Case Study SPC 1500 - 3000 VC
HGG Case Study at Interstate Treating
WATCH VIDEO
About this case
introduction
RAMA Fabrication and Interstate Treating are leading fabricators and powerhouses in the west Texas region, fabricating equipment for mid-stream operations. With natural gas becoming a more accessible and a cheaper energy alternative, natural gas processing is on the rise. Needless to say, business is booming. The company’s rapid growth created opportunities, but also challenges. Outsourcing all the pipe cutting had a major impact on Interstate’s delivery cycle. “Prior to incorporating HGG profile cutting machinery, we had to outsource all round-seam and long-seam cylinder cutting, which meant we were at the mercy of suppliers for entire shell sections that required subsequent fabrication steps, such as adding nozzles and base plates.”
80%
Reduction in layout
SPC 1500 – 3000 VC
2016
Installation date
SPC 1500 – 3000 VC
14
Months payback time
RAMA Fabrication
25%
Increase in production
RAMA Fabrication
Why a HGG machine?
Good welders, who could also do the manual cutting, were simply not easy to find and hire in Texas. At a height in production activity, Interstate found itself in the situation where a number of projects were simply not on schedule. The company knew it was time for a change and decided to purchase an HGG RPC beam cutting machine. According to Elrod, “During the process of skid fabrication before, it might have taken us over 500 hours to cut beams for each skid. We now accomplish the same task of beam cutting for skids in as little as 24 hours.”
Elrod continues: “Plus, with the machine’s capability to easily load and then offload material to feed tables and its ability to cut 12-inch beam rapidly, we typically push out enough beam in one week to keep our welders busy for a month.”
It also had a huge impact on the quality of each skid produced. “Now our welders can do what they do best, welding.
Cutting an entire vessel in just one day
The SPC 3000 VHC has had a dramatic impact on vessel fabrication and cut quality. “With it, we’ve reduced modeling and layout times by over 80%, from 5 days to one day. Welders can now expect perfect fit-up every time, with welding time cut in half.”
“In my opinion, HGG has the best service department of any company we ever purchased machines from. During the commissioning process, their people provided a high degree of assistance, making sure that every operator was extremely comfortable before they left.” Elrod says
Since installation of the SPC 3000, Interstate has experienced a dramatic 20 to 25% increase in getting vessels produced and then out the door, from 5 or 6 days to cut each pressure vessel, to just one day with both X and K bevels. The machine paid for itself within the first 14 months.
Interstate is no longer dependent on suppliers when it comes to rolling and cutting of their material. The company eliminated 100% of the outsourcing needs
‘With the machine’s capability to easily load and then offload material to feed tables and its ability to cut 12-inch beam rapidly, we typically push out enough beam in one week to keep our welders busy for a month’
Matthew Elrod – Manufactoring Supervisor at Interstate Treating Inc.
