Throughout your plant’s operational lifecycle you expect to have leaks, to perform general maintenance and occasionally replace equipment. It’s all a part of doing business. But what you shouldn’t expect - or tolerate - are leaks that occur at initial start-up. Unfortunately, however, that’s just what many plant managers around the world are doing.

According to a recent UKOOA/HSE (Health and Safety Executive) investigation undertaken in the North Sea, more than 25 percent of all bolted joints leak at their initial start-up. Furmanite considers joint leaks at any operational stage to be unacceptable, and so should you.

Furmanite’s comprehensive Pressurized Systems Integrity Management (PSIM) program will enable your plant to realize immediate and ongoing benefits throughout the working life of your plant’s mechanical joints. Furmanite can ensure zero leaks at start-up, as well as provide ongoing maintenance to prevent future leaks. Companies that partner with Furmanite and execute PSIM are able to reduce fugitive emissions and the related testing costs, reallocate resources (including personnel and equipment), and decrease downtime.

PSIM - the first and last word in leak prevention

Incorrect bolt loads and uncontrolled tightening methods are two of the main reasons for leaking joints. A bolt that is correctly tightened will prevent emissions, avoid connection loosening due to vibration, and inhibit joint damage and failure.

Furmanite’s PSIM program addresses every stage and every possible situation - from engineering analysis, unbolting and inspection to machining as required, gasket installation, assembly, and controlled bolting, plus full documentation for traceability.

As part of the program, our skilled technicians can apply various techniques in order to meet your specific bolting requirements, such as bolt tensioning using advanced hydraulic technology and/or torque tightening, fastener breakout, hot bolting, stud change out, and bolt stress measuring. Any and all of these techniques will make for a more accurate and safer bolt tightening process, eliminate the need for re-bolting, and ensure zero leaks at start-up.

PSIM can also be applied to a wide variety of critical bolted connections, including pipework flanges, heat exchangers, pressure vessels, pumps and compressors, reactors. Furmanite can also apply PSIM when managing the removal, overhaul and re-installation of flanges during scheduled plant shutdowns.

PSIM - step-by-step

A typical PSIM evaluation and repair process would include:

• Determine the surface finish and condition of the flange gasket face
• Also determine the flatness of the gasket face, checked using a clocking arm
• Re-machining in-situ if the flange gasket face is found to be outside required tolerances, or if any damage is found
• New gasket inspection and installation
• Flange alignment
• Controlled bolt tightening to the required load using appropriate tensioning and tightening techniques

However, based on our decades of experience we know that evaluating and repairing joints can be anything but typical. That’s why all of our technicians receive extensive training in bolting techniques, enabling them to perform work that meets or exceeds UKOOA and ISO 9001 guidelines. Also, their training allows them to perform difficult, complex and custom repairs such as:

• Comprehensive engineering expertise necessary to provide written torquing procedures and bolting patterns for any size and range of flange (including CAD systems)
• Fastener breakout to disassemble bolted joints
• Hot bolting (the bolting of components on-line to prevent or stop leakage)
• Removal and replacement of damaged fasteners that may compromise joint integrity
• Bolt stress measuring (applying mechanical or ultrasonic means to measure fastener elongation)