Custom Fabricated UHMW Reactor Curbing for Mica Processing
Since 1994, our team at Precision Cutting Service has provided various cutting solutions and fabrication services to numerous industries – regardless of project complexity. We provide custom fabrication services that include cutting, drilling, tapping, welding, CAD design, assembly and inspection.
A local Mica processing customer located in Port Wentworth, Georgia was due to replace the concrete barrier surrounding their process reactor. The barrier originally prevented chemical attack and repelled overspray during operation. Searching for a reliable alternative, our customer requested us on-site to measure the circumference and diameter of holes located around the floor of the reactor. These calculations were required for our CAD/CAM operator’s design work. Our team concluded that the design would be made from ¼” UHMW plastic, 1″ UHMW plastic, and ¼” EPDM rubber. Both materials required the use of our in-house abrasive and straight waterjet cutting equipment as well as our drill motor. The waterjet equipment fabricated the plastic and rubber; cutting dovetail sections that would allow the customer to position the barrier and splashguard in place without additional measurements. A drill motor was necessary to fasten the assembly with screws. As a result, we were essentially producing a large interlocking gasket that would go around the perimeter of the reactor for enhanced protection.
The original reactor barrier was made from concrete; however there is an extensive selection of materials just as capable of doing the job. In this case, UHMW plastic and EPDM rubber was an ideal replacement for concrete. In less than 1 week, we’re able to produce and install the barrier. It fit perfectly and no additional modifications to the reactor were necessary. For each barrier produced, we saved the customer over $500 in manufacturing when compared to using a concrete design. As a result, our customer has committed to designing and fabricating five additional barriers over the next year.
