There are several reasons why a vessel may need service, however, two main causes why a vessel may need service are either accident or performance related.
In the case of an accident, such as a tool falling into the tank and causing damage; surface scratches and dents can typically be repaired on-site, provided they do not go beyond minimum requirements, with mechanical polishing or hand/wand electropolishing.
Reduced agitator performance or failure is often due to worn parts, improper assembly or a bent or broken shaft. Agitator repairs may be addressed with the agitator manufacturer or the vessel manufacturer, depending on the situation, down-time, and severity of the failure.
When troubleshooting a drop in pressure in a tank or vessel, a typical cause is often related to seals. One sign of seal failure is product coming out of the seal. To help reduce the frequency of an unexpected seal leak occurring, it is recommended to use a good seal maintenance program to solve a lot of pressure / performance issues, such as: • Seal replacement has been neglected • Flat spots on seals are a sign for replacement • Improper or incorrect seals for the outlet • Nicks, scratches or mishandling of seals
A best practice is to avoid product waste and critical down-time is to inventory seals for all outlets and manage seals in a preventative maintenance program.
It is important to note that any weld repairs to the ASME pressures zones on tanks, require an R-Stamp. The R-Stamp is a certification required by the National Board of Boiler and Pressure Vessels for repair of an ASME tank or vessel.
Depending on the size of the vessel and type of repair, Apache’s service techs may be able to make repairs on site or in some cases, tanks are shipped back to the factory. Apache can provide services including: • Field service and troubleshooting to all types of stainless and high alloy tanks • ASME / National Board R-Stamp repair and modifications • Surface finish repairs • Non-code repairs and modifications including piping and heat transfer jackets • Seal and agitation repairs and modifications • Accessory repairs • Head and tank shell repairs • Leak detection • Audit and service contract available
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The steel material used in manufacturing commercial original equipment must fit the performance, pricing, delivery time, and quality requirements for the end-user. Industrial equipment suppliers, like Apache, must leverage relationships with mills and partnering suppliers to manage the constantly changing market. Part of the purchasing program for the stainless material program at Apache, focuses on partnering with quality domestic and foreign suppliers.
Stainless sheet and plate are produced in the United States, which is the majority of Apache’s base material for tanks, vessels and food processing equipment. Also, most Hastelloy and other high-alloy performance metal materials are made in the US. Pipes and fittings on the other hand are primarily from foreign suppliers since domestically there is not enough availability for demand.
Depending on the political climate, import tariffs affect the cost and availability of steel material from China and other countries. Some industries require products from foreign markets that may be a specific sheet, size, and material type, but those industries will pay a premium for it and may be subjected to extended delivery times.
One of the benefits to being a significant user of stainless steel is the relationships with stainless producers and distributors. Apache’s steel venders allocate an allotment of material to Apache, which affords relatively short transactions for supply. When we have a line on repetitive need, we initiate inventory strategies to keep our supply as fluid as possible. Many other components and materials are affected by timing and supply; Apache understands lead times and availability and also leverages relationships to manage delivery to provide the best timing possible.
Our suppliers understand our needs and hold a higher level of steel quality. The relationship and partnership with our steel vendors has strengthened our expectations, with some partnerships lasting up to 45 years when Apache was founded.
Apache uses more than 2000 tons of stainless and high alloy per year. We are in the business of heavy gauge commercial manufacturing of custom equipment for high-compliance industries. Our ability to manage domestic and foreign material as well as price, timing and quality of all material and components is resolved for serving over 100 industries represented by our industrial and commercial processing customers.
In the video, this 150 liter mixing Pharmaceutical Vessel has a bottom mag mixer that comes with a stainless steel control panel, touch screen with speed control.
There are numerous sanitary ports for add-ins, CIP spray ball, and sight glass with LED light. The interior surface materials and welds are all ground and polished with an electropolished finish.
The sidewall and bottom head are dimple jacketed with Thermalox coating, insulation and shroud for heat transfer operations. The side wall has sampling ports with optional sparger tubes to assist the agitation process.
The tank features a 24" hinged man way top with tool-less knobs and is easily portable.
Upcoming Pharmaceutical Shows:
ISPE, Raleigh, SC (March 14 Convention Center) - Booth 322 - Meet Nick Buchda and Ryan Metzdorf. Interphex, NY (March 21-23 Javits Center) - Booth 3942 - Meet David Foulkes and Mike Peterson.
This side agitator was engineered to mix food products with a high percentage of solids and viscosity in the processing of soups, sauces, marinades and gravies. The 2500 gallon tank acts as a large stock pot as part of the manufacturing process.
On the left photo, the tank (shown horizontal during manufacturing) was equipped with a half pipe jacket, which was pumped with heated fluid as required by the application. On the right, the tank head shows fittings and man way entry.
Apache’s agitation, heat transfer and finishing technologies include:
For more information, visit Apache's Mix Tank page.
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