Pressure Vessel Manufacturing Equipment 2

[CobusvanJ]

I need to cost for setting up a PV manufacturing workshop. To do that I need to determine what machinery is required and to set up a budget. As a guideline, we would like to be able to manufacture the following:

1. Carbon steel/CrMo vessels
2. Up to 40mm thickness, 3000mm diameter
3. All appurtunances such as nozzles, etc.

We already have a huge workshop doing boiler manufacturing.

 

[vesselfab]

it depends on how much of your boiler operation will cross over into the vessel operation. is this from scratch, brand new facility? including overhead cranes & building & stress relieving ovens, normalizing ovens, & x-ray areas?

Much will depend on your philosophy of manufacturing and what your company is willing to spend.

state of the art or used equipment?

how much volume per year (for number of bays and length)

 

[CobusvanJ]

Boiler operation will remain, we are looking at expanding.

We already have space available (facility is in the region of 25000m^2 or so), so no new building.

Ovens will be required as well as x-ray facilities.

Preferably new equipment, but used equipment would be considered.

What I need to do is put together a budget, what the company is willing to spend is not yet applicable, I need present a business plan.

 

[vesselfab]

Well, start surfing for equipment.

subarc machines and manipulators 50K - 75K each
vessel turning rolls and idlers 50K - 100K per set
plate rolls 500,000 & up
small welding machines 5K once rigged to go
ovens
cranes
cherry pickers
fork lifts
trucks

I don't know where you're located, but a pressure vessel shop is really not good investment at this time unless you are looking at a lot of work.

Here, they are struggling to get enough work to keep open.

we are lucky....debt free....and good clients. It is slow right now but horizon is starting to shine.

 

[CobusvanJ]

I'm assuming the prices are in USD?

 

[vpl]

If you don't already have them, you should obtain copies of the ASME code and other standards.

Patricia Lougheed

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[weldtek]

I have to ask, if you already have a facility equipped to manufacture boilers, why are you asking?

 

[boilerone]

Do not forget the hydraulic press for forming the dished heads.

Weldtek, in these days large vessel-like boiler components such as steam drums and misc. tanks are typically given to dedicated pressure vessel shops to make. Boiler manufactures only concentrate on making membrane walls, headers and tube elements, etc. This also makes me, too, to doubt how economical it is to go back to the old way of making PVs by themselves except for trying to expand business to take a lot of possible outside orders. Are we really seeing thinning lights on the horizon?

 

[CobusvanJ]

Maybe it would help to point out that I am not located in North America or Europe but in the southern hemisphere

@weldtek, boilerone nailed the explanation on the head.

@vpl, thank you, we already have access to the codes through our parent company, and I also already have the use of PV design software as well.

 

[moltenmetal]

You don't need to make your own heads. Few shops in our region bother to do so. Shells are another matter- they all tend to roll their own shells, subbing out only the heaviest stuff.

The rest of the equipment depends greatly on whether you're buying new or used- your location may push you toward new, but if you were in North America and had your ear to the ground you could find a couple shop's worth of this kind of gear on the local auction circuit every month.

 

[stanweld]

To add to moltenmetal, many international manufacturers have come to the USA to bid on this type of used equipment.

 

[vesselfab]

Auctions are fine, but there is always alot of junk that looks good but needs rework on the electrics and circuit boards. for an international buyer where parts may be hard to come by, it may be better to buy from a used equipment place that buys from auction, reworks as required, and resells at least with a short warranty that guarantees it works when it gets there.

If you use chinese manipulators, make sure you budget allows to completely rewire and new one. That plastic conduit they use comes unraveled easily, but the main parts work fine.