Mobile Test Rigs
Valve Maintenance (NZ) 2017 (VMNZ) Ltd have taken their vast experience of the regions safety valve testing needs and developed solutions best suited to the customer. Having two mobile testing options, VMNZ can bring the test bench to the valve. These solutions can save the customer both money and non-productive downtime, and more importantly they improve the Health and Safety of both staff and the valves themselves.
Safety valves are an integral part of the plant. They are the safety guard against over pressure, they protect people, plant, and product, and so it is essential that these valves are also treated with care when transporting and testing. Transportation of a safety valve is detailed in the relevant testing standards. They must be transported vertically to avoid movement of the seat against the nozzle. Vibration must be kept to a minimum for the same reasons. Seat tightness of any safety valve is critical, any valve that leaks on the plant is losing product, and lost product equals lost money.
When we test any valve, the seat tightness is measured against industry standards. On the bench the leakage of a valve is measured and recorded. Once the valve is transported from the workshop to site, any vibration or movement experienced by the valve can affect that seat tightness.
On site testing has many advantages including, but not limited to:
- Zero exposure to site-based staff to traffic/driving dangers
- Zero exposure to critical safety equipment to traffic/driving dangers
- Valve transportation limited to low risk site-based movements
- Increased production of site-based staff
- Service quality controlled and/or monitored by site-based staff
- Service turnaround significantly faster
- Reduction of add-on costs, such as crane hire and contract labour hire
- Significant cost savings due to reduction of travel costs.
VMNZ have two site-based options:
- Mobile Test Bench
This bench is capable of testing valves up to 200 barG on nitrogen and is designed to be lifted onto a utility vehicle and driven to any site in New Zealand. The option is ideal for the 'one off' valves where a simple pop test is required. If the valve fails the pop test we have all of our lapping gear aboard to return the valve to specification within the shortest timeframe possible. This bench can also be used for small shut-down situations where time is at a premium. VMNZ can set up and be ready to test in the time it takes to raise permits and remove the valves from service.
- Fully Self-Contained Custom-made Mobile Test Workshop
This workshop is a DNV marine certified 10ft x 10ft container, complete with certified lifting slings, converted into a fully functioning workshop.
This mobile workshop is an ideal solution for medium to large scale shutdowns. Capable of testing safety valves to 200 barG using nitrogen. The workshop has a work bench, vice and all the tooling required to complete testing on site
