Custom Engineering Transforms a Chemical Process Disc for an Industrial Mixer

Sometimes existing products just don’t fit your needs. Some situations don’t have an off-the-shelf solution. Some equipment doesn’t fit anything you can find online or from previous orders. In fact, you’d probably be better off making your own solution - you just need a bit of advice from an expert. Sound familiar?

THE CHALLENGE

If so, you’re not alone. The design team at a manufacturer of industrial mixers recently faced this predicament. Their client required pressure relief for existing equipment with somevery specific constraints. The key challenges were:

1. Space Constraints: Limited space on top of the mixers, already crowded with pipework, inlets, and outlets.
2. Connection Limitations: Only 6-inch diameter sanitary ferrule connections available.
3. Venting Requirements: The pressure relief device had to vent directly to the atmosphere.
4. Low-Pressure Requirement: The need for an unusually low burst pressure of just 7 psig.

It was evident that neither a process disk nor a rupture disk assembly from our custom engineered range would meet this unique combination of requirements. A tailored solution was necessary.

SOLUTION

The solution was to adapt our flagship LoKr rupture disc, known in process industries for its precision and performance at low pressures, for the customer’s unusual environment. Our engineering team took three key steps to make the required modifications:

1. Adapt the disc design: We altered the LoKr disc to extend its minimum burst pressure capability from 10 psi down to 7 psi.
2. Add custom integration: We welded the disc into a sanitary ferrule connection on the inlet side, with a standard outlet for direct venting to the atmosphere.
3. Cross-Functional Collaboration: The R&D, Engineering, Quality and Production teams in Broken Arrow worked together to turn the process disc into a bespoke, welded OEM product that fit the customer's unique specifications.

RESULT

After successfully completing all phases of the customization process, the finished product was shipped to the customer with the full knowledge that it was another quality designed and manufactured pressure relief product from OE. Our innovative approach transformed the LoKr process disc into a custom-welded OEM product that fit the customer’s unique specifications. Thanks to the design team’s ingenuity and cross-functional collaboration, the finished solution met the challenges of limited space and low pressures while ensuring compliance with rigorous safety standards.