Trelleborg has launched a revolutionary SealWelding technology that allows seals to be welded in-situ on an FPSO (floating production storage and offloading) platform, eliminating the need for it to disconnect and return to shore.

Manufactured from Trelleborg’s well-established seal material, this new technology will massively reduce the downtime and associated costs that come from maintaining an FPSO swivel stack. Currently, swivel stack maintenance requires a vessel to travel back to shore so that components can be completely disassembled and seals replaced.

By optimizing billet welding, Trelleborg’s new technology is able to weld the original seal material in-situ. In a controlled manufacturing area, Trelleborg starts the process by producing a seal which has been cut in one place using a specially designed tool. The product is then packed so that it is well protected and avoids any damage in transit.

Offshore, onboard the FPSO, the seal is unpacked and installed onto the swivel by highly trained personnel from Trelleborg’s service team; the skilled engineer installs it in the Weld Head Enclosure (part of the welding machine) which, certified to ATEX zone 1, is then pressurized so that the welding can take place. Fully enclosed, production on other swivel stacks can continue without risk.

A Control Cabinet, which is purged and will also be certified to ATEX zone 1, ensures the smooth running of the process, as well as monitoring and logging all data. After the process is finished, the seal is safely removed from the Weld Head Enclosure before being polished and checked. If the values from the recorded data are satisfactory, the seal will be released for installation.

For more information, please visit: www.tss.trelleborg.com.