This post is the 2nd part of a blog series on Pressure Vessels. For Part one of this post readers should follow this link.
- With the advent of flow reactors will we still require pressure vessels? Flow reactors are an excellent option for process intensification. However, at the moment less than 5% of specialty chemical processes in industry are running in flow mode (is our estimate). Hence it will take a long time (decades) for flow chemistry to reach its full potential. Moreover, many reactions can continue to require batch pressure reactors e.g. slow reactions, product degradation concerns, multipurpose plants etc. Hence pressure vessels are here to stay for a long time.
- What are the main points of hesitation for western chemical plants to order pressure vessels from new lower cost vendors? The biggest reason can be the fear of the unknown. Many plants have never changed their small set of pressure vessel vendors for decades. The first time is always the hardest. Sometimes the hesitation can be driven by bad experiences with vendor selection in the past. Other times legitimate logistics reasons such as how to perform inspections at a foreign country vendor, or uncertainties in local service system or regulatory uncertainty will drive the hesitation.
- How can we structure a new pressure vessel order from a new fabrication shop to minimize risk? There are various strategies we have learnt after years of experience that will increase comfort level towards a new vendor especially from a far away country. Never place a complex order without visiting a vendor’s fabrication workshop. Always verify certifications with the issuing authority. Insist on third party inspections for the very first orders. Insist on qualified vendors. For exotic materials of construction PMI (Positive Material Identification) reports are mandatory. You can even witness this part remotely. Always go for a FAT (Factory Acceptance Trial) either in person or these days great options exist for remote validation. Such precautions will greatly reduce chances of a bad experience.
- Some common points of failure which can impact vendor reputation adversely. Vendors need to place very close attention to documentation. Domestic markets in India, China etc. can be price sensitive and relatively tolerant of documentation errors. This situation changes drastically the moment a vendor starts exporting to stringent foreign markets. Vendors need to learn to say no for things they cannot accomplish. Always better to say no right away than discover a day before shipment date that a promised item cannot be executed. For novel chemical systems never skip a corrosion coupon test. Never skip making bar charts. Any deviations need to be communicated to the buyer asap. A good order is 100% correctly executed. Do not aim for 95% or else you will never achieve perfection.
We hope this two part blog post gave our readers some insights into the practical world of pressure vessel ordering. Meanwhile do reach out to our experts at Amar for a confidential no obligations consultation.
