Recent Photos From the Shop

PT&P Acquires Mobile Test Facility for Snubbers

In addition to the snubber test equipment obtained from Basic Engineers, PT&P has purchased a mobile snubber test facility from Commonwealth Edison, an electric utility in Illinois. The mobile snubber test trailer was in use at ComEd’s La Salle Nuclear facility.

This snubber test system is installed in a large truck trailer which was specifically designed to house a mobile test facility. The trailer is 47.5 feet long and is climate controlled with both heat and air conditioning. It has a one-ton crane that runs the length of the trailer and can be extended an additional 8 feet for loading and unloading snubbers. It also includes a small office.

The snubber test trailer contains test benches with a test capacity of 135,000 lbs. PT&P plans to begin providing field testing service to customers using this mobile facility.

Do you require snubbers for an upcoming project? Request a quote today!

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PT&P signed for Power Project in Puerto Rico

PT&P has a contract to provide the fabricated pipe supports and the cold shoes on a power plant in Puerto Rico. Imported liquid natural gas will be the primary fuel for the plant.  PT&P cold shoes will be important to support the piping from the LNG storage tanks to the power plant. PT&P has worked on power projects in Rhode Island and Beaumont, Texas. Currently, PT&P is working on power projects in China, Malaysia and various sites in the United States.

Basic Engineers Auction Yields Manufacturing Machinery
A supplier of pipe supports, Basic Engineers (BE) of Johnstown, PA decided to close its business in late 1997. In May 1998, the company held an auction to liquidate BE’s manufacturing equipment.  PT&P acquired the majority of Basic Engineers’ assets, including its test equipment for snubbers.  For additional information on snubbers, please refer to our Mobility Test article.

Fall Open House Set For November 4
PT&P’s workforce of over 350 dedicated employees will welcome guests at this year’s Fall open house, from 11:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., Wednesday, November 4. The celebration will be at the plant: 3701 Holmes Rd. in Houston, Texas.  Those who attend will be treated to a luncheon and have the opportunity to register for door prizes including a pentium computer, golf clubs and sports bags.

Improved Hydraulic Snubber in Final Stages of Development

PT&P has been developing and testing a better hydraulic snubber during recent months. Final independent tests at a university laboratory are confirming our tests.

PT&P’s new snubber design features a spring-loaded cylinder in the hydraulic reservoir which feeds the main cylinder. This design is more compact, and it allows the snubber to be mounted in any orientation. With the addition of test equipment from our recent acquisition from the Basic Engineers Auction, PT&P plans to have these snubbers in production by the end of this year.

3D Models of PT&P Spring Hangers and Hardware are now available for Intergraph’s PDS Plant Design Software.

Do you want more information about hydraulic snubbers? Visit our webinar archives today!

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High School Drafting Students Visit PT&P

Thirty-six students in the drafting program at the Houston Independent School District’s Barbara Jordan High School for Careers spent a Friday morning in November 1997 learning how technical drawings are used during the fabrication of pipe supports, pressure vessels, expansion joints and other items produced at PT&P.

After an introductory review of PT&P’s business and a one-hour lecture covering specific projects requiring drawings (made more palatable by cookies) the students took a tour of PT&P’s plant. Students saw shears, saws and burning machines cutting metal pieces to be welded. In another area, they saw how a metal sheet is seam welded and then formed into bellows elements for expansion joints. They also saw how polyurethane components are produced for cryogenic pipe supports.

High School Visit
High School Visit

The tour was arranged by Wilford Stewart, who teaches drafting at BJHS. The first course in the program is a traditional technical drawing board course, followed by courses on computer-aided drafting using AutoCAD. Students must take Algebra and Geometry concurrently with their drafting. Jesse Porter, Sr. Graphics Manager at PT&P, conducted the tour (see photo).

PT&P looks forward to having young people from the school district learn about how they can put what they learn to good use in industry. By supporting the public schools, PT&P hopes to show it cares about the future of education.

PT&P Breaks Ground on Another Plant Expansion

In August, PT&P broke ground on another expansion to its manufacturing facilities in Houston, Texas. The contract for another 100,000-square feet metal building was awarded several months ago. The selected vendor will provide drawings, materials and erection services.

Plant Expansion
Plant Expansion

As the illustration at left shows, this plant expansion will nearly double PT&P’s manufacturing work space. PT&P’s new building will contain machinery from its U.S. Bellows Expansion Joints Division as well as machines for PT&P’s other product lines.

PT&P added 100,000 sq. ft. of shop space two years ago. This expansion, expected to be complete by the November 4 open house, will bring total shop space to nearly 450,000 sq. ft.

PT&P Pre-Insulated Pipe Supports Catalog

The PT&P catalog for cold shoes, hot shoes and other pre-insulated pipe supports is near completion. Draft copies of the catalog were distributed to certain customers for review. PT&P is now using the feedback received as a basis for revising and improving our first draft. Finished copies of the PT&P Pre-Insulated Pipe Supports Catalog will be available in late 1998.

Pre-Insulated Catalog

In need of some pre-insulated pipe supports? Request a quote today!

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PT&P Sponsors University of Houston Student Project

PT&P again sponsored a University of Houston Mechanical Engineering student design project during the Fall ’97 term. The team of Sandra Ramos, Dorsa Froutan, Irma Adame and E.J. Del Valle titled their project Deasign, Test and Modeling of Cryogenic Pipe Supports. All were Seniors enrolled in MECE 4334: Mechanical Engineering Systems Design. Similar courses are required for Industrial Engineering, Electrical and Computer Engineering students.

The U of H faculty requests companies to submit problem statements for projects they are willing to sponsor. If their project is chosen by a student team, companies designate an engineer-in-charge who helps their faculty consultant advise the students. The students prepare a written proposal defining their plan during the first four weeks and make weekly progress reports thereafter. Companies provide facilities and equipment as required. The students prepare a final written report and make an oral presentation at their campus at the end of the semester.

This team did a series of experiments both at ambient and cryogenic temperatures using pipe shoes with polyurethane (PUF) of various densities. They studied compressive strength, heat transfer rates and clamping forces required to maintain contact with a pipe under axial loading. This was the fifth project sponsored by PT&P. We thank these students for their hard work, and we wish them much success during their professional careers.

Customers Mail Back Survey Cards

Thanks to the many customers who mailed back survey cards from our Fall ’97 mailings. We received a number of good suggestions and potential topics for future technical bulletins. The statistics on four Yes or No questions are:

  • 91%: Yes, the PT&P technical bulletins are useful to their jobs.
  • 89%: Yes, their job requires use of the PT&P catalogs.
  • 99%: Yes, PT&P newsletters cover topics of interest to them.
  • 61%: No, the photos on PT&P’s annual calendars should not be changed.

Figure Conversion Chart on the Web

PT&P’s World Wide Web site will soon host another valuable technical resource for engineers around the world. A figure number conversion tool will allow engineers to enter alternative figure numbers (Grinnell and others) and find matching PT&P figure numbers.Engineers are encouraged to replace alternative figure numbers with corresponding PT&P figure numbers in their technical specifications.  Look for the PT&P Figure Conversion Tool online at our web site.

SWECO Builds Tanks to Supply Fuel by Helicopter

Sweco Fab, Inc., PT&P’s ASME code pressure vessel shop, is building its third order for stainless steel tanks used to transport diesel fuel to off-shore platforms by helicopter.  Special calculations were required to verify the air-worthiness of the skid-mounted tanks.

Do you need a vessel for an upcoming project? Get pricing today!
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