Javier Lanfranchi, sales area manager, Faccin SpA, explains how Faccin provides accuracy and productivity in the production of pressure vessels
Technologies like long-range transportation of oil and gas depend on the reliable containment of these pressurised liquids and gases. The term ‘pressure vessel’ indicates a varied range of systems, all built with the express purpose of confining a large quantity of fluid or gas to a small space.
This often requires using a huge amount of energy, and subsequently, compressed liquids and gases apply a lot of stress on their containers.
The strain on these containers is nowadays handled in two ways: first, by using strong materials like steel, for its toughness and relative abundance and second, by fabricating the container in a way the strain of its pressurised content is minimised.
The solution to achieve this must be pragmatic, reliable and economically feasible.
Pressure vessels are designed to contain liquids and gases that are potentially dangerous materials at high pressures.
Keeping those contents secure should be a top priority of manufacturers of pressure equipment for the safety of everyone near these vessels. International certifications like the European Pressure Equipment Directives (PED) 2014/68/EU and ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Certification promotes safety and quality in the fabrication and manufacturing of products and systems ensuring that the tank holding these contents was built properly.
The resulting pressure vessel shape, that matches the demands of various applications, is composed of a cylindrical middle section that is developed from a rectangular plate of steel that must be rolled accurately so as to guarantee the strain is distributed well and two “convex” heads one at each end, normally called in the industry “dished heads”, an effective compromise between strain minimisation and manufacturability.
The cylindrical middle Section
Pressure vessels’ middle section is characterised by thick rolled structures, obtained by bending steel plates ranging from 20 to over 250 mm. The production of such equipment requires the highest accuracy as defined by the tolerances dictated by the strictest international standards.
Therefore, the processes of pre-bending and rolling are important, in order to obtain the desired tolerances and easily assemble and weld the cylinders after the rolling process. Faccin offers three-roll and four-roll plate bending rolls systems ideal for these processes, that combines a powerful super-sized plate-rolling machine with key components like strong side support, sturdy top support and a feeding table with alignment device, all accessories controlled by a highly advanced fully programmable CNC.
Faccin’s highly technological machines are designed to maximise the productivity by the accurate rolling and pre-bending of steel plates, thus increasing the profitability of the pressure vessel manufacturer.
The dished heads
Manufacturers of dished heads for tanks and pressure vessels require machines able to assure high performances and high productivity. Faccin offers dished heads production lines that include technologically advanced dishing presses, flanging machines and manipulators, designed to offer maximum reliability and to meet the needs of manufacturers of dished heads in terms of achieving high tolerances and lamination reduction.
Faccin S.p.A. is a group which combines the best brands – Faccin, Boldrini and Roundo – in plate rolling, profile bending and dished-heads manufacturing, all united under one roof and offering the widest range of high-quality options available in the metal forming market.
Discover their latest developments by visiting website www.faccin.com
