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Coatings for Deep-Water Pipelines in Remote Locations Can Be Mixed On-site Thanks to New Mobile Technology from Dow Hyperlast- Process enhances productivity, quality and safety - Minimizes potential environmental impact compared with conventional systems Birch Vale, UK - May 06, 2009
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Dow Hyperlast has engineered a technology to blend glass syntactic polyurethane (GSPU) coating and insulation systems for deep-water pipelines on site in remote locations. ETNAFLOW™ Portable Mixing Plant from Dow Hyperlast, a division within Dow Polyurethane Systems, allows for safe and efficient mixing of materials, while an advanced process control ensures formulation accuracy and the quality and consistency of the finished product. ETNAFLOW™ requires fewer human and capital resources to operate, eliminates the enormous storage and disposal requirements of conventional GSPU mixing systems and, due to its closed-loop design, minimizes the potential for chemical exposure or injury to workers from moving machinery. “The ETNAFLOW mixing system was inspired and developed as a direct result of our requirement to supply Wasco Coatings in Malaysia, with Flow Assurance Insulation coating materials for the Gumusut-Kakap project,” said Alex Lane, global business leader for Dow Hyperlast’s Pipe and Tank Division. “This project in the South China Sea called for performance parameters at ocean depths of up to 1,200 meters in very remote areas. Dow Hyperlast experts quickly recognized the need for a reliable, portable GSPU mixing system that could help expedite the project, improving materials handling and ensure quality.” Designed for local operations, ETNAFLOW™ Portable Mixing Plant consists of raw materials holding and dosing units, plus a blending operation where the polyurethane and the glass micro spheres are mixed. Dow Hyperlast ships the unit to the customer’s site, provides initial set up, training, remote monitoring, and ongoing technical support. Installation and training can be completed in as little as two weeks. “We started working with Dow Hyperlast more than a year ago on this project, and we probably wouldn’t be coating it today if it weren’t for that relationship,” says Kevin Revere, general manager of Wasco Coatings. “We were able to go in with our engineers, design the equipment around our specifications and around our needs, and find ways to streamline the job and maximize profitability.” “The ETNAFLOW Portable Mixing Plant is a good example of how Dow Hyperlast collaborates with customers to help find solutions to their needs,” said Juan Antonio Merino, general manager, Dow Polyurethanes Systems. “The extreme demands of the Gumusut-Kakap project helped us identify the need, and we worked closely with Wasco Coatings to arrive at a solution that not only saves them time and money, but gives both management and labor an extra measure of peace of mind in the most remote, harsh locations.” About Dow ®™* Trademark of The Dow Chemical Company ("Dow") or an affiliated company of Dow For Editorial Information: Elise Heffelfinger Tony Watson |
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