Meeting Challenges in Process Piping Design and Assembly

Process piping in refineries and other industries includes components such as pipes, valves, regulators, and other control systems to support the regulation and transportation of the process fluid throughout the facility. The success of the piping system lies in the ability of these components to work together to enhance the safety and efficiency of the process. But this is one of the major challenges that most industries face during process piping design and assembly.

The requirement for strict adherence to industrial process conditions presents the challenge in component selection and system design for process piping. Let’s look at some of these challenges and discuss some potential solutions. 

Process Piping Design: What To Look For

Process piping refers to the network of pipes and supporting fluid control systems that transport the fluids involved in the given industrial process. For instance, they transport raw materials like crude oil into the distillation tower and the finished product, i.e., oil or gas, to the shipping terminals. Often, these piping systems work under extreme process conditions like high temperature and pressure limits or with hazardous fluids. In such a scenario, a minor discrepancy in material selection and design of any component can lead to leaks or system failure.

To ensure the long-term success of the process piping system, manufacturers often look for the following qualities: 

1. The process piping design needs to adhere to the relevant industry standards. ASME B31.3 covers the process piping requirement for a wide range of industries, including petroleum refineries, chemical processing, semiconductor fabrication, and pharmaceutical industries.
2. The process piping assembly must be safe, reliable, and durable. With the selection of the right material for the process fluid and the ideal component with compatible pressure/temperature specifications, it is possible to minimize the risks of failure, thus, preventing operational downtime or accidents.
3. The process piping assembly must be easy-to-reach and flexible enough for easy maintenance and optimization. 

Challenges in Process Piping Design

Some of the major issues industries face with process piping design and assembly are standardization and quality control. Often, due to the process conditions and variations in operational requirements such as temperature, pressure, and flow, standardizing design and assembly practices can be difficult. The subtle details to note when selecting material and component specifications further increase the complexity of standardized process piping design and operational quality control.

Industries are able to address these challenges by ensuring compliance with established standards and in-house guidelines for design and assembly. A standardized process piping design makes the installation, diagnostics, and repairs/replacement much simpler and more cost-effective. Using high-quality tube fittings that can be installed and repaired with standard wrenches, for example, reduces complexity and lowers repair costs. Your local fluid system expert can not only help you select the right material but also provide guidance to achieve the ideal design accuracy and precision.

Reliable Design and Assembly With Swagelok

When assembling the process piping for your facility, expertise from specialized personnel is a great advantage. Swagelok provides consultation services from experts trained in system design and optimization roles. For your Northern California facility, they can help you identify the existing or potential risks in assembly and help establish a standardized design plan that ensures safety and reliability.

Additionally, field engineers can help you select the right components from a vast selection of valves and control units so that they are compatible with the process conditions of the subsystems and beyond. Through a detailed understanding of your requirement, we provide quality process piping design solutions that are productive and cost-efficient for your project.

To find out more about how Swagelok Northern California can help you make a selection of ideal component and assembly options for process piping design, contact our team today by calling 510-933-6200.

About Morgan Zealear | Product Engineer, Assembly Services

Morgan holds a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from University of California at Santa Barbara. He is certified in Section IX, Grab Sample Panel Configuration and Mechanical Efficiency Program Specification (API 682), and he is well versed in B31.3 Process Piping Code. Before joining Swagelok Northern, he was a manufacturing engineer at Sierra Instruments, primarily focused on capillary thermal meters for the semiconductor industry (ASML).