All welds on pressure vessels must be made by qualified welders, using qualified weld procedures. Section IX of the ASME Code specifies all the requirements for those qualifications. A weld procedure,…
Heat exchanger tube end welds can be specified as strength welds or seal welds. What is the difference? The tube to tubesheet joint is a critical component of the exchanger…
The ISM Manufacturing Index (PMI) fell for the second straight month to 48.4 in December, following a score of 49 in November. The reading shows further contraction in factory activity,…
We sometimes ask ourselves “why are there so many problems?!” in our daily work efforts. Perhaps the better question to ask ourselves is “how do I navigate the challenges in…
What are collar studs, and when are they used? Collar studs are threaded studs with a larger central hub attached (see diagram). They are commonly used on exchangers with removable…
When a vessel (or part of a vessel) is subjected to pressure loads that repeatedly cycle from low to high, the fatigue life of the vessel may need to be…