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Crafting Excellence in Massive Pressure Vessels
for the Global Oil and Gas Industry
"We had encountered various cutting machines in the market, but nothing came close to the capabilities of this machine."
Testimonial Energy Weldfab
- Location:
- Founded:
- Size:
- White Oak, Texas
- 1990
- 130,000 FT2
"We had encountered various cutting machines in the market, but nothing came close to the capabilities of this machine."
CRAFTING EXCELLENCE IN MASSIVE PRESSURE VESSELS
Energy Weldfab occupies a 30-acre compound along with a nearly 130,000-square-foot facility in White Oak, Texas. Two hundred employees work diligently in two shifts, dedicated to fabricating massive pressure vessels for the oil and gas industry. Their expertise lies in metal bending, welding, hole cutting, pipe fitting, and the meticulous finishing and painting of vessels destined for customers worldwide. With a proud history spanning almost a quarter-century, this family-owned company has been a trusted supplier of processing equipment to the oil and gas sector. The products they handle encompass a wide range of metal thicknesses, varying from less than 0.25 inches to 8 inches. Due to the intricate nature of these vessels, characterized by multiple connection points, extensive cutting and welding operations are required.
EMBRACING TRANSFORMATIVE SOLUTIONS FOR GROWTH
Until recently, Energy Weldfab relied on the traditional method of manual cutting using an oxyfuel torch, a practice deeply ingrained in the industry since its inception. Vice President Stoney Lake explains, "It's been our industry standard since the beginning. It's what we've always done." However, as their business experienced significant growth, the old approach proved inadequate in meeting the escalating demands. Hiring additional workers was not a viable solution due to the scarcity of skilled labor. Lake elaborates, "There is a real shortage of skilled labor. It's not like it used to be when people who had pipefitting experience were knocking on our door. Now it's a struggle to find individuals who can manually lay out a vessel and cut the holes accurately." Recognizing the need for a major change to protect their business, Energy Weldfab understood that a transformative solution was imperative.
A STATE-OF-THE-ART PIPE PROFILE CUTTING MACHINE
To address this challenge, Energy Weldfab invested in a cutting-edge 3D pipe profile cutting machine, which would replace the labor-intensive manual cutting process. The selected MO Heavy-Duty machine is capable of cutting pipes weighing up to 30 tons. Lake expresses his satisfaction, stating, "We had encountered various cutting machines in the market, but nothing came close to the capabilities of this machine. Its ability to handle larger cylinders surpassed any other option available." This fully automated system efficiently profiles round pipes and dished ends (domes), facilitated by software that seamlessly coordinates the exchange of information among the machine's six axes, the cutting torches, and CAD/CAM application software. Energy Weldfab's system boasts two cutting torches, utilizing an oxy-fuel torch to cut pipes with walls up to 6 inches thick, and a Hypertherm HyPerformance HPR400XD, a 400-amp high-definition plasma system predominantly employed for cutting stainless steel parts or parts with thinner walls.
UNPARALLELED PRECISION AND PRODUCTIVITY
According to the company, the results have been nothing short of exceptional, with significantly improved precision and productivity. A task that once required two individuals and six hours to complete can now be accomplished in just 18 minutes. Lake explains the previous process, stating, "Previously, we would need two employees to lay out lines and mark holes to be burned. After that, we would call in quality control to verify the dimensions and orientation. Once approved, the two employees would proceed with cutting the holes and cleaning the edges. Finally, another quality control check would be conducted. Today, our pipe profile cutting machine seamlessly handles all these tasks, consolidating five steps into one." Furthermore, the implementation of the new system has led to reduced variations in part quality. “The cut quality is very surprising, and the bevel cuts are spot-on.”