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Marine Industry
Wilton Heat Transfer Services Project Manager , Robert Sollie
Wilton Heat Transfer Services Commercial Director , Ilja van Buuren
“ Then of course , once we had the approval of the repair plan , we needed to start purchasing materials . As everyone is aware , lead times for materials at the moment are very long ,” said Robert . Wilton ’ s purchasing team have had experiences of receiving quotes for condenser tubes with a validity of 1-2 days before prices change again . This comes down to uncertainty and change in the global market . It then came down to aligning the schedules of Wilton ’ s production team and material purchasing , also with the schedule of the ship . Robert needed to ensure that , once the team was finished with the repairs , the heat exchanger could be reinstalled very quickly after being dispatched to the customer . “ We were lucky that , at this time , LNG carriers have a lot of work and are sailing all over the world ,” Robert smiled . “ But we always have to take this into account , that we cannot delay their operations because even one or two days of delay would cost a lot of money .” The job required an entirely new heat exchanger tube bundle of tube sheets and condensed tubes . Repairs took a total of 7 weeks to complete with the installation of the new bundle , and welding of the main weld seams .
Communication is key to project success “ Working with classification societies is our daily life ,” said Robert . “ The oil and gas industry of course comes with a lot of quality standards , and this is not so different . But what is different with marine and shipping projects is that the class bureau has the power to say yes or no to your proposal , whereas if you carry out a PED according to ASME codes , you as the supplier have more responsibility . You have to follow the demands and requirements of DNV , for example , very closely , perhaps more so than on a land-based project . With PED , there is a bit more room for negotiation , still maintaining high quality , of course , but it ’ s more about expectations of codes and regulations .” Wilton ’ s Commercial Director , Ilja van Buuren , was keen to express just how complicated the situation was , and how the dedication and tactful communication of Robert and his team ensured the project was a success . “ In this case , the customer was a gas carrier so there are of course certain challenges associated with that , pressure of delivery times in combination with the materials market which has become more challenging as well ,” explained Ilja . But these are all aspects that Wilton is familiar with . But this project posed something of a tension arc between the client , the classification society , and Wilton . “ Robert navigated these discussions really well , respecting each party ’ s priorities . He and his team were at the heart of this project .” For Robert , and for the entirety of Wilton , this is a clear example of how timely updates and informed and respectful communication can be the most important factors in a project ’ s completion .
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www . heat-exchanger-world . com Heat Exchanger World September 2022
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