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Piping Technology & Products, Inc. and its 24×7 Quick Turn/Emergency Service were put to the test on a Friday evening when they received an emergency call from a company located in Jamaica. The Jamaican company was concerned with existing pipe supports at their location and made a request for a PT&P field services representative to visit and inspect.

An experienced PT&P field services manager arrived at 8:00 p.m. on Saturday to survey and fulfill the request.

The reported problem was a pair of rusted and decayed spring hangers dating back to 1969. After inspection, PT&P’s field services manager concluded that the aged spring hangers could no longer support the piping system due to changes in the design of the system, whereas, failure resulted in additional forces being exerted onto the steam turbine.

Following identification of the measurements, load capabilities, and movements of the spring hangers, it was apparent that the system design did not compensate for the weight of two globe valves that were added to the system at a later date. Thus, PT&P’s field services manager had to take into consideration the weight of these two globe valves when sizing the replacement parts.

PT&P supplied and delivered two Type G variable spring assemblies to Jamaica on the following Monday. Type G assemblies can accommodate unusually heavy loads, and is especially adaptable for avoiding interference in spaces where headroom is limited. In this case, the spring assembly was supporting loads in excess of 2000 lbs. and movement was limited due to its location in the powerhouse.