As a microcosm of society, our industry is continuously evolving, implementing new technologies and reacting to dynamic market conditions to ultimately reflect contemporary values.
Shifting industry trends have always mirrored those of the world at large. Such changes usually happen along a slow and ongoing arc and can be accelerated or punctuated by singular momentous events that capture the world’s attention. Events like 9/11, plant explosions or spills and COVID-19 inevitably shift our collective focus. As a result, perhaps the biggest changes have been in our approaches to worker safety, security and environmental sustainability.
The drive to protect people, assets and the environment has spurred efforts for increased efficiencies by developing, improving and adapting new technologies and achieving more with less. Reduced staffing levels and decreased resource consumption contribute to risk reduction. Service providers have taken notice and responded by customizing the technological advancements of the 21st century for use in their markets and implementing innovative business strategies.
Since 1923, Conco has consistently pushed the envelope in exchanger tube cleaning and testing. It continues that legacy with its ability to reduce total manpower onsite, diminish risk to personnel and assets, and slash the total volume of waste produced on cleaning projects.
Conco’s legacy tube cleaning systems utilize low-pressure and low-volume water. The leading system, TruFit™ tube cleaners with ProSeries™ pump, employs 300-600 psi out of an industrial-grade water pistol, posing no physical threat to people or equipment. Other widely used systems, Excaliber® and HydroDrill™, use even lower pressures and volumes of water or no water at all. HydroDrill, which is used to quickly open tubes completely blocked by hard deposits, is compatible with remotely operated hands-free indexers, eliminating the risk of chemical exposure to technicians.
With the recent acquisition of Blue Wolf Performance Solutions in 2023, Conco now offers hands-free Aqua Drill water jetting technologies. Aqua Milling®, Aqua Lancer®, Aqua Rover®, Tank Spider® and Aqua Ex® hands-free systems are powered by Aqua Drill’s diesel driven mobile pump units. They ensure pipe, tube, tank, reactor or vessel cleaning projects are completed on time and without the safety hazards incurred when working in close proximity to high-pressure water.
After exchanger tubes are cleaned, they often need to be tested. The cleaning crew confirms all is clean, packs up and heads offsite or to the next project. A coordinator checks the progress and the NDT crew reports that the tubes are clean enough to get reliable results.
Many Conco technicians are cross trained in both tube cleaning and NDT. This allows cleaning and testing crews to share personnel, reducing the number of people walking through the turnstile every morning. Additionally, field leaders on cleaning crews who have been certified in NDT are able to speak knowledgeably about both testing and cleaning to turnaround personnel and other contractors. Remote data analysis is another tool used to reduce onsite head counts. Analysts stay in constant contact with crews onsite and can quickly produce and deliver final reports.
Every respectable NDT company must have a top-notch quality program to which it adheres. To guarantee consistent and reproducible test outcomes, it’s crucial to detail employee training and certification, equipment usage and calibration, and material and test method verification in official audit protocols. Conco offers a full suite of NDT methods with a quality program that is approved by the U.S. Navy, the NRC and all major refining and petrochemical companies.
Conco reduces the risk to workers and assets by using innovative systems to clean piping, tube ID or OD shell side cleaning for heat exchangers, tanks, reactors and vessels. Reducing wastewater volume by 80-90% is a boon to the environment and the waste treatment and disposal budget.
Conco works hard to adapt to changing market demands and looks forward to helping increase efficiencies on reliability, maintenance and turnaround projects.
For more information, visit conco.net or call (800) 345-3476.
