SPEEDY AND SAFE PIPELINE SUPPORT
March 1st 2005

Upgrades to pipework at Shell’s refinery in Cologne, Germany, have been achieved safely and with minimal shutdown time with the help of Halfen’s Powerclick system.

The upgrading involved connection of numerous process and utility pipelines to furnaces and preheating systems. The Powerclick system, described as the heavy duty big brother was chosen for pipeline support instead of traditional welded steel structures.

The framing system has been successfully tested to comply with DIN EN 13480.

Safety considerations required plant engineers to be completely confident in the integrity of the pipelines and their supporting structures.

Halfen trained Shell’s fitters who had not worked with the system before. The low number of components enabled them to become familiar with the system quickly and they started work after 45min training.

Structural elements are fitted with rapid assembly captive bolts. These speed construction, while the light weight of the system means that even tall assemblies can be completed without the need for elaborate lifting tackle.

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