeltaV-Seal with its tight and durable seal prevents emissions of…
DeltaV-Seal - Reducing fugitive emissions in the Permian Basin
James Knights on Case Studies · Jul 22, 2024
The United States Clean Air Act (CAA) is the comprehensive federal law regulating emissions from stationary and mobile sources. Among other things the CAA authorises the United States Environment…
Best Available Technology to reduce ATEX zones, increase reliability, and improve safety within a refinery
James Knights on Case Studies · Jul 21, 2023
Europe’s most advanced refinery wanted to further pioneer by only utilizing Best Available Technology to ensure a safe and reliable operation with minimal impact on the environment, enhanced…
FPSO & Marine - DeltaV-Seals ensure the safe and reliable operation of inert gas systems
James Knights on Case Studies · Mar 21, 2023
A market-leading expert for the maritime industry manufactures a range of inert gas generators to suit their client's needs. Vessels carrying cargo-producing hydrocarbon vapors require inert gas…
Preventing nitrous gas leakage at a Thermowell instrument flange joint
James Knights on Case Studies · Mar 09, 2023
On a Thermowell instrument coupling flange joint a previous semi-metallic gasket required maintenance intervention 7 times in three-and-a-half years. Switching from a semi-metallic gasket to the…
Semi Conductor application for Nitrogen and Oxygen gas purifiers
James Knights on Case Studies · Feb 27, 2023
One of the world's leading semiconductor manufacturers in South Korea required a carbon-free, bacteria and virus-tight gasket capable of withstanding temperatures up to 500°C. The DeltaV-Seal™…
ATEX Zoning reduction & Equipotential bonding possible with the DeltaV-Seal
James Knights on Case Studies · Jan 09, 2023
Recycling metallic canisters containing flammable gases to prevent the emission of the gases to the environment and recycle the metallic packing material.
Reducing ATEX zoning within a biogas plant
James Knights on Case Studies · Nov 11, 2022
Local regulation of a biogas plant in Western Europe required ATEX zoning. Utilizing several technical standards including EN1127, EN1591, and Pipeotech's extensive library of product testing, it has…
Cleaned gaskets within a peroxide system of a chemical processing plant
James Knights on Case Studies · Oct 11, 2022
Ensuring product quality and plant safety with a clean, bespoke, tight, and durable seal. The DeltaV-Seal enabled a manufacturer of peroxide to ensure their product was made safely and was free of…
Corporate environmental responsibility ‘done right’ with long-term methane mitigation by design
Jo Shailes on Case Studies · Nov 02, 2021
Methane is one of the most potent greenhouse gases and avoiding leakage is a priority when using methane systems. Methane also ignites easily, so there are clear and immediate HSE incentives for…
Gasket ensures a long-lasting seal
James Knights on Case Studies · Nov 02, 2021
In manufacturing fertilizer, ammonium nitrate is added to the process, and traditional, spiral wound and Gylon gasket technology often deteriorate in these conditions, resulting in leaks. This is…
ATEX zoning unnecessary with DeltaV-Seal™
Jo Shailes on Case Studies · Nov 01, 2021
During final assembly in the factory, cars are filled with fuel before being transported to their final destination. To facilitate this, fuel lines run throughout the facility. However, along the…
DeltaV-Seal™ stops flammable leakage, prevent fires
Jo Shailes on Case Studies · Nov 01, 2021
In facilities that use hot oil heat transfer fluid systems, fire hazards are a significant challenge due to the combination of organic combustible liquids, which run at temperatures above their flash…
DeltaV-Seal™ prevent fires, promote safe environment
Jo Shailes on Case Studies · Nov 01, 2021
The use of hot oil systems in manufacturing presents challenges when traditional gaskets breakdown and cause leakage. As liquids in the system are kept at a temperature above their flash point, when…
DeltaV-Seal™ prevents leaks and pipe corrosion
Jo Shailes on Case Studies · Nov 01, 2021
In district heating and cooling, generic spiral wound gaskets frequently cannot cope with the cyclical temperature conditions and often fail, leading to leakages and corrosion of the pipeline. This…
DeltaV-Seal™ performs under extreme marine conditions
Jo Shailes on Case Studies · Nov 01, 2021
Importing ship-to-shore Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) requires robust and efficient pipeline seals that are compliant with high environmental standards. The thermal cycling caused by the cryogenic…
DeltaV-Seal™ reduces greenhouse emissions
Jo Shailes on Case Studies · Nov 01, 2021
In fertilizer production, high-quality phosphorus fertilizers require nitric acid as a key ingredient, which is usually synthesized via the Ostwald process on-site (oxidizing of ammonia before…
In conversation with: Odd Skagestad, GE Healthcare Lindesnes
Geir Otto Amundsen on Case Studies · Jun 02, 2021
We recently spent some time talking with technical engineer Odd Skagestad from GE Healthcare Lindesnes about how DeltaV-Seal™ technology has impacted operations at a world-leading pharmaceutical…
Pipeotech’s reach goes atomic
Geir Otto Amundsen on Case Studies · Jan 05, 2021
Pipeotech has taken gasket tightness to new microscopic levels by supplying DeltaV-Seal™ to European Spallation Source, the world’s most powerful neutron source, in Lund, Sweden. The new research…
Corrosive influence - The dangers of galvanic corrosion for pipelines
Geir Otto Amundsen on Case Studies · Apr 22, 2020
Prevention is always better than a cure. Avoiding issues in the first place, rather than attending to them once they’ve occurred, is plain common sense. So why do so many industrial facilities…
Pipeline safety – How gasket choices can mitigate health and safety risks
Geir Otto Amundsen on Case Studies · Jan 31, 2020
Nothing is as important as health and safety when it comes to industrial facilities. However, a critical component in piping systems is often overlooked, viewed as a consumable rather than a key to…
Stopping expensive leakages at historic brewing facility
Geir Otto Amundsen on Case Studies · Jan 31, 2020
With the title of ‘the oldest brewery in Norway’, the Aass brewery is about as close as it gets to being a Norwegian institution. Situated on the banks of the river in the busy port city of Drammen…
DeltaV-Seal™ replaces kammprofile gaskets at critical distribution facility
Jo Shailes on Case Studies · Jun 12, 2019
After a long relationship utilizing kammprofile gasket technology, Norwegian LPG distributor PrimaGaz Norge AS has decided to abandon the old kammprofile gasket design in favor of the new DeltaV-Seal…
Flare tip leakage is too hot to handle for the competition
James Knights on Case Studies · May 15, 2019
Pipeotech was called upon to provide a solution for Flare Tip flange leak in the North Sea. A North Sea Operator came to Pipeotech with a problem affecting a Flare line on their platform. This was…
Exceeding gas-tight sealing strengths and eliminating ATEX zones
Geir Otto Amundsen on Case Studies · May 08, 2019
Gaskets seals are generally the consumables often selected at the last moment in a design project and carry few expectations. Although viewed as less significant, this consumable can have the most…
Intergas exclusively use DeltaV-Seal™
Jo Shailes on Case Studies · Mar 26, 2019
Following a highly successful test period, Intergas AS has announced that the DeltaV-Seal has been named as their exclusive seal of choice for all current and future liquefied natural gas operations.…
