pipeotech-2

Join Us at the 15th European Pressure Equipment Symposium

Wed, 14 May 2025 14:29:36 GMT

We are excited to announce our participation in the 15th European Pressure Equipment Symposium, taking place on July 1–2, 2025 , in Fürstenfeldbruck , near Munich.

Our team will be on-site as exhibitors, and we warmly invite you to visit our booth and connect with our colleagues Andrew Patrick, Jan Oredsson and Erlend Berntsen. This event offers a great opportunity to exchange ideas, learn about the latest developments in the field, and explore how we can support your goals.

To learn more about the event, please visit:

www.tuvsud.com/akademie/europaeische-druckgeraetetage

We look forward to welcoming you in Fürstenfeldbruck!

Replacing legacy gasket technology to increase reliability and reduce maintenance costs

Mon, 17 Mar 2025 11:37:50 GMT

Fertilizers are critical to enable the growing global population to be fed. Ongoing increases in energy prices, particularly methane, have made the cost of manufacturing nitrogen and ammonia-based fertilizers particularly high.

Anything a manufacturer can do to reduce costs, reduce NOX emissions, and increase reliability has a positive global impact, ensuring a secure and long-term food supply while at the same time increasing reliability and reducing maintenance costs.

Background

A manway to a heater within a fertilizer facility in Europe had previously been sealed with a tanged gasket sheet. Every four to six weeks excessive NOX emissions would be detected in the area surrounding the manway (in Europe emissions are limited to 90 PPM).

Further investigations found that Thermiculite gasket was degrading causing leaks of NOX gas. The leaking Thermiculite gasket was causing frequent unplanned maintenance outages to replace the gasket. The regular unplanned maintenance stops would have a negative impact on the profitability and reliability of the fertilizer plant.

Industry Challenges

Legacy semi-metallic gasket technologies leak, this leakage rate only increases as the installed gaskets degrade with time. The leakage of NOX gas has a severe impact on the local environment and is considered an indirect greenhouse gas. In the United States the Environment Protection Agency has reduced NOX emissions from a maximum 3000 PPM down to 200 PPM.

In the European Union, the maximum is 90 PPM. As a result, NOX leakages must be stopped swiftly. Technology that prevents emissions and is proven dependable has a key part to play in slowing climate change and increasing the reliability of existing fertilizer facilities, while reducing fines for NOX emissions.

DeltaV-Seal keeps industry reliable

All gaskets leak, some more than others. Industry knows the best seal is a metal-to-metal seal. Traditional (RTJ) fully-metallic seals are known to damage flanges and be sensitive to installation conditions, including surface roughness. The DeltaV-Seal is different to legacy metallic seals, it is precision CNC machined from a single metal plate to ensure a tight and durable seal which does not damage flanges.

The DeltaV-Seal’s installation requirements are the same as a semi-metallic gasket, following the guidelines ASME PCC1 Appendix D. With the DeltaV-Seal being manufactured from a similar, compatible material to that of the piping / vessel its chemical resistance is the same or similar.

Solutions

Metal-to-metal seals have proven to be tight and durable for decades. The DeltaV-Seal has been expertly engineered and independently tested in the lab and field to demonstrate its superiority to traditional legacy gasket technology. In this specific case, where the precision engineered 304L DeltaV-Seal has replaced a Thermiculite tanged gasket sheet the DeltaV-Seal provides effectively-zero NOX emissions while improving plant reliability.

By simply changing to the DeltaV-Seal the facility will have less unplanned shutdowns, save significantly on maintenance costs, while at the same time reducing emissions of an indirect greenhouse gas. Why use legacy technology when new proven technology increase’s reliability while reducing costs?

Download the full case study

Download the case study by clicking the link below:

Case Study Semi Conductior High Temperature Clean Room

Replacing legacy semi-metallic gasket technology to prevent emissions of hazardous chemicals

Mon, 17 Mar 2025 11:34:33 GMT

Ammonium Nitrate is a challenging chemical to seal, in addition to being extremely hazardous. When Ammonium Nitrate emissions escape from bolted flange joints it crystalizes.

These crystals of Ammonium Nitrate are a safety hazard and undesirable. Further to this the Ammonium Nitrate crystals can form inside the pipe, reducing flow and productivity. To remove the crystals of Ammonium Nitrate inside the piping, steam cleaning is utilized. This increases the degradation of legacy semi-metallic gaskets leading to an increased leakage rate, which results in more emissions, more crystals, and a cycle of avoidable costly maintenance.

Background

A major European fertilizer manufacturer had become aware of the successes the DeltaV-Seal was having within a competing manufacturers facility. Having similar challenges with Ammonium Nitrate crystals forming around their bolted flange joints, the facility operator was keen to test the DeltaV-Seal gasket in 4 bolted flange joints on their Ammonium Nitrate system.

The DeltaV-Seal was of particular interest due to its extremely low leakage rate, preventing the emissions and crystallisation of Ammonium Nitrate from bolted flange joints, breaking the cycle of costly maintenance and high emissions from semi-metallic legacy gaskets.

Industry Challenges

With the recent increases in the cost of methane, the cost of producing Ammonium Nitrate has increased significantly. With Ammonium Nitrate being extremely hazardous, proven new technology that breaks the need for regular maintenance of bolted flange joints improves safety, increases reliability, and reduces maintenance costs.

DeltaV-Seal keeps industry safe

All gaskets leak, some significantly more than others. The leakage rate of the previously utilized spiral-wound semi-metallic gaskets had led to deposits of Ammonium Nitrate crystals around the bolted flange joints. With Ammonium Nitrate being a hazardous chemical, these crystals were undesirable so a solution to prevent them was viewed favourably by the facilities operator.

With the DeltaV-Seal being well proven, a management of change process was completed between the plant operator and Pipeotech to ensure the successful and correct installation of the gaskets. The installation torque values are similar to that of semi-metallic gaskets, and the installation follows the same guidelines from ASME PPC1 Appendix D. Once the DeltaV-Seal gaskets had been installed there were no deposits of Ammonium Nitrate around the bolted flange joints.

Solutions

Metal-to-metal seals are proven to be tight and durable for decades. The DeltaV-Seal has been expertly engineered, independently tested, and is precision machined to provide the tightness and durability of a metal-to-metal seal, with the ease of use and installation of traditional semi-metallic gaskets.

In this specific case the Ammonium Nitrate was successfully sealed without any crystallisation observed around the flange. The test was considered a success, and the DeltaV-Seal will be adopted onto the site for Ammonium Nitrate service.

Download the full case study

Download the case study by clicking the link below:

Case Study Semi Conductior High Temperature Clean Room

Replacing legacy gasket technology to prevent the ingress of oxygen into a vacuum system

Mon, 17 Mar 2025 11:30:17 GMT

A leading chemical manufacturer sought a superior gasket to replace the current semi-metallic gasket utilized throughout this specific vacuum system.

For this system it is crucial to prevent oxygen from entering the vacuum system as it would cause oxidation of the piping contents and compromise the entire batch of chemicals, leading to it being wasted. The DeltaV-Seal, known for its tightness and durability, prevents oxygen from entering the system through the bolted flange joints. This ensures that the product passed through the piping system is not contaminated by oxygen from the bolted flange joints, providing a superior quality end product.

Background

Finding a suitable and cost-effective replacement for the previous specialist vacuum-system gasket was challenging. Therefore, there was a strong desire for a more affordable, tighter, and more durable gasket. Upon learning about the successful use of the DeltaV-Seal in similar plants in the USA and Canada for ethylene service, the European chemical plant decided to conduct further research on the DeltaV-Seal.

The plant owner independently tested the DeltaV-Seal in vacuum conditions to ensure that it could provide a tighter seal compared to their current specialist gasket. The test results showed no leakage from the DeltaV-Seal, leading to its technical acceptance and availability for use in the desired system.

Industry Challenges

With the cost of feedstock and energy having increased significantly, reducing waste and ensuring every batch meets its quality requirements is beneficial in ensuring a competitive margin for the business. The DeltaV-Seal providing such a tight and durable seal ensures that the batches produced are not contaminated by oxygen, this reduces costs and wastage - increasing the profitability of the chemical plant.

DeltaV-Seal effective sealing in vacuum service

All gaskets leak, some significantly more than others. In some industries this leakage is tolerated, while in other applications significantly reducing gasket leakage can have an extremely positive impact on a products quality while reducing waste. The chemical company in this case study had already tested and become comfortable utilizing the DeltaV-Seal on ethylene systems in a sister facility, and following testing have now implemented the DeltaV-Seal on vacuum systems.

By switching from legacy semi-metallic gasket technology, to the DeltaV-Seal, a metal-to-metal seal, the operator is certain there will not be ingress of oxygen into their systems and the quality of the project produced will not be impacted by lesser quality gaskets.

A simple switch from one gasket technology to another, has reduced costs, increased time between planned maintenance, and will ensure the product produced always meets the specified quality criteria.

Solutions

In this specific case the Oxygen was successfully prevented from entering a vacuum system through the bolted flange joint. The chemical plants operations team have confirmed the system is oxygen free, and the operator will continue to adopt the DeltaV-Seal on vacuum systems.

Download the full case study

Download the case study by clicking the link below:

Case Study Semi Conductior High Temperature Clean Room

DeltaV-Seal - Reducing fugitive emissions in the Permian Basin

Fri, 14 Mar 2025 14:00:36 GMT

The United States Clean Air Act (CAA) is the comprehensive federal law regulating emissions from stationary and mobile sources.

Among other things the CAA authorises the United States Environment Protection Agency (EPA) to establish National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) to protect the public health and public welfare as well as regulate emissions of hazardous air pollutants. The DeltaV-Seal effectively removes fugitive emissions fugitive emissions from connections, this case study details how.

Background

A report by the EPA (EPA-453/R-95-017) highlighted that the percentage of fugitive emissions coming from connectors (including bolted flange joints) accounts for 31% of emissions within a typical refinery or chemical plant.

The simplest way for an operator to reduce emissions by nearly a third and help avoid fines would be to stop emissions from connectors. The DeltaV-Seal flange gasket is precission engineered to provide a tight and durable seal , ensuring effectively zero fugitive emissions for the lifetime of a bolted flange joint.

Industry Challenges

Legacy gasket technologies leak, this leakage rate only increases as the installed gaskets degrade with time. With the EPA having the power to fine operators for their emissions using the Clean Air Act, any effort made to reduce emissions can help operators a void fines.

Operators schedule turn-arounds to change gaskets and maintain equipment. As technology advances, equipment becomes more reliable with greater available uptime. As equipment becomes more reliable the gasket can become the weak point in the system, increasing emissions or leading to unplanned shut downs, now resulting in emissions fines relating to the CAA.

Solutions

Metal-to-metal seals are proven to be tight and durable for decades . However, traditional (RTJ) fully-metallic seals are known to damage flanges and be sensitive to installation conditions, including surface roughness. The DeltaV-Seal has been expertly engineered, independently tested, and is precision machined to provide the tightness and durability of a metal-to-metal seal, with the ease of use and installation of traditional semi-metallic gaskets .

The DeltaV-Seal is suitable for use on ASME B16.5 raised face and flat face flanges, without causing damage to the flange face. The DeltaV-Seal provides industries with a metal-to-metal seal which is simple to install, durable for the lifetime of the bolted flange joint, and able to help operators prevent fines for fugitive emissions . No additional considerations are required compared to traditional semi-metallic gaskets.

COMSOL Multiphysics FEA Modelling of Gasketed Bolted Flange Joints

Fri, 14 Mar 2025 13:52:37 GMT

Imagine a future where in extreme environments it is possible to model and simulate a gaskets performance and know the lifetime of a bolted flange joint, sealed with a DeltaV-Seal.

Pipeotech's Engineering and Technical team have been working to make the modelling and simulation of a gasket a possibility. Being able to simulate the performance of a bolted flange joint, and provide a defined lifetime has huge financial benefit to industry, maximising the time between turnarounds, extracting maximum value from their assets.

Pipeotech's Chief Technology Officer Jan Oredsson, supported in part by SkatteFUNN, has been utilizing COMSOL Multiphysics software to effectively simulate standard laboratory gasket compression testing as well as during the assembly of a bolted flange joints containing a DeltaV-Seal. Excitingly the software enables Jan, an extremely experienced corrosion engineer, to model and simulate galvanic corrosion when using a DeltaV-Seal. These advances as detailed in the linked paper will enable equipment operators to define the lifetime of the bolted flange joints - unlocking huge savings in maintenance.

You can learn more about the future, and the future huge benefits to industry by reading Pipeotech's CTO Jan Oredsson's thesis here: Multiphysics FEA modelling of gasketed bolted flange joints .

The simple replacement for Spiral Wound and Kammprofile gaskets

Fri, 14 Mar 2025 13:45:26 GMT

The DeltaV-Seal gasket replaces spiral wound and Kammprofile gaskets with a metal-to-metal seal without any of the challenges of traditional sealing technologies.

As a metal-to-metal seal the leakage rate is extremely low, preventing fugitive emissions and ensuring we all breathe cleaner air.

Reduce your VOC emissions with the DeltaV-Seal™

Fri, 14 Mar 2025 13:42:02 GMT

Globally there is a drive to consume less and emit fewer damaging chemicals into the atmosphere. Within the United States, businesses are being called to reduce fugitive emissions by at least 30% before 2030.

There is a further global push for all countries to be net-zero emissions by 2050. The DeltaV-Seal™ has the potential to assist businesses in reducing their emissions and remaining compliant with their local laws meeting climate targets and improving their ESG Score Card value.

The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) determined that leaking equipment, such as valves and connectors, is the largest source of volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions from petroleum refineries and chemical manufacturing facilities (EPA, 2007).

VOCs include many industrial chemicals such as benzene and solvents such as toluene and xylene (NJDEP New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, n.d.). When leaked into the atmosphere, these chemicals create long-term climate effects. In the past, these emissions have not been well regulated, so the EPA implemented a program to promote the reduction of emissions (EPA, 2007).

– The EPA has estimated that approximately 70,000 tons of VOCs are emitted yearly from leaks contributing to smog formation (EPA, 2007).

United States Environmental Protection Agency, 2007

Companies are required to reduce their VOC emissions through the Leak Detection and Repair (LDAR) program. LDAR regulation programs require companies to make equipment modifications and conduct regular monitoring to prevent leaks. With the proper implementation, companies are expected to reduce up to 96% of their emissions. Pipeotech's experience is that these programs can be costly to implement and only serve as short-term solutions given the degradation in performance of bolted flange joints sealed with traditional gaskets.

– 31% of uncontrolled VOC emissions in a petrochemical plant come from connectors (EPA, 2007).

United States Environmental Protection Agency, 2007

PIPEOTECH offers a different solution while still maintaining LDAR compliance. Installing the DeltaV-Seal™, a fully metallic sealing flange gasket, into bolted flange joints can significantly reduce these emissions with a gas-tight seal, which has been subject to stringent 3rd party testing at temperatures between -196 °C and +880 °C (-320 °F and 1616 °F). Utilising the DeltaV-Seal™ ensures gas-tight sealing, technically tight, durable, long-term, and superior sealing performance that helps operators to meet their emissions targets and improve their ESG Score Card value.

In addition to reducing emissions from bolted flange joints and helping businesses meet their target climate goals, the DeltaV-Seal™ flange gasket has been proven time and time again to reduce significantly overall maintenance costs, eliminate unplanned shutdowns and improve overall HSE TRIR numbers.

Not only can we assist businesses in removing emissions Pipeotech can also increase reliability and reduce costs.

COMSOL Multiphysics FEA Modelling of Gasketed Bolted Flange Joints

Fri, 14 Mar 2025 13:37:34 GMT

Imagine a future where in extreme environments it is possible to model and simulate a gaskets performance and know the lifetime of a bolted flange joint, sealed with a DeltaV-Seal.

You can learn more about the future, and the future huge benefits to industry by reading Pipeotech's CTO Jan Oredsson's thesis here: Multiphysics FEA modelling of gasketed bolted flange joints .

DeltaV-Seal 304L ASME Installation Handbook

Fri, 14 Mar 2025 13:33:43 GMT

Installation Handbook for the DeltaV-Seal flange gasket in 304L Stainless Steel - ASME Sizes.

Installation Hanbook - 304L ASME

To download the installation instructions for the standard 304L DeltaV-Seal gasket in ASME sizes please click the link below:

Legg inn under!

Installation Handbook 304 L ASME Rev 1

DeltaV-Seal

Fri, 14 Mar 2025 13:29:20 GMT

The DeltaV-Seal provides a metal-to-metal seal, unlike any other seal. With a combination sealing rings and a small surface area the DeltaV-Seal deforms to the flange.

Traditional metallic seals require perfect flange faces, whereas the DeltaV-Seal can be installed on any flange meeting the requirements of ASME PCC1 Annex D. The DeltaV-Seal is a near-perfect seal with effectively zero-fugitive emissions due to its patentend bespoke precission machined structure.

Pipeotech's patented DeltaV-Seal simply and easilly replaces traditional gaskets on raised and flat face flanges combining the benefits of metal-to-metal seals with the ease of use of traditional gaskets.

DeltaV-Seal 304L EN Installation Handbook

Fri, 14 Mar 2025 13:23:41 GMT

Installation Handbook for the DeltaV-Seal flange gasket in 304L Stainless Steel - EN Sizes.

Installation Handbook - 304L EN

To download the installation instructions for the standard 304L DeltaV-Seal gasket in EN sizes please click the link below:

Installation Handbook 304 L EN Rev 2

Best Available Technology to reduce ATEX zones, increase reliability, and improve safety within a refinery

Fri, 14 Mar 2025 13:21:26 GMT

Europe’s most advanced refinery wanted to further pioneer by only utilizing Best Available Technology to ensure a safe and reliable operation with minimal impact on the environment, enhanced reliability, and reduced ongoing maintenance. The DeltaV-Seal™ has enabled the refinery to not only do this but also reduce ATEX zones, improving safety and reducing operating costs.

Industry Challenges

The DeltaV-Seal™ had to be proven “tight and durable” to be considered to reduce the ATEX zone, with EN 1127 (2011) referenced explicitly by the client and their supporting organizations. A consistent quality installation was also essential to ensure the gaskets performed and remained leaktight throughout their many intended years of service.

Background

A European refinery specializing in recycling lubrication oil suffered a fire in 2017. As a part of the refinery rebuild, the decision was taken to utilize the Best Available Technology (BAT) wherever possible. Using the BAT enabled the refinery to reduce emissions and, therefore, ATEX zones, improving the air for all working in the facility. Utilizing BAT also increases reliability and reduces the time between maintenance.

Benefits

Download the full case study

Download the case study by clicking the link below:

View the full case study Here .

Pipeotech launch new 304L stainless steel DeltaV-Seal for nitric acid service

Fri, 14 Mar 2025 13:15:26 GMT

Working with the chemical industries it is clear Nitric Acid is a particularly challenging chemical to keep within bolted flange joints. Current industry practice on bolted flange joints containing Nitric Acid is to utilize a special blend of PTFE and other chemicals as a gasket.

Discussions between Pipeotech and the industry have highlighted the current industry practice is to regularly replace their current gasket, typically every 6 to 12 months. Every time a legacy semi-metallic gasket is changed the nitric acid system must be emptied and made safe, a significant cost in both time and resources.

– Every time a legacy semi-metallic gasket is changed the nitric acid system must be emptied and made safe, a significant cost in both time and resources.

Pipeotech have developed a DeltaV-Seal specifically designed and engineered for Nitric Acid service, normally within fertilizer plants. The new DeltaV-Seal is precision machined from 304L stainless steel to a similar design to Pipeotech’s current gaskets. Due to the versatility of the DeltaV-Seal it allows the one-piece precision CNC machined product to be manufactured in materials compatible to the facilities incumbent pipework system.

As with all Pipeotech’s metallic gaskets, the 304L DeltaV-Seal is designed and engineered specifically to replace legacy spiral wound and Kammprofile gaskets. The fully metallic construction of the DeltaV-Seal is robust and easy to handle, enabling a simple, gas-tight installation that is certain to be maintenance-free for the long term.

Once installed the connection is non-ductile, static, and never requires re-tightening of bolts or fasteners to maintain tightness. All DeltaV-Seal materials have been proven extremely durable particularly to vibration and pressure pulse cycles.

Pipeotech’s new 304L flange gasket has undergone a significant amount of testing, beyond the standard industry requirements within EN13555. The new DeltaV-Seal 304L has been tested up to 40 BarG pressure at temperatures of 20 °C, 200 °C, and 400 °C, to establish its elasticity, relaxation, and leakage rates based on gasket stress. Traditional gaskets only complete these tests at ambient temperatures.

Download the 304L DeltaV-Seal product sheet

304L Product Sheet

– Pipeotech’s 304L DeltaV-Seal will save fertilizer plants millions of dollars by significantly increasing the time between gasket changes. Increasing the time between gasket changes significantly reduces maintenance costs and increases the available uptime of nitric acid units.

Erlend Berntsen, Direct Sales Manager, Pipeotech AS

The new 304L DeltaV-Seal developed in partnership with industry is the perfect gasket for the bolted flange joints of nitric acid piping. Replacing existing gasket technology, the new 304L stainless steel DeltaV-Seal is significantly more resistant to nitric acid than the technology it replaces.

Pipeotech’s 304L DeltaV-Seal will save fertilizer plants millions of dollars by significantly increasing the time between gasket changes. Increasing the time between gasket changes significantly reduces maintenance costs and increases the available uptime of nitric acid units.

DeltaV-Seal 304L

Fri, 14 Mar 2025 13:07:27 GMT

Product information data sheet for DeltaV-Seal 304L.

Download the DeltaV-Seal 304L product information file here .

FPSO & Marine - DeltaV-Seals ensure the safe and reliable operation of inert gas systems

Fri, 14 Mar 2025 13:04:42 GMT

A market-leading expert for the maritime industry manufactures a range of inert gas generators to suit their client's needs. Vessels carrying cargo-producing hydrocarbon vapors require inert gas generators to remove flammable and explosive atmospheres from their cargo tanks.

Vessels carrying cargo producing hydrocarbon vapour require an inerting solution to eliminate the risk of explosions and fires in the cargo tanks. This can be achieved by keeping the oxygen content below 8%, a standard set by IMO. The Maritime Protection Inert Gas Generator (IGG) system is a combustion solution that creates inert gas containing oxygen less than 5%.

Industry Challenges

Maritime Protection, a manufacturer of inert gas generators wanted the best available, proven, and approved gasket technology for its natural gas fired inert gas systems. The bolted flange joints in the natural gas piping must be resistant to vibration, maintenance-free, fire resistant, and require no re-torquing of the bolts throughout the joint’s lifetime. The DeltaV-Seal™ was the perfect fit, providing the client with a long-term fire safe gas tight seal.

Background

Vessels carrying cargo-producing hydrocarbon vapors require an inert solution to eliminate the risk of fires and explosions within their cargo tanks. Inert gas generators produce inert gas to reduce oxygen levels within the cargo tanks of FPSOs and other marine vessels. Given the critical nature of the performance of inert gas generators to the safety of ships worldwide, ensuring the reliability and integrity of the bolted flange joints is crucial to ensuring the long-term reliable performance of the inert gas generator.

Benefits

Hundreds of DeltaV-Seal™ flange gaskets have been supplied and installed within the bolted flange joints of the inert gas generators manufactured by the client as the DeltaV-Seal simplifies maintenance with no need to re-torque and proven resistance to vibration loading. Furthermore, the gasket has a known thickness before and after installation; this defined thickness has simplified the design of the piping and flanges within the inert gas generators.

Solutions

Pipeotech’s 316L stainless steel gasket is the perfect fit. The DeltaV-Seal ™ flange gasket is fully metallic, providing the tight and durable metal-to-metal seal the client requires. The gasket does not need re-torquing and has been proven gas-tight by several independent industry tests. Furthermore, the gasket has been tested and proven resistant to pressure and vibration cycles, certified by DNV GL (Certificate TAP000003B). All DeltaV-Seals are certified as fire-safe per API6FB.

Download the full case study

Download the case study by clicking the link below:

Marine Intert Gas Generator Case Study

Proposed European PFAS ban officially submitted – it’s potential impact on PTFE gaskets.

Fri, 14 Mar 2025 12:59:20 GMT

On the 13 January 2023, The Netherlands, Germany, Denmark, Sweden and Norway took the first formal step towards a European ban on polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) by jointly submitting a restriction proposal to the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA). PTFE, (polytetrafluoroethylene), belongs to a subgroup of PFAS called fluorinated polymers.

Due to PTFE’s durability and general chemical resistance, it is a popular material used as the sealing component in the manufacture of sheet and semi metallic gaskets. Any ban of PFAS could have a serious impact on businesses utilizing PTFE gaskets and businesses need to prepare for any future ban.

PFAS is seen as a forever chemical, which does not naturally break down in nature. Further to PFAS being identified as a forever chemical there is ongoing research to understand whether exposure to PFAS has any impact to our health. This research and evaluation will also be applicable to PFAS sub groups, if there is the potential for PTFE gaskets to cause harm to our health it would be prudent for operators to consider changing from PTFE gaskets to alternative gasket materials.

Pipeotech, is a European manufacturer of the DeltaV-Seal flange gasket. Pipeotech precision CNC machine our gaskets from material compatible with the piping. As the patented DeltaV-Seal is fully metallic and without the need for sealing compounds, we can be confident our gasket is PFAS-Free and will not be subject to any future PFAS legislation, application and environmental restrictions.

Preventing nitrous gas leakage at a Thermowell instrument flange joint

Fri, 14 Mar 2025 12:57:31 GMT

On a Thermowell instrument coupling flange joint a previous semi-metallic gasket required maintenance intervention 7 times in three-and-a-half years. Switching from a semi-metallic gasket to the DeltaV-Seal prevents the emissions of NOx, protecting the environment and will saving the operator the cost of regular maintenance interventions.

Industry Challenges

Elevated temperatures, corrosive environments, and vibrations may be challenging for semi-metallic gasket technologies. Before the utilization of the DeltaV-Seal™, the previous tanged sheet gaskets required seven unplanned maintenance interventions in three and half years. Ensuring a reliable seal at elevated temperatures, corrosive piping contents, and vibrations from nearby compressors can be a challenge for legacy gasket technologies, while the DeltaV-Seal™ has proven itself capable of working effectively under these plant operational conditions.

Background

A traditional tanged gasket (shown above) was used to seal an uninsulated Thermowell instrument flange joint (cold spot) in an otherwise insulated piping adjacent to gas compression, causing leakage in a gasketed flange joint. The piping contained nitrous gases and was therefore monitored for fugitive emissions of NOx (NO + NO2) and for pollution in the vent stack.

As the Thermowell instrument was installed adjacent to a gas compressor, the pipework was monitored for vibrations during the plant’s operation. The operational conditions at the flange joint led to frequent shutdowns and the need to replace the gasket.

Benefits

The DeltaV-Seal™ is proven as gas-tight, minimizing fugitive emissions of NOx under challenging piping operational conditions. Being manufactured in materials compatible with the piping and pipe contents, the DeltaV-Seal™ will not be subject to mechanical and chemical degradation as found with semi-metallic gaskets.

With the proven vibration, chemical and pressure pulse resistance, the DeltaV-Seal™ has maintained a gastight seal, improving the fertiliser plant’s reliability. The regular and unplanned maintenance interventions are now prevented by switching from tanged sheet gaskets to the DeltaV-Seal.

Solutions

Pipeotech’s 316L stainless steel gasket is perfect for nitrous gas piping at elevated temperatures, under piping vibrations and in corrosive conditions. The DeltaV-Seal™ gasket is fully metallic, providing the tight and durable metal-to-metal seal that the client required without any special considerations beyond those of traditional semi-metallic gaskets and within the installation parameters of ASME PPC-1 and Pipeotech’s installation instructions.

As the gasket is fully metallic, it removes the need for filler material, thereby preventing degradation over time. Furthermore, the gasket has been tested and proven resistant to pressure and vibration cycles.

Download the full case study

Download the case study by clicking the link below:

Case Study Fertilizer Nitrous Gas Piping NOx

We're growing - and moving to a bigger office space!

Fri, 14 Mar 2025 12:53:22 GMT

We are excited to announce that Pipeotech’s Oslo team is moving to a new location within Oslo. The big reason? We are growing in both the number of clients and number of applications where a DeltaV-Seal is the best available technology.

Our new office space is located in the Western part of Oslo, Lysaker. As of the 26th of February you’ll find us in Strandveien 17, 1366 Lysaker, Norway.

Fell Free to come and visit – we’ve got coffee!

Semi Conductor application for Nitrogen and Oxygen gas purifiers

Fri, 14 Mar 2025 12:51:16 GMT

One of the world's leading semiconductor manufacturers in South Korea required a carbon-free, bacteria and virus-tight gasket capable of withstanding temperatures up to 500°C. The DeltaV-Seal™ gaskets are now utilized within many operating systems, including tube-type heat exchangers for Nitrogen & Oxygen gas purification.

Industry Challenges

The Kammprofile gaskets previously utilized could not provide reliable and extended service due to the high temperatures and required frequent shutdowns for replacement. Given the need for extremely high purity levels from the cleaned Oxygen and Nitrogen, the manufacturer also requested low levels of Carbon to be present within the gasket, which is met via the 316L DeltaV-Seal™. A tight and durable gasket was required to perform at high temperatures and provide a bacteria and virus-tight seal.

Background

The manufacture of semiconductors requires a clean room environment as the wafers produced are extremely sensitive to environmental containments. One of the world’s leading semiconductor manufacturers contacted Pipeotech looking to improve the performance of bolted flange joints, which are a strategic part of the system purifying Nitrogen and Oxygen. All flanges are raised face per ASME 16.5, and either pressure class #150 or #300 enables off-the-shelf DeltaV-Seal™ gaskets to be utilized required.

Benefits

Due to the leak-free, high-temperature performance, the DeltaV-Seal™ is now part of the best practice guidelines for one of the world’s leading semiconductor manufacturers, allowing higher operating temperatures for increased purity and advances in product performance. With the DeltaV-Seal™ providing an “off the shelf” delivery and simple fix, the semiconductor manufacturer is free to focus on increasing the manufacture of semiconductors to meet the global demand.

Solutions

Pipeotech’s 316L Stainless Steel gasket is the perfect fit. The fully metallic DeltaV-Seal provides a longterm, technically tight and durable high-temperature metal-to-metal seal, with all applications supported with a detailed engineering analysis per EN1591-1. The construction of the DeltaV- Seal™ allows for chemical cleaning as needed and, with zero filler material used, removes all concerns of; mechanical degradation, contamination and relaxation of the gasket.

Download the full case study

Download the case study by clicking the link below:

Case Study Semi Conductior High Temperature Clean Room

ATEX Zoning reduction & Equipotential bonding possible with the DeltaV-Seal

Fri, 14 Mar 2025 12:43:21 GMT

Recycling metallic canisters containing flammable gases to prevent the emission of the gases to the environment and recycle the metallic packing material.

Background

Aerosol cans, pharmaceutical inhalers, and barbecue propane tanks when expired still contain hazardous flammable material. A machine was developed to capture the liquids and gases within the canisters, preparing them for energy-to-waste applications in a near zero-emissions environment. The metal pressure vessels are compressed into bricks and ejected from the machine, accepted by scrap metal businesses around the world.

Benefits

The DeltaV-Seal™ gaskets have been utilized during the manufacture of all new machines. Client Testimonial:

– [We are] very happy we found Pipeotech [DeltaV-Seal™] gaskets for our application. The zoning reduction around the flanges and that they provide equipotential bonding for the piping are both fantastic attributes and we will continue using them going forward on future projects. We’ve also recommended them to customers for other piping applications.

Lead Engineer, Major Industrial Equipment Manufacturer

Solutions

Working in partnership with a local ATEX zoning expert, Pipeotech and the recycling machinery manufacturer were successfully able to reduce the ATEX zone around the flanges from ATEX Zone 1 to ATEX Zone 2 with compliance to EN 1127. The process of achieving compliance to EN 1127 included demonstrating the durability of the DeltaV-Seal with EN1591-1 calculations to demonstrate extremely low leakage rates combined with API6FB fire safe performance. With the gasket manufactured from carbon steel it also provides equipotential bonding.

Download the case study

Download the case study by clicking the link below:

Case Study ATEX Reduction Recycling Facility

DeltaV-Seal Gaskets for peroxide service featured in Fluid Handling Pro

Fri, 14 Mar 2025 12:37:05 GMT

Pipeotech's project with a global manufacturer of peroxide has been featured within Fluid Handling Pro. The article details the design considerations for a gasket utilized in an extremely pure peroxide production unit, along with the specialist cleaning required to prevent contamination and ensure safety.

To read the article featured in Fluid Handling Pro click the link below:

Fluid Handling Pro - Cleaned Gaskets Within a Peroxide System of a Chemical Processing Plant

DeltaV-Seal 316L ASME Installation Handbook

Fri, 14 Mar 2025 12:33:55 GMT

Installation Handbook for the DeltaV-Seal flange gasket in 316L Stainless Steel - ASME Sizes.

Installation Handbook - 316L ASME

To download the installation instructions for the standard 316L DeltaV-Seal gasket in ASME sizes please click the link below:

Installation Handbook 316L ASME Sizes

DeltaV-Seal S235 EN Installation Handbook

Fri, 14 Mar 2025 12:33:49 GMT

Installation Handbook for the DeltaV-Seal flange gasket in S235 Carbon Steel - EN Sizes.

Installation Handbook - S235 EN

To download the installation instructions for the standard S235 Carbon Steel DeltaV-Seal gasket in EN sizes please click the link below:

Installation Handbook S235 EN

DeltaV-Seal 316L EN Installation Handbook

Fri, 14 Mar 2025 10:58:37 GMT

Installation Handbook for the DeltaV-Seal flange gasket in 316L Stainless Steel - EN Sizes.

Installation Handbook - 316L EN

To download the installation instructions for the standard 316L DeltaV-Seal gasket in EN sizes please click the link below:

Installation Handbook 316L EN

DeltaV-Seal S235 ASME Installation Handbook

Fri, 14 Mar 2025 10:56:57 GMT

Installation Handbook for the DeltaV-Seal flange gasket in S235 Carbon Steel - ASME Sizes.

Installation Handbook - S235 ASME

To download the installation instructions for the standard S235 DeltaV-Seal gasket in ASME sizes please click the link below:

Installation Handbook S235 ASME Sizes

DeltaV-Seal 800HT - Assessment of high temperature pipework design for pilot plants

Fri, 14 Mar 2025 10:34:31 GMT

Ensuring the DeltaV-Seal™ gasket provides gas tight performance even when operating at temperatures as high as 880 °C (1616 °F).

The below linked report provides a summary of the development and assessment for the new 800HT DeltaV-Seal™ flange gasket. Pipeotech have completed a standard gasket testing program to EN 13555, maintaining a leak tightness class of L 0.0000001, operating at temperatures up to 880 °C (1616 °F). The standard gasket testing is supported with extensive calculations to EN 1591-1 to prove mechanical stability and tightness of bolted flange joints (BFJ) gasketed with DeltaV-Seal™ 800HT.

To learn more about Pipeotech's 800HT DeltaV-Seals™ performance and ability to remain gas-tight at temperatures up to 880 °C (1616 °F) the report can be downloaded below:

Download Report: Assessment of high temperature pipework design for pilot plants by applying Delta V Seal 800 HT

Reducing ATEX zoning within a biogas plant

Fri, 14 Mar 2025 10:29:54 GMT

Local regulation of a biogas plant in Western Europe required ATEX zoning. Utilizing several technical standards including EN1127, EN1591, and Pipeotech's extensive library of product testing, it has been possible to reduce the ATEX zoning around the bolted flange joints from ATEX zone 1, to ATEX zone 2 using the DeltaV-Seal flange gasket.

The biogas plant took waste potato skins and food waste and digested these creating methane gas and other by-products. The methane gas created is then utilized cooking the factories products, reducing energy costs. In accordance with local laws the area around the biogas plant had to be managed as an ATEX zone, in order to reduce operating and maintenance costs it was desireable to reduce the ATEX zone to the lowest zone possible.

With the emission rate of a DeltaV-Seal so low, and the DeltaV-Seal being demonstrated as tight and durable it was possible to reduce the ATEX zone from zone 1 to zone 2. You can learn more about how the DeltaV-Seal can remove ATEX zones by downloading the case study below.

You can download the case study here .

Pipeotech Q3 Newsletter

Fri, 14 Mar 2025 10:25:25 GMT

Another quarter is in the books here at Pipeotech. Q3 brought many opportunities for the company. Engineers and executives met with clients across the globe and attended various events to share the power of the DeltaV-Seal™.

Asian Sealing Visit Pipeotech

In September, Pipeotech was pleased to welcome and host Mr. Stephen Jang, MD of Korean Sealing Solutions, to their head office in Oslo, Norway. Korean Sealing Solutions uses the DeltaV-Seal™ for challenging sealing applications with the Semi-Conductor industry in South Korea, where high cleanliness and gas-tight sealing performance is needed within service temperatures up to 500°C.

– “It has been a pleasure to work and visit with Pipeotech to understand the detail, flexibility, and value they provide to support the integrity of the complete bolted flange joint and the QA/QC procedures they apply to the manufacture and tolerance of the finished DeltaV-Seal™ product.”

Mr. Stephen Jang, Managing Director, Korea Sealing Solutions

Further Developments

In early October, Jan Oredsson and Andrew Patrick attended the 2022 ANNA conference, where we networked with Ammonium Nitrate and Nitric Acid Producers. Through this event, we showed producers how the DeltaV-Seal™ could keep their plants safe with zero maintenance.

As 2023 quickly approaches, continued use and expansion of the applications for the DeltaV-Seal™ within the semi-conductor and other service-critical applications within South Korea are now expected. Pipeotech was also able to partner with its first stocking distributor in the United States; with this, Pipeotech is hoping to see continued growth in the US market.

With 2022 almost over, we look forward to what the future has in store.

Welcoming Henrik Borge and Przemyslaw Jaszak (Pawel) to the Pipeotech team

Fri, 14 Mar 2025 10:22:44 GMT

Our Engineering team is growing. Reporting to the Company CTO – Mr Jan Oredsson, It is our pleasure to welcome Henrik Borge and Przemyslaw Jaszak (Pawel) to our team.

Przemyslaw Jaszak (Pawel)

The engagement of Pawel is a strengthening of the already existing R&D collaboration between Wroclaw University of Science and Technology and Pipeotech in areas such as FEM modelling and leakage prediction of gasketed pipelines under deformation and laboratory testing of gaskets under standard conditions and in full-scale bolted flange joints.

Henrik Borge

Henrik joins as our Design, CAD, and Calculations engineer. Our growing team looks forwards to supporting your complete requirements for bolted flange joint integrity management and reduction of fugitive emissions with the tightest, most durable flange gasket in the industry.

Cleaned gaskets within a peroxide system of a chemical processing plant

Fri, 14 Mar 2025 10:22:32 GMT

Ensuring product quality and plant safety with a clean, bespoke, tight, and durable seal. The DeltaV-Seal enabled a manufacturer of peroxide to ensure their product was made safely and was free of contamination.

Ensuring product quality and plant safety with a clean, bespoke, tight, and durable seal

Peroxide is an extremely hazardous chemical, with contaminents causing severe consequences. Pipeotech manufactured our 316L Stainless Steel DeltaV-Seal in bespoke sizes with a reduced inside diameter, and specialist cleaning. With our gasket of the same material as the piping, a reduced inside diameter, and specialist cleaning we ensure our client is able to produce the purest peroxide in safe, reliable conditions.

The durable construction of the DeltaV-Seal gasket ensures it can survive cleaning that a traditional spiral wound or Kammprofile gasket would not be able to withstand.

Gasket Cleaning

The special stainess steel DeltaV-Seal™ flange gaskets ensure a longlasting, clean, and durable gas-tight seal. The gaskets were washed at 90 degrees celcius with a detergent to remove loose debris and oil. Once the gaskets were washed they were handed wearing latex gloves and packed within two seperate anti-static heat sealed bags ensuring they arrived at site clean and ready for installation.

Microscope Inspection

To ensure the gaskets were contaminent free a selection of gaskets that had been through the manufacturing and cleaning process were selected for further inspection. The images below show the gasket prior to cleaning, with traces of oil and particles present on the gasket surface.

Once the gaskets had been through the cleaning process all traces of oil and particles were removed as shown by the image below.

benefits

With Pipeotech's experienced engineering team developing a bespoke reduced inside diameter gasket and cleaning process we've assisted this client to ensure their peroxide is as pure as possible. In addition to providing a purer product Pipeotech have also provided the client with a safe, emission free, and durable seal.

You can download the case study here .

Technical Paper: Long lasting gaskets for ammonium nitrate and nitric acid applications.

Fri, 14 Mar 2025 10:16:40 GMT

Pipeotech was pleased to attend the October 2022 Ammonium Nitrate Nitric Acid (ANNA) Conference in Houston, TX, USA during which Pipeotech CTO Jan Oredsson presented a technical paper on the tightness and durability of the DeltaV-Seal gasket when utilized within Ammonium Nitrate and Nitric Acid piping.

Ammonium Nitrate Nitric Acid (ANNA) Houston 2022 Conference Paper

The paper was well received by the audience of engineers and manufacturing experts with some highlighting how poor performance of incumbent gasket technology is an ongoing daily issue. Several of the international fertiliser manufacturers at the event confirmed intentions to utilise the DeltaV-Seal gasket within their facilities.

The paper details extensive 3rd party testing to explain how the DeltaV-Seal flange gasket provides much tighter and more durable bolted flange joint integrity, in turn preventing emissions (NOX), increasing reliability and thereby reducing costs.

You can download our 2022 ANNA Conference Paper here .

DeltaV-Seal 800HT

Thu, 13 Mar 2025 09:28:54 GMT

Product information data sheet for DeltaV-Seal 800HT.

Download the DeltaV-Seal 316L product Information file here .

Stability and tightness of damaged flange joints with DeltaV-Seal Gaskets

Thu, 13 Mar 2025 09:27:20 GMT

Imperfections on flange faces happen. With more and more companies adopting low emissions business practices, can damaged flange surfaces provide a suitable seal to meet environmental compliance?

DeltaV-Seal S235 - Gasket Data

Thu, 13 Mar 2025 09:23:56 GMT

Product information data sheet for DeltaV-Seal S235.

Download the DeltaV-Seal S235 product Information file here .

Amended Technical Instructions on Air Quality Control (TA Luft) – What does it mean for Pipeotech and our customers?

Thu, 13 Mar 2025 09:20:38 GMT

The Technical Instructions on Air Quality Control (TA-Luft), which have been revised in 2021, are a comprehensive instrument for German authorities to control air pollution.

They contain provisions to protect people and the environment from unacceptably high pollution originating from installations as well as requirements according to Best Available Techniques (BAT) to prevent adverse effects on the environment.

They set emission limits for all relevant air pollutants from most industrial installations. Existing installations must be upgraded to reflect the best available technology.

Pipeotech’s insights on stricter air emission limits and the wider remit in Germany

TA-Luft is one of Germany’s most important environmental legislations aside from the “Federal Pollution Control Act” (Bundes-Immisionsschutzgesetz). TA-Luft governs the licensing requirements for industrial plants and is aimed at reducing emissions of pollutants to improve air quality.

The previous iteration of TA-Luft dates from 2002, meaning that this overhaul has been long overdue. The revisions came into force in December 2021 and are intended to consider the latest air pollution treatment technology and most recent information on pollutants.

For example, TA-Luft 2021 are now including regulations for such variety of processes as biogas, wood pellet production and shredder systems for the first time, as well as new nationwide regulations to protect local residents from odour nuisance.

At Pipeotech, we have analysed the new regulations, and, in this article, we are summarising our insights for our customers. From our perspective, the largest impact related to the amendment of TA-Luft 2021 will be the impact on the gasket and sealing industries in terms of increased challenges to prove product tightness-over-time and under operating conditions in actual bolted flange joints (BFJ) in real piping/pipeline systems.

So, what are the main changes?

From Pipeotech’s perspective, key changes can be found in the section 5.2.6.3 Flange connections.

As a rule, flange connections should only be used if they are necessary for process engineering, safety, or maintenance purposes. In this case, technically tight flange connections are to be used. For a selection of seals and design of technically tight flange connections, the tightness class L 0.01 with the corresponding specific leakage rate ≤ 0.01 mg/m/s for the test medium helium or other suitable test media, e.g., methane shall be applied.

To continue reading, download the article here .

The importance of sealing materials in safe and efficient integrated fertilizer production

Thu, 13 Mar 2025 09:15:19 GMT

The need to optimize fertilizer plant operations, driven by a range of external and internal influences, means that plant operators must be confident that all equipment is both reliable and high performing.

A facility for the production of nitrogen-containing mineral fertilizers (>46%) often integrates plants for ammonia production, nitric acid production, fertilizer (NPK) plant for calcium and/or ammonium nitrate production and plants for the production of urea.

These plants typically employ various corrosive, hazardous and abrasive fluids, and chemicals. The temperatures may stem from the processing and handling of cryogenic liquids (for example at -186°C for auxiliary liquid argon) and at -33°C for liquid ammonia storage to over 1000°C in the reformers. The pressures are as high as 175-350 bar in ammonia converters and 150-250 bar in urea plant reactors.

The industrial production of ammonium nitrate entails the acid-base reaction of ammonia with nitric acid: HNO3 + NH3 → NH4NO3. The ammonia required for this process is normally obtained by the Haber process from nitrogen and hydrogen.

Ammonia produced by the Haber process can be oxidized to nitric acid by the Ostwald process. Downstream of the ammonia production, the ammonia and carbon dioxide are then reacted at high temperature and pressure to produce molten (liquid) urea which is cooled and manufactured into granules or prills for industrial use and as an agricultural fertilizer. The hot melt can also be used to prepare urea solutions.

The aim of this paper is to describe the challenges placed on gaskets and sealing materials in the different parts of typical fertilizer manufacturing plants and provide an analysis of available sealing technologies. The paper also includes examples of successful sealing solutions.

Selecting the right gasket material can minimise downtime, maintain safety and maximise the efficiency of plant operations as demonstrated by the provided case studies.

The paper addresses the current trends in the fertilizer industry which is looking at decarbonising its processes by adopting new ‘green’ technologies and where a selection of high-performance sealing technology will be important.

To continue reading the article, click here .

The impact of using DeltaV-Seal™ on flange surfaces

Tue, 11 Mar 2025 14:56:48 GMT

Pipeotech has conducted flange surface profile measurements in cooperation with Sintef/DNV to investigate the impact of DeltaV-Seal on flange surfaces in bolted flange joints (BFJ).

Flange surface profile measurements

To investigate the impact of 316L DeltaV-Seal on flange surfaces, surface profile measurements were performed after installation of the gasket in 1’’, 6’’ and 12’’ RF flanges, all in #300 and made from 316L. An Alicona Imaging 3D optical-based metrology and imaging system was used for the surface profile measurements and documentation.

Typical result and documentation presentation from the Alicona Imaging system applied to the tested samples is shown below:

Colour-coded 3D surface profile variation visualization showing concentric flange grooves and three locations of DeltaV-Seal interaction with the flange surface. Purple colour: max. depth 30 μm; Red colour: max. height 25 μm.

Optical image of a 1” flange RF surface with the measurement line in red across with a radial distance of 6 mm between the visible outer and inner ridge interaction locations.

Typical flange surface profile of the tested flanges with the three DeltaV-Seal interaction locations clearly visible in-between the machined grooves with a radial distance of 6 mm between the inner and outer ridge gasket/flange surface interaction locations on the X-axis. Max. height on Y-axis is 20 μm and max. depth on Y-axis is 30 μm. RF width: ≈7.5 mm.

To continue reading, download the article here .

DeltaV-Seal 316L - Gasket Data

Tue, 11 Mar 2025 14:43:30 GMT

Product information data sheet for DeltaV-Seal 316L.

Download the DeltaV-Seal 316L product Information file here .

Pipeotech, featured in Fluid Handing Pro

Tue, 11 Mar 2025 14:40:38 GMT

Vibration Analysis Part of the DNV GL Type Approval for the Pipeotech DeltaV-Seal.

The weakest link in industrial piping systems is the gasket. Conventional semi-metallic gasket technologies are not able to provide a gas-tight seal that stays tight over time, mainly because they are affected by various forms of mechanical and chemical degradation to the soft sealing elements. Pipeotech addressed this issue by inventing the DeltaV-Seal™.

Read the full article...

Corporate environmental responsibility ‘done right’ with long-term methane mitigation by design

Tue, 11 Mar 2025 14:38:14 GMT

Traditional pipeline gaskets often leak and need frequent maintenance, which must be considered when choosing seals for a methane system.

Methane is one of the most potent greenhouse gases and avoiding leakage is a priority when using methane systems. Methane also ignites easily, so there are clear and immediate HSE incentives for maintaining absolute process integrity. Traditional pipeline gaskets often leak and need frequent maintenance, which must be considered when choosing seals for a methane system.

The customer is a large multi-national pharmaceutical corporation that has owned and oper-ated a manufacturing plant in southern Norway for almost 40 years. This facility is one of the major suppliers in the world for medical contrast media and has many miles of piping with thousands of valves and flanged connections.

The customer planned to build a new stretch of pipeline with methane as the main process media. And part of the company’s strategy for methane mitigation, includes flange gaskets with exceptional tightness that don't degrade over time, guaranteeing a reduction of flange-born emissions.

The company had previously piloted DeltaV-SealTM gaskets on steam systems throughout the facility, and due to the success of stopping leakage and its relationship with Pipeotech, the customer was confident to use the same seals on its more critical methane system. Upon installation, the gasket's seal is enduring and gas-tight, eliminating fugitive emissions.

Installation of DeltaV-Seal has meant zero flange-born methane emissions, zero accidents and greatly reduced pipeline operating costs--no maintenance and periodical re-torquing required. While these seals decrease overall maintenance costs, they also meet the customer's long-term sustainability goal of eliminating methane emissions.

Download the case study here.

Gasket ensures a long-lasting seal

Tue, 11 Mar 2025 14:32:27 GMT

In manufacturing fertilizer, ammonium nitrate is added to the process, and traditional, spiral wound and Gylon gasket technology often deteriorate in these conditions, resulting in leaks.

This is problematic because when ammonium nitrate leaks, it crystalizes and expands like ice, resulting in costly repair and safety hazards.

In manufacturing fertilizer, ammonium nitrate is added to the process, and traditional, spiral wound and Gylon gasket technology often deteriorate in these conditions, resulting in leaks. This is problematic because when ammonium nitrate leaks, it crystalizes and expands like ice, resulting in costly repair and safety hazards.

Working with the customer for a long-term solution, Pipeotech proposed the 316L DeltaV-Seal™. The material match ensures corrosion resistance and galvanic compatibility, and the extensive product testing and certification creates confidence that a long lasting and gas-tight seal can be achieved.

DeltaV-Seal was installed and monitored with zero leakage reported since the initial bolt-up. Installation of DeltaV-Seal can ensure a gas-tight and maintenance-free sealing solution that creates a safer, more profitable and environmentally sustainable facility.

Download the case study here.

ATEX zoning unnecessary with DeltaV-Seal™

Tue, 11 Mar 2025 14:28:52 GMT

During final assembly in the factory, cars are filled with fuel before being transported to their final destination. To facilitate this, fuel lines run throughout the facility. However, along the piping route there are potential sources of ignition, which is problematic when traditional seals cause leakage of flammable materials.

The customer is a global car manufacturer, producing over 1.6 million vehicles annually and with a yearly turnover of nearly 50 billion euros. Manufacturing is spread across 12 countries with a current workforce of over 87,000 direct employees.

In the factory, there are various sources of potential ignition, including electrical cabinets, along the fuel feed lines. This means that unless potential leakage can be eliminated, then ATEX zoning has to be established, requiring expensive equipment upgrades, new routines and training.

Working with Pipeotech, the DeltaV-Seal was suggested as a potential solution due to its industry leading gas-tight testing and performance. As the DeltaV-Seal fits the criteria of a durable and technically-tight solution in accordance with EN1127-1:2011, ATEX zoning could be removed at the customer's discretion.

After DeltaV-Seal installations, it was possible to remove all ATEX zonings around the pipework for the fuel feed lines. This has saved the customer the costs associated with meeting specialist ATEX equipment standards and has made the customer's workplace a safer environment for its employees

Download the case study here.

DeltaV-Seal™ stops flammable leakage, prevent fires

Tue, 11 Mar 2025 14:25:11 GMT

In facilities that use hot oil heat transfer fluid systems, fire hazards are a significant challenge due to the combination of organic combustible liquids, which run at temperatures above their flash point, making them volatile, and failing gaskets in the system.

Many industrial fires and plant explosions can be traced back to the integrity of heat oil transfer fluid systems, where seals in disrepair are a significant source of preventable leakages.

The customer manufactures plant-based food additives (emulsions, stabilizers and polymer additives) in two large scale production facilities in northern Europe and has distribution channels all over the world. In these facilities, hot oil heat transfer fluid systems were fitted with traditional gaskets, which have to be re-torqued and replaced often, incurring maintenance costs, and are a fire hazard due to leakage of volatile liquids.

Pipeotech worked with the customer to solve these leakages in order to reduce fire risk. The DeltaV-Seal was recommended due to the malleable sides of the seal, which form to exactly fit the flanges, and the high stiffness of the machined one-piece gasket, which results in an unmatched seal that doesn't need to be re-torqued and can withstand extreme temperatures, perfect for hot oil heat transfer.

As zero leakage has been reported since installation, the customer has been able to mitigate one of the most significant safety risks associated with hot oil heat transfer fluid systems. As well as increased safety, the use of the DeltaV-Seal results in improved efficiency and lower maintenance costs.

DeltaV-Seal™ prevent fires, promote safe environment

Tue, 11 Mar 2025 14:21:22 GMT

The use of hot oil systems in manufacturing presents challenges when traditional gaskets breakdown and cause leakage. As liquids in the system are kept at a temperature above their flash point, when they escape they can cause fires and even explosions in the facility.

The customer is a leading international manufacturer and supplier of paints and powder coatings with a total of 39 production facilities and approximately 10,000 employees worldwide. They have a presence in over 100 countries and supply paints and coatings specially developed for the residential, shipping and industrial markets.

The customer was experiencing regular gasket leakage in its hot oil systems, and as the company is invested in Health, Safety and Environment (HSE), this needed to be addressed to prevent facility fires, to increase efficiency and to ensure the safety of its employees.

Pipeotech proposed the DeltaV-Seal as an effective alternative to leaky traditional seals. The one-piece metal is machined in a compatible material to the connecting flanges, which completely mitigates seal failure due to temperature fluctuations. Not only does the seal achieve a phenomenal tightness at time of installation, the flange and seal expand and contract in unison providing a seamless and static connection that stays tight over time, regardless of the temperature.

The customer has had no leakages on their hot oil system since installation, which not only increases efficiency and reduces maintenance costs and downtime, but also provides a safer environment for its employees.

Download the case study here.

DeltaV-Seal™ prevents leaks and pipe corrosion

Tue, 11 Mar 2025 14:18:04 GMT

In district heating and cooling, generic spiral wound gaskets frequently cannot cope with the cyclical temperature conditions and often fail, leading to leakages and corrosion of the pipeline. This causes expensive maintenance and lower overall performance.

The customer is a large distributor of district heating and cooling in the south of Norway with several boilers and distribution hubs at various locations. It uses a combination of renewable energy sources and industrial waste heat to keep apartment and office blocks warm and cold seawater to keep buildings cool.

The generic gaskets on the customer's pipeline caused leakage and this seal failure also introduced oxygen from the air into the internal environment, promoting corrosion within the carbon steel piping infrastructure and flanges, which severely reduces the lifespan of the pipeline.

To handle the tough operating conditions involved in district heating, Pipeotech proposed that the customer replaced their spiral wound gaskets with DeltaV-Seal. The all-metal design, compatible with the flange material, provides a connection that expands and contracts in seamless unity during temperature fluctuations.

There have been zero leakages from joints connected using DeltaV-Seal since installation in 2014. This means that the corrosion-accelerating effects of oxygen within the internal process environment have been managed, which translates to an increased overall lifespan of the piping infrastructure. DeltaV-Seal also requires no periodical re-torquing or gasket replacement for up to 10 years and much lower maintenance costs in the long term.

Download the case study here.

DeltaV-Seal™ performs under extreme marine conditions

Tue, 11 Mar 2025 14:14:51 GMT

Importing ship-to-shore Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) requires robust and efficient pipeline seals that are compliant with high environmental standards.

The thermal cycling caused by the cryogenic nature of LNG, as well as the unpredictable marine environment, demands a seal that stays incredibly tight under extreme conditions in order to reduce leakage and to transfer on schedule.

The customer designs and manufactures marine infrastructure solutions for energy distribution. Their pioneering floating LNG transfer system, IQuay™, works by loading, discharging and bunkering LNG without the need for expensive and time-consuming fixed marine infrastructure. This inventive distribution framework calls for a solution not reliant on traditional seals, which leak often and don't perform well under the extreme conditions present in an LNG transfer.

Together with Pipeotech, the customer chose the DeltaV-Seal to work in tandem with its floating LNG system, as the one-piece metal construction and the connecting flange ensures that the seal contracts and expands in seamless unity throughout thermal cycling. Testing has shown that even at -196° C, the DeltaV-Seal has leakage rates 10,000 times less than that of similar gasket solutions.

A smooth, on-schedule transfer of LNG from the vessel-to-shore was achieved with zero leakages, saving time, money and helping the customer further its mission of providing clean, sustainable and climate-positive energy solutions.

Download the case study here.

DeltaV-Seal™ reduces greenhouse emissions

Tue, 11 Mar 2025 14:12:12 GMT

In fertilizer production, high-quality phosphorus fertilizers require nitric acid as a key ingredient, which is usually synthesized via the Ostwald process on-site (oxidizing of ammonia before combining with water).

This form of nitric acid synthesis is a cornerstone of any modern fertilizer production facility. However, this process can cause nitrous oxide to leak from the nitric acid lines, and it is 296 times more potent than carbon dioxide.

The customer is a global manufacturer of agricultural fertilizer products with several large facilities in Europe and North America. The customer was experiencing constant flange leakage on their nitric acid lines due to the use of traditional spiral-wound gaskets, leading to regular expensive shutdowns and HSE implications. The customer wanted to eliminate nitrous oxide emissions from the lines to increase safety and reduce environmental effects.

All valves and fittings on the nitric acid lines were stainless steel 316L with the associated piping 304L. Pipeotech put forward the 316L DeltaV-Seal as a long-term sealing solution. The material match ensures corrosion resistance and galvanic compatibility, and the extensive product testing and certification provides the customer confidence that a long-lasting and gas-tight seal can be achieved.

DeltaV-Seal was installed and monitored with zero leakage reported since the initial bolt-up. Installation of DeltaV-Seal provides a gas-tight and maintenance-free sealing solution. In this example, gasket selection has played an important role in creating a safer, more profitable and environmentally sustainable facility.

Download the case study here.

Pipeotech, featured in Sealing Technology & World Pumps

Tue, 11 Mar 2025 14:06:39 GMT

Following extensive leakage testing, carried out under cryogenic conditions in a laboratory programme, Pipeotech has extended coverage all the way down to applications running at a temperature of -196°C (-320.8°F).

Read the full article here...

Valve World features DeltaV-Seal™

Tue, 11 Mar 2025 13:56:55 GMT

In July 2021, one of the sealing industry's most widely circulated publications, Valve World, featured Pipeotech CTO Jan Oredsson inspecting a DeltaV-Seal gasket on its front cover, hailing Pipeotech as trailblazers within the zero leakage gasket space.

This momentous occasion was augmented by a feature article penned by editor Lucien Joppen explaining how DeltaV-Seal gaskets can help companies with their triple bottom line.

Read the full article here...

Andrew Patrick takes over as Pipeotech interim CEO

Tue, 11 Mar 2025 13:52:42 GMT

Pipeotech has appointed Andrew Patrick as the company’s interim chief executive following the resignation of outgoing CEO Henrik Sollie.

Patrick steps into the interim role from his current position as Head of Business Development. He joined Pipeotech in 2020 tasked with building awareness and revenues for Pipeotech’s revolutionary DeltaV-Seal™, the world’s tightest, safest and most durable pipeline sealing solution.

Sollie led Pipeotech for three years and guided the company through its growth and transformation into becoming the world-beating provider of pipeline seals it is today.

‘I would like to thank Henrik for his leadership and enormous courage and vision in transforming Pipeotech during his tenure,’ says Patrick.

‘Under his guidance, Pipeotech has grown to seal its own place as a world-beating innovator capable of delivering the very best in pipeline engineering across a wide range of industry segments, including oil and gas, chemical processing, maritime, pharmaceuticals, food and drink production, and more.

‘Henrik leaves Pipeotech in a great position for the future and on behalf of the whole company I would like to wish him well in his future career,’ adds Patrick.

Patrick joined Pipeotech after more than 20 years with Clock Spring NRI and has considerable experience in all aspects of pipeline engineering, giving him the ideal pedigree to take Pipeotech to the next level.

‘I believe Pipeotech has a genuine breakthrough solution with the Delta-V Seal that rewrites the rules when it comes to pipeline sealing, with unbeatable tightness and durability utilising a one-piece gasket that is guaranteed 100% leak-proof in even the harshest of environments,’ says Patrick.

‘The team at Pipeotech have a zero-tolerance attitude to fugitive pipeline emissions and have exceptional proven strengths in this segment.

‘We are determined to further build on the Delta-V Seal’s incredible guarantee and to show it has the potential to transform industrial pipelines to help companies eliminate fugitive emissions, reduce accidents, cut maintenance costs and increase their profits.’

In conversation with: Odd Skagestad, GE Healthcare Lindesnes

Tue, 11 Mar 2025 13:42:47 GMT

We recently spent some time talking with technical engineer Odd Skagestad from GE Healthcare Lindesnes about how DeltaV-Seal™ technology has impacted operations at a world-leading pharmaceutical manufacturing facility.

What is your role and responsibility at the plant? How long have you worked there?

I am a departmental engineer in the technical engineering department with equipment responsibility for pipes, valves, gaskets and tanks. In addition, I am responsible for pipes and mechanical disciplines in a number of projects. I’ve been employed at Lindesnes for almost 20 years.

Tell us a bit about the Lindesnes factory - what you are making there now?

GE Healthcare AS, Lindesnes factories, was established in 1974 under the name Nygaard og co. Since then, the site at Lindesnes has become part of global GE Healthcare brand and evolved into a state-of-the-art pharmaceutical process factory that produces X-ray contrast agent. In total, GE healthcare has around 40% of the world market for X-ray contrast agents with around 240,000 patients receiving injections of contrast medium originating from the Lindesnes Factory every single day. We currently have over 400 employees who come primarily from Lindesnes and the surrounding municipalities.

What applications and processes are typically found at the Lindesnes factory?

From a process piping point of view, the facility deals with a wide range of applications including everything from water to solvents, bases, acids and gases. The product itself goes through several process stages, each with very different physical properties that we must take into account when choosing material qualities and gasket types.

– Throughout the facility are approx. 230 km of pipework installed with around 40,000 valves, 2,000 pumps and 700 heat exchangers in total

...and gaskets?

Of the gaskets at the plant, we use everything from fiber, rubber and graphite gaskets as well as some PTFE and Viton. We are very satisfied and have very little leakage due to the careful selection of gasket types based on the media and process conditions in each pipe run. The biggest factor when selecting a new gasket is quality, secondly price. We have very good experiences with the gaskets we have chosen to use on our systems so far.

What processes are you currently using DeltaV-Seal?

We have now approved DeltaV-Seal on steam, lye, nitrogen and methane pipe runs. We have also installed them on a part of the cooling water system with pipes to and from a buried cooling water tank that we previously had leakage problems on. This has been a success and we have now not detected any leaks where we have used the DeltaV-Seal gaskets.

What led you to installing DeltaV-Seal on a methane system?

At GE Healthcare Lindesnes there is a strong focus on our corporate environmental responsibility. As part of our program of environmental impact reduction measures, we have established a separate process unit dedicated to reducing emissions of TOC (Total Organic Carbon). This is conducted in accordance with the IED (Industrial Emissions Directive EU) limit values set by BAT (Best Available Technology) for different industrial processes.

One of the purification steps that reduce our carbon footprint is the biological decomposition of organic compounds. This is achieved by first using anaerobic purification on an EGSB reactor (Expanded Granular Sludge Bed), where methane is formed for combustion in boiler houses that produce steam. To prevent any leakage including harmful fugitive methane emissions we decided to use the DeltaV-Seal gaskets due to the gas-tight leakage properties and extended service life.

What is your first impressions of our seal? Would you recommend it?

When we were first approached by Pipeotech in 2015 as a potential pilot customer we decided to conduct some in-house testing to verify some of the product claims. Due to our experience with other gaskets dissolving or changing physical properties over time a program to assess the durability and corrosion resistance of the gasket was appropriate. The result was that after prolonged exposure to corrosive saline solutions internally and externally the DeltaV-Seal displayed no signs of any corrosion. Our first impression, therefore, was that it was a very well-developed type of gasket and immediately became the solution to some of our sealing challenges.

The impressive technology forms an extremely tight and static connection with the flange making them stable over time. We really noticed this on steam systems. Before we were using graphite spiral wound gaskets which proved extremely challenging to disassemble during maintenance, often requiring machining of the flange surface. Here, the simplicity of the one-piece metal construction of DeltaV-Seal comes into its own.

– The result was that after prolonged exposure to corrosive saline solutions internally and externally the DeltaV-Seal displayed no signs of any corrosion.

And whats it been like dealing with Pipeotech?

Pipeotech delivers good products and is a customer solution-oriented company. We have been in dialogue with them when we were first introduced to the technology to optimize the design for our use. On initial testing on some of our non-standard systems, it turned out that one of the three grooves in the gasket surface did not hit the gasket surface on the flange collar. Pipeotech solved this by changing the position of the grooves, creating a custom design for our needs so that the sealing rings would correctly seal against the flange collar. We really appreciate this kind of service and see it as a big advantage for Pipeotech.

Download the case study here

Cryogenic milestone for DeltaV-Seal™

Tue, 11 Mar 2025 13:26:34 GMT

Pipeotech gasket, DeltaV-Seal™ is engineered for long term use, all the way down to applications running at -196°C, based on stellar results of cryogenic leakage tests at a pre-eminent European research lab.

Pipeotech launched its metal-to-metal DeltaV-Seal in 2015. Backed by unique DNV GL type certification, DeltaV-Seal immediately set a new gas-tight standard for industrial gaskets, offering the first sealing solution that was proven to stay exceptionally tight over time with zero maintenance or retorquing required. After proving its efficacy in sectors ranging from hydrocarbons to chemicals processing, maritime, pharmaceuticals and food and beverage production.

Raising the bar

Pipeotech has now blazed a new trail, conducting leakage testing of a bolted flange joint (BFJ) under cryogenic conditions in a laboratory testing programme engineered and carried out together with Wroclaw University of Science and Technology in Poland. The BFJ contained a DN40/PN40 material 316L DeltaV-Seal with a sealing length of 0.2 metres and containing helium pressures from 10 bar to 100 bar.

“To stand a chance of eliminating fugitive emissions, modern cryogenic processes require a new generation of sealing product that can maintain absolute integrity all the way down to -196°C. The data we have seen is conclusive and should promote DeltaV-Seal right to the top of the pile, we’re delighted with the results,” said Pipeotech CEO Henrik Sollie.

The results show that the DeltaV-Seal maintains a tightness level higher than 10-8mg/s at temperatures down to -196°C at all tested pressures.

Hydrogen is key new market

A major part of the gas value chain features cryogenic processes where operating temperatures often approach the temperature of liquid nitrogen (i.e. -196°C). Liquefaction, LNG/LPG shipping and terminals, floating LNG (FLNG) facilities, and regasification are consequently one of Pipeotech’s main markets, but the broad spectrum of existing and emerging industries that also use cryogenic processes can also greatly benefit from using the DeltaVSeal.

“These industries include production and handling of emerging new green fuels – particularly hydrogen, where there is a lot of activity right now – as well as ammonia and biofuels,” said Sollie.

Challenging the status quo

The status quo in cryogenic processes has been to use old technology that has been extremely prone to leakage, requiring constant maintenance and replacement of gaskets.

The Wroclaw lab carried out exactly the same tests under the same cryogenic conditions on 20 to 30 competing high-performance gaskets with graphite or PTFE sealing components. “The results showed that the DeltaV-Seal is more than 10,000 times tighter at 8 bar, which was the highest applied test pressure for these other gaskets. This clearly puts it in a league of its own,” said Sollie.

An important landmark

“Gaskets have for too long been treated as a disposable afterthought, giving rise to the unacceptable phenomenon of 'acceptable leakage'. The raw performance and ever-expanding value proposition of the DeltaV-Seal, even at extreme temperatures, is challenging that belief with these excellent results becoming another important landmark in our technology development,” said Sollie.

DeltaV-Seal™ - The end to fugitive emissions?

Mon, 10 Mar 2025 15:15:04 GMT

At Pipeotech we believe that the concept of 'acceptable leakage' is unacceptable and that flange-born fugitive emissions are an avoidable threat.

As part of our mission to spread this message it was a pleasure to speak with Stephanie Matas, Editor of the Fugitive Emissions Journal to discuss current emissions standards and to state the case for the mass adoption of DeltaV-Seal technology as a possible solution.

We even made the front cover!

Read the full story here .

Pipeotech’s reach goes atomic

Mon, 10 Mar 2025 14:58:06 GMT

Pipeotech has taken gasket tightness to new microscopic levels by supplying DeltaV-Seal™ to European Spallation Source, the world’s most powerful neutron source, in Lund, Sweden.

The new research facility is one of the largest and most advanced technology infrastructure projects being built anywhere in the world today and it will enable a more powerful range of experiments using neutrons than previously possible, providing a significant step forward in the science of everyday life.

Advanced research

Advanced research requires advanced tools and Pipeotech’s unique DeltaV-Seal will play an important role in this exciting new development.

When producing neutrons for research in a spallation process, ionising radiation is generated. For this reason, safety is always the top priority at ESS, and first and foremost is to meet all the requirements and safety regulations set out by the regulatory authorities.

The incredible guaranteed tightness and durability of the DeltaV-Seal are vital components in the safe and efficient running of the key water-cooling system in the ESS target area, where the water will become activated in the neutron production process.

Ionising radiation can cause a high attrition rate in polymeric seals and the fact Pipeotech’s gasket can be made in the same stainless steel material as its surroundings negate the problems of galvanic corrosion in such a sensitive environment.

Molecular detail

Neutrons have been used in scientific studies since the 1930s as they can penetrate deeper than X-rays and can be used to analyse different structures and functions within a material at an atomic or molecular level in a ‘soft’ way, meaning samples are not altered or damaged.

This opens the door to a wide range of study areas, including in the fields of life sciences, materials science, experimental physics, nano-technology, cultural heritage and pharmaceuticals.

Funding of the new multi-disciplinary research facility ESS is provided by 13 member countries organised as a European Research Infrastructure Consortium, with Sweden hosting the facility and Denmark the data management centre, which is located in Copenhagen.

Hundreds of scientists from across Europe have been working in collaboration on the concept and design of the new facility. Building work in Lund began in 2014 and when the research facility starts operating in 2023 it will deliver 20 times more sensitive instrument performance on average than the current leading neutron sources.

Around two to three thousand guest scientists and researchers will carry out experiments each year using this powerful new tool to analyse basic atomic structures and forces, leading to many potential break-through discoveries.

Accelerating progress

ESS in Lund will be the world’s brightest neutron source, and is based on the most powerful linear proton accelerator ever built.

The process to generate neutrons at ESS starts in the accelerator’s ion source, where rapidly varying electromagnetic fields heat hydrogen gas to ‘boil off’ the electrons from the hydrogen molecules. Hydrogen is the simplest element of nature and consists only of protons and electrons, so when the electrons have evaporated a plasma of protons remains.

The protons are guided from the ion source into a series of various types of accelerator cavities, using magnets to steer the beam. The protons are accelerated to about 96% the speed of light using electromagnetic fields as they are directed through the 602.5-metre accelerator towards their target.

That target is a 4.9-tonne, 2.6-metre diameter rotating wheel made of 7,000 neutron-rich heavy metal tungsten bricks encased in stainless steel shielding. The high-speed protons collide with the tungsten and split the nuclei, kicking out high-energy neutrons in the process known as spallation.

Those neutrons are then slowed to the speed of sound and guided through a fan of up to 42 beam ports towards a range of 15 tailor-made instruments, where the samples to be studied are placed for analysis.

Molecular detail

The target area inside the monolith, which contains almost 6,000 tonnes of shielding, poses some serious engineering challenges as ionising radiation and large amounts of heat are produced when the protons collide with the wheel and split the tungsten nuclei.

The tungsten target itself is cooled using a flowing helium gas system to keep it below 500 degrees Celsius, but the stainless steel shielding and the surrounding components and instruments are also affected by heat and are required to be water-cooled at between room temperature and 60 degrees Celsius.

The intention is for neutron production to run 24/7 for about 5,400 hours a year at the facility and so any unscheduled maintenance will cause significant disruption for the researchers.

It is therefore essential that the pipes carrying the water-cooling system are leak-proof and resistant, so the seals employed must display stay maintenance free for as long as possible

The safety and verification requirements are set out by the regulatory body, the Swedish Radiation Safety Authority, and the components and materials used at ESS have to comply with these requirements in order for the facility to get the license to operate.

It is important for ESS to have a seal delivered that already has been tested so rigorously and comes as type-approved with verification from classification society DNV GL.

ESS sources its seals indirectly through a supplier and has chosen Pipeotech’s DeltaV-Seal for the water-cooling system in the most challenging area for gaskets in the whole facility.

Extreme tightness, reliability and durability are all key factors in why the ESS has chosen DeltaV-Seal. Leaks are simply not acceptable in this environment.

For more information about European Spallation Source please visit https://europeanspallationsource.se

Download the case study here

Corrosion and integrity specialist Jan Oredsson joins Pipeotech

Mon, 10 Mar 2025 14:46:01 GMT

Pipeotech has sealed the deal on an exciting new addition to its team by bringing in internationally recognized pipeline integrity and corrosion expert Jan Oredsson.

Oredsson has extensive experience in leading positions in the pipeline engineering sector, including working on large offshore projects for BP. His detailed knowledge of pipeline and process integrity is the perfect fit for Pipeotech as it drives forward delivering permanent leak-proof seals to industry, improving safety and cutting costs.

Pinnacle of his field

The Swedish national joins the Pipeotech team as a Corrosion and Integrity Management Specialist and will work very closely with Chief Technical Officer Jarle Ribler and Design and Product Engineer Christoffer Naess.

His main role at Pipeotech will be to back up the impressive claim that the DeltaV-Seal™ is now the tightest, safest and most durable flange gasket in the world.

Pipeotech chief executive Henrik Sollie says

"In early 2019 we formed the 'Gas-tight / Ten years task force'. As we were breaking new ground and challenging the status quo, we needed to create a team with diverse levels of expertise, consisting of proven problem solvers of the highest caliber. It became obvious to the initial task force that we needed to include an authority within corrosion management to lead our chemical test program. Thanks to a chance encounter at an event organised by Energy Invented, we were introduced to Jan.

When the warranty was launched this October, we realized during evaluation how important Jan had been for the process, and how essential his knowledge could be in ongoing and future development projects. When we asked if Jan would consider coming work for us on a permanent basis, it took a week and we had agreed to all formalities.

On a personal level, I find it extremely inspiring to have access to Jan’s professionalism, creativity, and problem-solving mindset. Jan’s experience as Director for Exova, leading a small team to growth and success, also gives him a unique understanding and holistic view of what is needed when growing a company.''

– Besides perhaps being Scandinavia’s leading authority in his field, Jan has in-depth knowledge on how to run successful “start-up, stay-up” driven projects from within oil and gas organizations, a skillset that has already proven to be very valuable for clients in early pre-FEED/FEED stages.

Henrik Sollie, CEO, Pipeotech

Oredsson says: ''This silver coin has two sides for me, the people and the product. Pipeotech has inspiring leadership who will push me to exceed expectations both in the office and on my bike."

''The company is working with an innovative and unique technology and I have been given a meaningful opportunity to make a difference in developing this further for a better future with reduced emissions.''

Field expertise

Corrosion and integrity issues have been a major problem across a wide range of pipeline uses throughout the world and Oredsson has been immersed in the field of pipeline integrity since graduating with an MSc in Materials Technology & Corrosion Engineering from the Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm.

He has worked in the subsea, offshore and onshore energy sectors with lead roles in South Stream Transport, Greystones Subsea and supermajor BP delivering key pipeline integrity management strategies on large projects off Norway and the UK and onshore in the Middle East.

Absolute Integrity

There is no doubt Ordesson is the perfect fit for a company geared up to transform standards for industrial piping, protecting people and environments and cutting costs for business.

Oredsson’s reputation does go before him as he is also in demand as a professional trainer for in-house and public training courses.

He has managed to combine passing on his knowledge to a new generation with his professional career, but he is far from done with innovation.

''After leaving the corporate world after 40 years I really did not see this coming, but here I am starting a new a chapter in my professional career with Pipeotech,'' Oredsson says. ''To all my old and existing colleagues out there - it is never too late!''

VARD finds the perfect fit

Mon, 10 Mar 2025 14:46:00 GMT

Norwegian-based shipbuilder VARD has been installing Pipeotech’s DeltaV-Seal™ in its vessels since 2016 and the cost-saving benefits have been very clear to Johny Morland, Principal Engineer, QA and Standardisation at the Fincantieri-owned company.

VARD is known for building specialised, cutting-edge vessels and its approach means it pays close attention to innovation and high quality from its suppliers.

Saving man-hours

The company uses the DeltaV-Seal from Norway’s Pipeotech in large steam systems for its expedition cruise ships, of which it has built 10 to date.

Morland highlights the significant cost saving in man-hours at the commissioning stage for these vessels as being a key factor in why Vard has chosen this particular gasket.

"Before we started to use the DeltaV-Seal we did not have so many projects requiring such big steam systems as we have now on these kinds of vessels," says Morland. "We saw that as a challenge with this kind of system as we know about the problem of leakage in steam systems."

"The steam system is a very difficult system to manage without leakage. During commissioning we start and shut down this system repeatedly, so it will be heated up and cooled down over and over again and the material will expand and contract many times... it’s a very big challenge for the material."

"Typically, in the past during these types of commissioning periods, we experienced difficulties with leakage, so by selecting the DeltaV-Seal we believe this can be sorted."

Any leakage at the commissioning stage for VARD can become a very expensive problem to troubleshoot and resolve, involving many lost man-hours and costing many thousands of dollars. "It’s very time consuming to repair any leakage from a gasket as you have many hundreds of connections to check," adds Morland.

Changing priorities

Morland and VARD put great emphasis on getting the most efficient, durable and reliable seal they can, and as a result priorities at the procurement stage have changed over the last few years.

Procurement offices once saw gaskets as a low priority item in the overall system and would shave a hundred dollars off prices, but then costs could run into many thousands of dollars later in lost man-hours at the commissioning stage when chasing leakages.

"It is a mistake to only look into a price list. In the end, maybe the cheapest is the most expensive, and we have learned this lesson many times now," adds Morland. "There are many more parameters than just the buying price."

In addition to the significant cost savings brought by using the DeltaV-Seal, Morland also highlights the safety issue for Vard during the commissioning process, where standards have to be at their highest at all times. Trust in the DeltaV-Seal is important.

Pipeotech’s DeltaV-Seal is designed to never leak or deteriorate. The unit is a one-piece gasket made from the same metal as the flanges it mates with.

The steam systems VARD builds for its expedition cruise vessels create fluctuating temperatures that directly affect key components such as gaskets. It is vital for VARD that these parts maintain their integrity at all times in this challenging environment.

Pipeotech’s DeltaV-Seal expands and contracts in unity with the flange forming a perfect match, unlike other ductile seals not made from the same material as the flange. The DeltaV-Seal is different.

– It is a mistake to only look into a price list. In the end, maybe the cheapest is the most expensive, and we have learned this lesson many times now

Johny Morland, Principal Engineer, QA and Standardisation, Vard

Wide appeal

Morland sees Pipeotech’s innovation as having a wider appeal beyond building companies such as VARD. He sees the DeltaV-Seal as being so durable and with such a long lifespan it can dramatically reduce maintenance costs for ship and installation owners over many years of operations beyond any construction yard warranty period. The seal itself has a long-term guarantee from Pipeotech.

"It is a real positive for Pipeotech making such a reliable and dependable seal," says Morland. "So because we are choosing this seal for those reasons, we are putting it into our ships at the building stage, so then the shipowner can look at that years later and then say ‘hey our maintenance costs have come down because of this system that VARD has built’, and so our reputation at VARD is enhanced and Pipeotech gets more noticed."

Morland believes this element of durability in Pipeotech’s product and the trust that it can build will lead to ship owners insisting on the DeltaV-Seal being put into their design construction specifications in future. "If the shipowner knows more about this then they will put this in the specification for the ship - that they want this particular gasket because they want to cut maintenance costs after they take the ship," says Morland.

"But of course the standard of seal in our steam systems also affects our reputation, so that if we can deliver something that can remain in use for much longer than our competitors it is a good reason for ship owners to come back to build another vessel with us," says Morland.

So it seems the partnership between VARD and Pipeotech is sealed as a perfect fit for now, perhaps as tight as the DeltaV-Seal itself.

Download the case study here

Pipeotech recruits Andrew J. Patrick as new Head of Business Development

Mon, 10 Mar 2025 14:45:59 GMT

Pipeotech is looking to “supercharge” its global growth with the recruitment of Andrew Patrick to the new role of Head of Business Development.

Patrick, previously EVP Global Sales at Clock Spring NRI, joins the Norwegian headquartered firm with the remit of building awareness, and revenues, for Pipeotech’s revolutionary DeltaV-Seal™, the world’s tightest, safest and most durable sealing solution.

Pipeotech launched the unique DeltaV-Seal in 2015, setting a new standard for the sealing niche with a product that is 100% leak-proof, gas-tight, fire and blow out safe. Once installed it never needs re-tightening, saving on expensive maintenance and facility downtime, will not disintegrate and is capable of withstanding any operational temperature (both high and cryogenic).

Total integrity

It will now be Patrick’s job, CEO Henrik Sollie explains, to take these core messages to the market – pushing the seal in segments ranging from oil and gas, to chemical processing, maritime, pharmaceuticals, food and drink production, and more.

“With the DeltaV-Seal we have a one-of-a-kind industry offering and, we’re pleased to say, we think we have the same in our newest senior recruit Andrew,” Sollie says. “Over the course of 25 years with Clock Spring he has built invaluable expertise in all aspects of pipeline engineering – especially integrity and repair – and an industry contact list and network that is second to none.

“That is the kind of pedigree we need to really supercharge our growth at Pipeotech, communicating the core benefits of the DeltaV-Seal to customers targeting safer, more sustainable and profitable operations, with absolutely zero fugitive emissions. It’s great to have Andrew on board.”

Rewriting the rulebook

Pipeotech’s latest recruit will be working from the UK with a global brief, utilising his expertise to push the CNC-manufactured one-piece metal gasket to any industrial customers transporting liquids or gases through pipe infrastructure.

“This is a genuine breakthrough solution,” Patrick comments. “It rewrites the rules of pipeline engineering, making integrity simple, safe and long-term, thus delivering compelling customer benefits. I’m looking forward to both sharing my industry know-how with the team and explaining to the market how DeltaV-Seal can transform facility operations. It is time to move Pipeotech on to the next level. This an incredibly exciting prospect, and I can’t wait to get started.”

Pipeotech joins the European Sealing Association

Mon, 10 Mar 2025 14:19:28 GMT

Pipeotech is pleased to announce that it has become a member of the European Sealing Association.

Established in 1992 as a non-profit making trade association, The European Sealing Association represents the manufacturers and suppliers of sealing devices and materials. The Members of the ESA represent a strong majority of the sealing industry in Europe.

The Flange Gasket Division of the ESA has a membership of over thirty influential organizations involved in the industrial gasket industry, including raw material suppliers, research organizations and all of the leading manufacturers and suppliers of gaskets in Europe.

This body of experts has the express aim of advancing the science of flange sealing through joint research and relevant education to assist gasket users.

What does the ESA do?

The current activities of the Flange Gasket Division are focussed on the following areas:

Influencing Standards – working with national and international standards bodies such as CEN, ASME and API to ensure standards which affect gaskets, such as EN 13555 and EN 1591 are realistic and relevant.

Maintaining a Gasket Database – the ESA Flange Gasket Division cooperates closely with the Department of Sealing Technologies in the Unversity of Applied Sciences in Münster, Germany in creating a database of gasket parameters in accordance with EN 13555 for gaskets available in the European market.

Enhancing the status of Bolting Technicians – by promoting training, skills assessment and approval of personnel responsible for flange assembly throughout Europe and in collaboration with our sister organization in the USA, the Fluid Sealing Association, producing supporting literature such as the pocket-sized Gasket Installation Procedures guide.

Technical Articles – preparing technical articles on all aspects of gasket technology for publication in relevant industrial and scientific journals.

– It is our aim to fully engage and contribute to the organization’s goals by sharing our expertise and learning as much as we can from our new European network of experts

Jarle Riber, CTO, Pipeotech

ESA Secretary-General Mark Neal said

‘On behalf of the Executive Committee of the European Sealing Association and all of its members in Europe we would like to welcome Pipeotech and its partners as a new member. The ESA thrives on input and contributions from all members on a voluntary basis and we look forward to hearing and hopefully seeing many of the Pipeotech employees in the future.’

Pipeotech CTO Jarle Ribler states

‘On behalf of Pipeotech, I’m delighted we have become a member of the European Sealing Association, a highly influential and important professional body within the sealing industry. It is our aim to fully engage and contribute to the organization’s goals by sharing our expertise and learning as much as we can from our new European network of experts.'

To learn more about the European Sealing Association please visit their website:

www.europeansealing.com

Corrosive influence - The dangers of galvanic corrosion for pipelines

Mon, 10 Mar 2025 14:00:48 GMT

Norway’s key processing plants used for the transportation and processing of gas and condensate/light oil has successfully sealed previously sustained leaks. Located in Kårstø, Norway it is one of the largest of its kind in Europe, it found itself plagued with leaks in its condensed steam piping system. After trying various gasket sealing solutions to stop the leaking flanges, the leaks were completely eliminated through the utilization of the DeltaV-Seal. The DeltaV-Seal offers a gas-tight, metal-to-metal solution that is capable of operating in extreme temperatures without developing deposits on the flanges.

Operating conditions expose gaskets to excessive strain, normally leaving deposits on the flange.

Leakage in piping installations constitute a major challenge at processing plants. High pressure steam, various chemical components, and severe temperature fluctuations put strain on the joint flanges of gasket seals. Even small leaks may cause major problems, as well as power loss and unwanted strain on the pipe system. Leaks may also cause pollution problems detrimental to the plant itself, the working environment, and the surrounding environment.

The plant experienced leakage over an extended period of time, despite several attempts which were made to seal the flange using various, competing sealing solutions. However, Tvedestrand based Pipeotech offered to deliver its new and patented DeltaV-Seal seal system to the 18-inch flange, free of charge, enabling the plant operator to test the quality.

The DeltaV-Seal was delivered in 316L material, which matched the flange material. Manufacturing the DeltaV-Seal out of the same material as the flange prevents galvanic corrosion from developing, further protecting the flange’s integrity.

Attending the installation of the DeltaV-Seal at the plant was Pipeotech Sales Manager Erlend Berntsen and Chief Technical Officer Frode H. Larssen. Mr Berntsen explained how the core principle of DeltaV-Seal is to make the seal from the same metal as the flange itself, in addition to integrating elevated rings that adapt to the shape of the flange when bolted together.

– Our sealing system proved effective both against gas and liquid leaks, as well as chemical components prone to corroding other sealing solutions. The DeltaV-Seal withstands large temperature variations and does not cause depositing, which is often a challenge when replacing gaskets.

Erlend Berntsen, Direct Sales Manager, Pipeotech AS

When opening the flange to install the DeltaV-Seal, the flange required a time-consuming process of being cleaned of packaging residue and old sealants. The leaking flange was located several meters up on the rig and a mobile crane was required in order to complete the installation process. The process of removing and cleaning the previously failed seal required four mechanics and a security guard to work an entire day to complete before the new seal could be inserted.

The flange the leak was located at a flange several meters up on the rig and a mobile crane was required in order to complete the installation process.

After installation of the DeltaV-Seal was completed a test report confirmed the flange became 'gas-tight' and all leakage was eliminated after the old seal was replaced.

Another advantage of the DeltaV-Seals metal to metal design is that it does not require post-tightening or re-torquing of bolts at any time during its operational life cycle. In addition to the successful remedy of the previously persistent leak, thanks to the design of the DeltaV-Seal and ease of installation, the cost of the process was below the estimated cost.

– We are now eager to see if the success of this test will pave the way for the use of our solution in the rest of the plant, as well as in other company installations with leakage issues caused by pressure, vibrations, or temperature fluctuations.

Erlend Berntsen, Direct Sales Manger, Pipeotech AS

Download the case study here

To boldly go... Pipeotech joins the Innovation Norway, Explorer

Fri, 07 Mar 2025 13:41:34 GMT

We’re pleased to announce that at the beginning of 2020, Pipeotech joined the ranks of one of Norwegian Industry’s most exclusive clubs, The Explorer.

Opened by Norwegian Prime Minister Erna Solberg herself in May 2018, The Explorer is a government-backed initiative from Innovation Norway, showcasing the latest and best innovative green technology that Norway has to offer.

A place within The Explorer guarantees that Pipeotech solutions are promoted internationally via the marketing efforts of Norwegian embassies as well as part of Innovation Norway’s ongoing remit to boost exports overseas.

Erna Solberg remarked at the opening ceremony that you could describe it as a ‘Tinder for business’.

– We wish to promote the pioneers within the green shift

Anita Krohn Traaseth, CEO, Innovation Norway

"The Explorer gives us the opportunity to showcase top-notch Norwegian, green solutions to the whole world in a simple and efficient way. We wish to promote the pioneers within the green shift", says Anita Krohn Traaseth, CEO of Innovation Norway.

Pipeotech CEO Henrik Sollie remarked "To get the seal of approval from Innovation Norway & The Explorer acts as a further positive milestone in the incredible story of DeltaV-Seal & Pipeotech. We’re a young company, but incredibly proud of our Norwegian heritage and are delighted to fly the flag and lead from the front."

The explorer

Pipeline safety – How gasket choices can mitigate health and safety risks

Fri, 07 Mar 2025 13:41:33 GMT

Nothing is as important as health and safety when it comes to industrial facilities. However, a critical component in piping systems is often overlooked, viewed as a consumable rather than a key to security, integrity and operational peace of mind. When it comes to avoiding dangerous emissions, leaks and related accidents and incidents, you have to ‘seal your safety’.

Pipeline and process leakages are the bane of industry. Unplanned loss of liquids and gases impact upon productivity, profitability, efficiency, the environment and, as a result, operational reputation and success. But arguably their most serious impact is their potential for harming people and property.

To put it bluntly: leaks kill, leaks destroy.

Workplace Fatalities*

10%

As a result of exposure to harmful substances or environments

Attributed to explosions or fire

* Statistics for 2019 from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS)

Catastrophic consequences

Leakage of gases, liquids and hazardous chemicals are responsible for significant contamination, fires and explosions at process facilities worldwide contributing to global deaths and injuries every year, .

As an example, at the time of writing, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration had just issued a USD 132,000 fine to Philadelphia Energy Solutions following a leak that resulted in a catastrophic fire, explosions and five injured workers last year. The incident led to the release of a significant quantity of (the deadly) hydrofluoric acid into the atmosphere, not to mention the closure and bankruptcy of the refinery.

It’s an incident that is far from exceptional.

But, thankfully, it is eminently preventable for forward-thinking facility owners and operators.

The devil is in the detail

By focusing on ensuring complete pipeline integrity it is possible to stamp out potential leakage and ensure optimal health and safety standards for your workers, the environment, and all your business stakeholders. Seals are the key.

Gasket seals are often an afterthought. Pipelines are designed to suit their purpose, environments and requirements and sealing solutions are selected at the last moment as the ‘glue’ to hold the structure together. However, seals are commonly regarded as the Achilles Heel of any system due to the potential for degradation, the need for maintenance and their propensity to leak (even with advanced systems of checks and precautions).

As such they shouldn’t be seen as simply ‘consumables’ but critical components with the potential to make or break (quite literally) any pipeline design. These may be relatively small items, but their value for your facility could be enormous.

So, what do you need to look for when sealing the safety of your piping?

A perfect (long-term) seal

Ideally, you want to install and forget - choosing a solution that mates with the pipe flanges, filling any irregularities for complete, reliable long-term integrity. A vibration resistant seal will ensure that it doesn’t loosen over time, eliminating the need for costly, and inefficient, maintenance requirements.

Corrosion-resistant

Corrosion is a major cause of leaks and accidents, with deteriorating seals releasing high-pressure liquids and gases, often with deadly consequences. However, by choosing a seal that is manufactured from the same metal as the flanges it connects to, this galvanic corrosion can be avoided… keeping your workers, and your facilities, safe.

Global cost of corrosion

$2.5 Trillion

Yearly Amount

3.4%

of Global GDP

Figures from the International Measures of Prevention, Application and Economics of Corrosion Technology (IMPACT) study, 2016

Blowout safe

The seal is often the weak link in any flange assembly, meaning it can be quickly compromised under demanding conditions. However, by selecting a solution capable of creating a perfect seal (with metal-to-metal fusion) it will not degrade or change properties over its operational lifetime, keeping your crucial pipe connection blow-out safe.

Fire safe

Fires are public enemy number one at a broad range of industrial facilities, particularly those dealing with large quantities of highly flammable liquids and gases. In these environments’ seals must be able to withstand extreme conditions, maintaining the full integrity of pipe infrastructure. Check that your seals are independently certified to the highest industry standards for complete assurance.

Gas tight

Control the release of flammable gases, mists or vapors, and prevent sources of ignition, and facility owners and operators can eliminate ATEX zones. By utilizing certified gas-tight seals this can be accomplished, allowing for the construction of piping networks through potentially sensitive areas without the risk of explosion, leakage, or contamination.

This can greatly impact on overall infrastructure design and cost while ensuring that workers, facilities and their surrounding environments are kept safe… for the long-term.

Remember, seals should be front of mind when it comes to safeguarding the integrity of your piping, your business, your reputation, the environment, and the health and well-being of your workers. Saving money in the short-term by opting for the cheapest solutions can be a very costly mistake. Choose quality, choose safety, choose long-term peace of mind and operational success.

Stopping expensive leakages at historic brewing facility

Fri, 07 Mar 2025 13:41:33 GMT

With the title of ‘the oldest brewery in Norway’, the Aass brewery is about as close as it gets to being a Norwegian institution. Situated on the banks of the river in the busy port city of Drammen in central Norway, this family-run enterprise has been producing a wide range of beers, ciders, spirits and non-alcoholic beverages for the Norwegian domestic market for over 180 years.

Now in its 5th generation of Aass family ownership, the Aass brewery has matured into a highly modern facility, considered to be one of the key players amongst domestic Norwegian Beer producers.

It could be considered simple business acumen to say that to stay in business for as long as Aass have, you have to constantly learn and evolve to meet the needs of your customers. The beverage marketplace is changing constantly requiring innovation and a degree of foresight to remain relevant and profitable.

Aass has met these demands head-on, not only with a diverse and constantly updated product portfolio, but also in the streamlining, modernization and constant review of their brewing processes and technology.

Amongst the numerous vats, tanks, fermenters and filters, pipes, flanges and gaskets are naturally found everywhere throughout the facility, transferring raw fluid ingredients between the different brewing processes. In the past, leakage and contamination prevention presented some real challenges from a piping maintenance point of view.

‘Leakages are expensive’ says Lars Petter Sundve, Maintenance Manager at the Aass Brewery.

‘In the past, we have used Teflon and Metaflex gaskets but have now changed to using DeltaV-Seal™ from Pipeotech due to all of its advantages.’

‘With DeltaV-Seal we save a lot of time when we don't have to include re-tightening the bolts within our maintenance schedule. Also, because the DeltaV-Seal is an entirely metal-to-metal gasket, with no perishable materials, the potential for flange-based contamination is eliminated, and no cleaning of the flanges is required when you do a service.’

– ‘With DeltaV-Seal the potential for flange-based contamination is eliminated, with no cleaning of the flanges required when you do a service.’

Lars Petter Sundve, Maintenance Manager, Aas Brewery

The engineers working at Aass Brewery now prefer to use the DeltaV-Seal due in part to the easy installation process and economic benefits of not having to machine the flange face each time there is a service due to residue build-up. The DeltaV-Seal has now been installed on all old and damaged flanges within the Aass facility where previous gaskets had been leaking and since placing their first order in 2017 there have been no leakages from any DeltaV-Seal.

Download the case study here

From subsea to life on land - gasket technology follows Darwinism

Fri, 07 Mar 2025 13:41:31 GMT

As featured by Yahoo Finance news via Cision PRNewswire

Metal-to-metal sealing technology is a technique that had previously been reserved for subsea oil and gas applications where meeting the most extreme operational criteria has always been required.

Such criteria demand that any equipment, tools, and sealing technology must withstand extreme crushing depths where environmental pressures and temperatures will easily destroy any object that falls victim to their reach. However, now this revolutionary technology has made landfall and is changing the landscape of onshore operations. It has quickly begun presenting the opportunity to help resolve serious challenges such as, fugitive emission, as well as significantly reducing risk factors, and improving the bottom line of business.

The company responsible for bringing this technological evolution to land is the Norwegian based company Pipeotech AS. Adapted directly from the same subsea technology, the DeltaV-Seal™ offers manufacturers and production facilities alike significant enhancements in operations across a wider spectrum of function than competing spiral-wound or kammprofile gasket technologies.

Difficulties associated with these older sealing technologies motivated Pipeotech engineers to take up the challenge of developing a new technology that would replace them. Some of the primary goals were to develop a gasket that would last significantly longer, exceed a gas-tight strength, and eliminate the need for maintenance. All three of these contribute to significant reductions in ecological harm, employee risk, and operating expenditures.

Removing the weakest links

Typically, a gasket fails to capture much attention, because it is thought of as a small detail from a macro perspective in piping infrastructure design. Serving as a meeting point between two pipes, flanges are identified as a risk in the construction or update of any production facility.

However, through the usage of spiral-wound and kammprofile technologies, most production facilities currently anticipate or accept certain levels of leakage as normal. This approach often has gaskets being treated as a consumable.

Both of these technologies offer similar lifespans and an equal amount of required maintenance while in operation. As a result, gaskets are selected as a last detail for the final facility design, with the overall emphasis being placed on gasket cost.

The most effective gasket sealing technology plays a much larger role in daily operations beyond containing leaks. When either of these sealing technologies are utilized, a true gas-tight seal is never truly obtained. This leads to the possibility of leakage points which being created, posing various risks such as;

What is so special about this new technology over existing gasket technologies?

The first differentiating characteristic is the metal-to-metal design. A metal gasket offers far more flexibility in practical applications. Utilizing metal allows for a stronger seal which is more resistant to warping, however this gasket technology is not only produced in one metal material.

Each gasket is produced from the metal material which matches the material of the joining flanges. This is done for multiple reasons, the first is for maintaining sealing strength through internal or external environmental temperature changes of the pipe.

When metal is subjected to temperature changes it expands or contracts. These circumstances then require a gasket to both expand or contract along with the flange. Since different metal materials react differently to temperature change, producing gaskets from a matching metal material is required. This enables the gasket and flange to be matched in the rate of expansion or contraction, while maintaining maximum sealing strength.

It boasts three unique, sharp sealing rings that deform on installation, filling any surface irregularities on pipe flanges to form the perfect seal

Another reason for the metal construction is that it enables for an entirely different level of sealing strength to be achieved. The specially engineered metal rings incorporated into the gasket design adapts to the surface of the flange, creating a smarter seal.

Under torqued pressure, the metal rings deform and adapt to the exact landscape of the flange surface, resulting in a sealing strength which exceeds the classification of gas-tight sealing strengths (equal to 10-08 mbar l/s). Interestingly, this type of sealing strength is achieved and maintained without causing any damage or deformation to the flange.

The quality and strength of the seal was confirmed through helium tests conducted by DNV GL. Helium was used in the test because of the inherent difficulty in sealing against leaks. Leaks occur easier with Helium because the molecules are smaller than oxygen molecules, making it harder to contain in a given environment.

A common example of helium's propensity to escape can easily be observed with an ordinary birthday balloon over the time period of a few days. Regardless of whether the balloon is made of rubber or plastic, the helium molecules are able to pass through the retaining material unlike oxygen, which has larger molecules, making it more containable.

The test revealed that even with surface scratches as deep as 0.3 mm, spanning across the entire raised face surface of the flange remained completely gas-tight. A technological benefit such as this presents users with the ability of prolonging the lifespan of their current piping infrastructure. This can also be applied to flanges which may have previous damage equal to or less than 0.3mm in depth.

Challenging the ruling search & repair approach

One of the most demanding aspects in the operational lifespan of kammprofile or spiral-wound technologies is the level of required maintenance. Due to the materials used in their construction, both technologies have the propensity to degrade over time, compromising the security of a flange. However, what if these difficulties and characteristics were eliminated?

The DeltaV-Seal utilizes a solid metal construction, which is water cut, and finished through a CNC machining process. By producing metal gaskets in this manner, heat is completely eliminated from the process. Although some metal products can draw strength from heat treatment, gaskets tend to get more prone to failure, as heat adversely effects the sealing properties.

When utilizing metal gaskets, the governing principle should be to choose a metal which matches the flange material, as this also prevents galvanic corrosion from forming in the flange. By using a matching, metal gasket like the DeltaV-Seal, flanges remain uncontaminated of any outside material. This enables the gasket to be utilized without requiring any maintenance, including cleaning.

Soft graphite seals in particular are known for leaving behind contaminated debris after they are removed. Due to the proprietary metal construction, the DeltaV-Seal never degrades or changes properties.

Why leak and fix when you can install and forget?

This means not only does the gasket last significantly longer than other technologies, but it also eliminates the need to clean away material that other gasket types would leave behind. Maintenance on one joint (the meeting point of two flanges) can cost a company many man hours in labor, reduced production, and increase risk. For any facility with hundreds or thousands of flanges, this presents significant costs.

However, when this challenge is eliminated, as it is with the new technology of the DeltaV-Seal, the costs associated with unscheduled maintenance are also eliminated. This enables productivity levels to be higher and more consistent. Since this is a metal-to-metal technology, it utilizes no soft sealing material like graphite gaskets do.

This means that once a facility has installed it, as long as the correct installation procedure and torque specifications are followed, the bolts will never need to be retightened. They will retain the same clamping strength until the day the gasket is replaced.

When the time comes for a scheduled flange inspection or a gasket replacement, all that is required is to open the flange, inspect as necessary and install the new gasket. This eliminates downtime and costs caused by flange cleaning. To ensure proper centering on the flange, the outer ring of the gasket serves as a guide to position itself for the correct placement on the flange face. Correct placement of a gasket on a flange is paramount for achieving maximum sealing strength.

What about safety enhancements?

Naturally one of the largest threats of any vessel, operating at sea is fire. The danger and destructive power are more fiercely fought than any other threat. However, this presents one of the key safety benefits, which the DeltaV-Seal technology has brought to on-shore operations. The significant sealing pressure combined with its machined, metal construction enables the gasket to be fire and blowout proof.

In tests conducted by German based AMTEC (Advanced Measurement Messtechnischer Service GmbH) the DeltaV-Seal showed amazing resilience against the threat of being compromised by direct flame or scorching temperatures.

The results of various tests showed that even after being directly exposed to flames for 30 minutes, the gasket withstood temperatures in excess 650° Celsius (1202° F) at 40 bar of pressure. This enabled the gasket to earn the API 6FB fire test approval.

The API 6FB approval is an integral benefit to have for both off-shore and on-shore operations which involve engineers dealing with corrosion damaged flange faces or in challenging environments, such as highly flammable hydrocarbon containing systems. The same test results also showed that after 30 minutes of direct exposure, the gasket released only 1% of the allowed amount.

How can an unassuming piece of metal revolutionize so much? This new generation of gasket technology is transforming the opinion that industry has long since held of gasket design. No longer is a gasket just a tool in the implementation of industrial production. This is the type of technology that industry is constantly waiting on to arrive, the type that allows for big leaps forward in efficiency, productivity, and safety.

This technology has transformed the gasket into a cost saver, a risk reducer, and an environmental protector. It gives equal capabilities to both big and small facilities to cut significant costs in operations and maintenance by millions of dollars over time. Taken together, these capabilities continue to demonstrate the advantage of utilizing the metal-to-metal design for countless industrial operations.

The seal of integrity (a feature article written by Industry Networker Magazine)

Fri, 07 Mar 2025 13:41:30 GMT

In a recent article published by Industry Networker Magazine, Pipeotech and theDeltaV-Seal™ are recognized for significant technological enhancements towards safety, efficiency, cost reduction, and unprecedented sealing strengths. In addition to these features, the article also discusses the significant impact that the DeltaV-Seal has on eliminating ATEX Zones.

The Seal of Integrity

The founders of Pipeotech set out in 2012 to put an end to the leaking of toxic, damaging and hazardous compounds as a result of inadequate sealing technology. Four years on from the launch of the Norwegian company’s game-changing flange gasket, Mr Henrik Sollie, CEO, tells us how the DeltaV-Seal™ solves one of the most challenging problems in piping, and reveals its numerous potential applications.

Composed mainly of micro-leaks that seep out from equipment such as valves, flanges and pumps, so-called fugitive emissions of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are a growing concern across oil & gas infrastructure, petrochemical facilities, and a range of other industrial settings.

Operating conditions such as pressure and temperature, together with ageing, deterioration of sealing devices and equipment solidity can lead to a substantial increase in fugitive emissions that have an impact on health, safety and the environment, as well as presenting a fire-safety risk and contributing to economic losses.

Indeed, worker safety is dependent on secure and predictable operations, while growing climate awareness and environmental regulation mean it has never been more important for businesses to protect both their operations and the world around them.

It was this need for durability, reliability and minimised maintenance requirements in mission-critical infrastructure that drove Pipeotech’s founder, Tor Arne Hauge, to innovate a solution that would eliminate flange leakage while also being fireproof and blowout-safe for refineries.

The company began its development in 2012, based in the town of Tvedestrand on Norway’s southern coast, and by 2015 Pipeotech had pioneered the DeltaV-Seal™ Flange Gasket. “ This revolutionary technology became – and remains – the world’s first type-approved gasket, certified by DNV GL, and the only 100-per-cent leakproof flange gasket,” states Mr Sollie. “It was developed to replace spiral wound and Kammprofile gaskets, and to help users achieve their objectives in terms of increasing safety, reducing costs and enhancing sustainability.”

Making leaks a thing of the past

Since launching DeltaV-Seal™, Pipeotech has taken a series of small steps in the right direction as part of its aim to bring the product’s transformative benefits to a range of different clients. Having recently established an office in Oslo, last September Pipeotech signed a partner in the US and the company is currently finalising a new partnership with a Brazilian firm.

Mr Sollie was appointed CEO of Pipeotech in 2018, when Tor Arne Hauge opted to devote his energies to running parent firm Otechos Technology Group, which has a number of technological achievements under its belt. One such innovation is the unique Quickflange pipe-to-flange connection, which requires no welding or use of heat, which has been very successful in the North Sea piping industry.

Having won the Norwegian NHO innovation prize for the revolutionary Quickflange, Tor Arne Hauge and his partners turned their attention to flange leakage – a well-known problem in all industries using pipes and flanges, as Mr Sollie tells us: “Seals and flanges are exposed to temperature fluctuations that force the metal to expand or contract.

Current ductile seals are produced from different materials to the flanges, however, which renders them unable to match the precise contraction or expansion rate of the metal flange. This, in turn, reduces the sealing strength of the gasket and significantly increases the risk of leaks.

Our game-changing solution to this problem is to always produce the gasket from the same material as the connecting flange, thereby ensuring that the seal and the flange expand and contract equally, and in unison, thus eliminating any threat of leakage.

“When we meet with new engineers it tends to be an advanced decision-making process because they are used to taking a lot of things into consideration in order to get leakage down to an acceptable minimum, but we simply need to know what is written on the flange in order to produce a gasket from the same material,” he explains. “With each new customer we gain, we adapt the design accordingly – it’s a continuously evolving product.

And once correctly fitted, it will remain in place, and the pipeline will be protected from leaks. We have since developed some other innovative sealing solutions based on the gas-tight DeltaV-Seal technology, although the flange gasket still represents 90–95 per cent of our business today.”

Eliminating ATEX zones

Alongside increasing operating efficiencies and reducing overall costs, DeltaV-Seal’s effectiveness at completely eliminating emissions from flanges in a piping network also dramatically reduces the prospect of environmental contamination for the facility or system in which it has been implemented.

Indeed, the stable sealing strength of the DeltaV-Seal enables clients to build facilities and piping networks through sensitive environments – so-called ‘ATEX zones’ – without threat of explosion, leakage or contamination. In such environments, a certain level of potentially flammable substance (for example, a combustible gas, mist, vapour, or dust) mixed with oxygen is all that is required to ignite an explosion.

However, in meeting the criteria for ‘Durably Technically Tight’ solutions, the DeltaV-Seal effectively eliminates the risk of such a leakage in those hazardous areas (known as ATEX zones 0, 1 and 2). Zone 0 / 20 relates to an area characterised by ‘constant danger’ – that is, with the ‘permanent presence of explosive gases or combustive dust’ – yet, even in this most potentially hazardous zone, the DeltaV-Seal performs exceptionally well.

In fact, tests conducted on Pipeotech’s pioneering flange gasket by DNV GL and AMTEC Advanced Measurement Messtechnischer Service GmbH demonstrate sealing strengths that far exceed oil & gas industry standards. This enables the DeltaV-Seal to be certified as Durably Technical Tight, thereby exceeding the industry requirement for sealing strengths by 10,000 times (in accordance with VDI2440 regulations).

Such strengths have been proven to dramatically reduce fugitive emissions from the petroleum production industry. And in turn, such benefits elevate Pipeotech’s flange gasket beyond a mere consumable component, and into the realms of a game-changing tool and investment.

From oil & gas to shipbuilding

Pipeotech’s sealing innovation certainly has the potential to provide solutions for a multitude of industries and applications that would see the benefit of switching to a leak-free gasket, but the oil & gas sector is clearly the largest market. “It often presents one of the most challenging working environments, while dealing with fugitive emissions, extreme heat and cryogenic temperatures, and will continue to be one of our most important fields of application,” Mr Sollie asserts.

“Indeed, oil & gas represents one of three main markets with inherent challenges that can be addressed via our technology, the other two sectors being chemical processing and power generation – all of which utilise metallic gaskets.

“Having said that, the range of applications for which we have already supplied our flange gaskets is very wide due to the number of small companies that are our customers. Technological issues tend to be more readily recognised by management in smaller enterprises,” he remarks, “and if they come across a new solution, it’s easier for them to adopt it promptly. As a result, we have penetrated numerous industries, albeit in small volumes.”

Pipeotech’s biggest customer to date has been Vard Group – a subsidiary of Fincantieri, and one of the world leaders in specialised shipbuilding for the offshore industry – which has used the DeltaV-Seal for the steam systems on many of its newbuilds.

“Shipbuilding is an important sector for us because vessels carry all the same challenges as a small town, but a leak at sea would be far more severe,” Mr Sollie points out. “We are confident that we will be able to gain a stronger foothold in the industry by providing products for many pipelines beyond steam. This could also open up other industry doors for us because if we have a proven ability to solve critical problems on a ship, we can solve them elsewhere, too.”

Going global

Geographically speaking, Pipeotech can provide its solutions to any market that is mature enough to value the benefits of investing in a leakproof connection. “We find that as the world becomes increasingly digital, more customers are seeking a solution to their problems rather than a specific product,” observes Mr Sollie.

“Ultimately, I think we will be spread across many different markets, particularly as stringent new leakage regulations force even the most conservative players to utilise the best available technology, and certain countries are the forerunners in that respect.”

Clock Spring, for example – Pipeotech’s partner in the US – is an industry leader in pipeline repair solutions, with significant involvement in refineries and the chemical industry. “This partnership should provide us with a strong presence in the US market,” he notes, “while Clock Spring also has a presence and strong client base in the UK and the Middle East, among other locations, which gives us an idea of where our target markets may lie.

We have just finished our commercial plans, and Clock Spring will have a go-to-market strategy ready for the autumn, when they anticipate an increase in turnaround contracts. Indeed, it is all very new and we are just starting to talk with potential customers.”

Moreover, with its new partner in Brazil – CT4.0 (Centro de Tecnologia 4.0) – Pipeotech is working on business cases for brownfield and greenfield projects both onshore and offshore, having recently travelled to Brazil for preliminary discussions with local oil & gas companies.

CT4.0 is a small, technology-based company involved in the development of new products and processes for oil & gas exploration and production, particularly down-hole pumps. The company is previously known to Otechos and has access to numerous contacts within the large energy companies.

“In terms of investment in the market, these two partnerships represent our most important markets outside Scandinavia, which has been our most significant market until now,” Mr Sollie informs us. “Indeed, we are fortunate to come from a country and region with a major focus on health, safety and environmentally friendly solutions, and where there are many SMEs with hands-on, experienced management that can appreciate how a leak is bad for both business and safety.

These companies tend to be in the LNG, food & beverage, shipbuilding, district heating, chemical and petrochemical industries – and when we first present them with our solution, they immediately understand the advantage of changing to DeltaV-Seal. This is where we started out, and having provided many of these customers with a pilot product so that they could see how the gasket works, they are now coming back to buy it on a larger scale.”

Mission-critical infrastructure

Pipeotech designs and develops its gaskets at the Tvedestrand facility, as part of a very close relationship with its customers and in line with their specific requirements, although much of the actual production is carried out by tried and trusted third parties.

“When it comes to installation of our products, we tend to only offer this service as part of a customer training initiative together with our sister company, Otechos Services,” he continues. “Installation of our gaskets is easier than others on the market – however, being a relatively new provider, we prefer to minimise the risk of human error during the installation process.

In order to be able to offer installation on a wider level, we are exploring a possible joint venture or collaboration with an established provider of pipe repairs and installation of pipes and gaskets. In the future, we would also like to offer a guarantee of no leakage for the whole pipeline system, instead of just the gasket.”

While Pipeotech is still in its infancy and has not yet achieved many of its goals, the current shift from small Scandinavian customers to slightly larger, prestigious facilities in overseas markets certainly represents a promising step forward for the business.

“The more challenging the business case, the more interesting it is for us,” Mr Sollie affirms, “such as our recent selection by a German insurance company for the rebuild of a refinery in Denmark that burned down a couple of years ago. As a task it has been defined by the engineers as needing to be ‘durably technically tight’ – a term used for equipment that essentially eliminates failure areas from a refinery. The insurance company found us online and selected us for the job based on our technology, which is a major leap in the right direction.

“In addition, we are currently supplying DeltaV-Seal gaskets to the Norwegian energy company Quantafuel, which produces high-quality synthetic fuels and chemical products based on non-recyclable plastic waste. Quantafuel is currently building a new sustainable fuel production plant in Skive, Denmark,” he reveals.

“The company has been developing a solution that converts plastic waste into low-emission fuels and products for the petrochemical industry, via a manufacturing process whose emissions are as much as 90-per-cent lower than that of other diesels.

As they told us, the only acceptable solution for such a facility would be a zero-emission gasket – namely the DeltaV-Seal. We are therefore proud to be a part of that concept, which is in consensus with what we are actually trying to achieve at Pipeotech.” The Skive facility will start producing diesel in the third quarter of 2019 and is set to be the first of several plants in Europe.

A new beginning for industrial piping

With fugitive atmospheric emissions of greenhouse gases from oil & gas operations now becoming subject to regulations, the ever-increasing global focus on climate change is a trend that will surely work in Pipeotech’s favour. “For us, entering the market as a new and relatively small player, any new legislation that comes in is very important because it gives meaning to leaks,” reflects Mr Sollie.

“Of course, the product loss, reduction of safety and increased risk of unplanned shutdowns associated with a leak make it prudent to address the issue anyway, but what we are seeing now is that the debate around climate change is opening up conservative mindsets among the bigger players in the oil & gas industry. It is also an issue considered by potential investors and often – particularly in Norway – oil & gas companies have governmental owners.

“Essentially, fugitive emissions legislation provides us with another angle to approach a company and get to the table with its management,” he comments. “Until now, we’ve found it easier to talk to engineers, technicians and maintenance staff because they can examine the product and immediately appreciate how it will solve their leak problem.

However, we need to start going in at a higher level in order to get our products specified for new facilities, which will be hugely important for us. Fugitive emissions from flanges today are not as high as those from vents or pumps, for instance, but they still represent a problem to be solved and we have the solution.”

Environmental considerations aside, Pipeotech is also benefiting from changes in the way companies seek out new solutions, as Mr Sollie describes: “I personally believe that trying to engage with all kinds of people and customers who are looking for a better solution is much easier today than it was 10 or even five years ago.

Global digitalisation means more people are finding out about us online, while word travels fast and opens doors for us into new markets. Indeed, as long as we have a good product, we can rely to a certain extent on word of mouth. This is certainly a major advantage for a newcomer to the business.”

Indeed, being a new company means that every day brings new opportunities and challenges, but Pipeotech’s greatest apprehension is that DeltaV-Seal is copied in some way. “The technology is patented, of course, but there is a still a risk that it could be copied, so we intend to look into ways of protecting ourselves against this and providing traceability for our products,” Mr Sollie assures us.

“The DeltaV-Seal is a game changer and would never have been developed without the visionary mind of the founder, Tor Arne Hauge, while the support we’ve received from Innovation Norway and strong strategic investors has been crucial to bring the technology to market. Going forward, the formation of close relationships will certainly be vital for our continued development,” he concludes.

DeltaV-Seal™ replaces kammprofile gaskets at critical distribution facility

Fri, 07 Mar 2025 13:41:29 GMT

After a long relationship utilizing kammprofile gasket technology, Norwegian LPG distributor PrimaGaz Norge AS has decided to abandon the old kammprofile gasket design in favor of the new DeltaV-Seal gasket technology. Primagaz’s operations are based around the storage and transport of LPG gas. Typically, LPG is a mixture of highly volatile substances, ranging from mixtures of hydrocarbons propene, propane, butene, and butane.

– For our LPG operations, the DeltaV-Seal is a very good product, we are very satisfied

Trond Aasen District Manager at PrimaGaz Norge AS

The facility located in Drammen, Norway serves as PrimaGaz’s only Norwegian based facility. This supply hub carries out both a critical reserve and distribution operations. The LPG is acquired from the nearby ESSO Norge AS refinery (a division of ExxonMobil). Once it arrives at PrimaGaz’s facility, the reserve LPG is distributed via mobile tankers to supply fuel stations.

Mr. Aasen explained how PrimaGaz previously utilized kammprofile gaskets at this critical hub, however the kammeprofile gaskets began to degrade, developing leaks. These leaks were not tolerated and the switch to the DeltaV-Seal gasket was completed. After having been in operation for 3 years, PrimaGaz is happy to report that there have been absolutely no leaks since switching to the DeltaV-Seal gasket. He further stated that based on the life-span of the plant and of the DeltaV-Seal, PrimaGaz has no plans to change the gaskets again for the duration of operations at the Drammen location.

– The seals do not leak, they are always tight. For our LPG operations, the DeltaV-Seal is a very good product, we are very satisfied.

Trond Aasen District Manager at PrimaGaz Norge AS

Download the case study here

Flare tip leakage is too hot to handle for the competition

Fri, 07 Mar 2025 13:41:28 GMT

Pipeotech was called upon to provide a solution for Flare Tip flange leak in the North Sea.

A North Sea Operator came to Pipeotech with a problem affecting a Flare line on their platform. This was due to the dynamic operating conditions caused by a phenomenon called internal burning.

This occurs when the internal flare line stabilizes inside the flare tip, at temperatures around 400c, and cannot be driven out without a substantial increase in flaring rates. During blowdown the tip is quenched down to -50c and this rapid change in temperature provides a huge challenge for any traditional gasket to seal for a long period of time.

Pipeotech were asked if they had any alternatives that could be offered to cope with the dynamic operating conditions and they were only too pleased to look at this challenging application. The product offered as the solution was the DeltaV-Seal™. This gasket solution is a revolutionary new design offering clients an all in one, metal-to-metal seal that can be used in raised faced, as well as flat-faced flanges.

The DeltaV-Seal is precisely engineered and machined with a triple ring configuration that conforms to the flange face. These provide an extremely tight and reliable metal to metal seal even at very high temperatures.

Since the gasket is all metal (manufactured from the same material as the flange), the gasket contracts and expands at the same rate as the flange material during thermal fluctuations, providing a tighter seal than other gaskets. These benefits led the operator to purchase the 20" 150lb Delta-V Seal gaskets and installed them in July 2018.

5-years on

In 2023 Pipeotech contacted the operator, who confirmed the gasket remains in place with absolutely no issues to date. The operator is now looking for other locations where traditional gaskets requrie regular replacement and the DeltaV-Seal can provide significant maintenance savings.

Exceeding gas-tight sealing strengths and eliminating ATEX zones

Fri, 07 Mar 2025 13:41:27 GMT

Gaskets seals are generally the consumables often selected at the last moment in a design project and carry few expectations.

Although viewed as less significant, this consumable can have the most severe impact on human health, the environment, and a production facility’s revenue. The DeltaV-Seal™ is the first leak-proof and patented sealing technology approved by DNV, delivering revolutionary change by enabling the reduction of operating expenditures associated with the production, maintenance, and product loss.

The avoidable threat

All forms of industrial production of gases or liquids utilize pipes, flanges, and seals. Traditional sealing solutions are an indisputable weak point in any piping system due to their leak-prone nature and life span degradation. Despite the countless safeguards and precautionary measures that are implemented in process piping and production facilities, current sealing solutions still represent significant risks to health, safety, investments, and the environment.

From conception, the primary design purpose of the DeltaV-Seal has been to completely eliminate emissions from flanges in a piping network; in-turn enabling a client to greatly increase operating efficiencies and reduce overall costs. This also enables a significant reduction in environmental contamination that a processing facility or piping system may otherwise have on an environment.

Environmental dangers and sensitive environments identified as ATEX zones can now be addressed with a substantially more cost-effective approach, as the stable sealing strengths of the DeltaV-Seal enables clients to build facilities and piping networks through these zones without the threat of explosion, leakage, or contamination.

The DeltaV-Seal is not simply another gasket or consumable associated with production expenditures. It is a game-changing tool and investment, which substantially reduces operating expenditures, increases safety standards, and gives clients greater flexibility in their daily operations by eliminating ATEX zones.

What are ATEX zones?

Hazardous Areas (Potentially Explosive Atmospheres) are defined in terms of zones and safe areas under relevant IEC (for IECEx) and EN (for ATEX) standards depending on the expected frequency and duration of an explosive atmosphere being present.

Zone 0 / 20: Are zones with constant danger
Permanent presence of explosive gasses or combustive dust.
Zone 1 / 21: Are zones with potential danger
Occasional presence of explosive gasses or combustible dust during normal duty.
Zone 2 / 22: Are zones with minor danger
Presence of explosive gasses or combustible dust is not likely to occur or only for a shorter period of time.

– The DeltaV-Seal is constructed such that it maintains enhanced tightness during its lifetime due to its design, and ensures performance against leakage. By installing the DeltaV-Seal, the user of the equipment can perform a risk assessment to demonstrate the absence of any releases, and eliminate the ATEX zone.

Christoffer Næss, Design & Product Engineer, Pipeotech

Precision engineering

For maximum versatility, durability, safety, and quality consistency the DeltaV-Seal is water cut and then finished via CNC machining for pinnacle precision. Superior quality is further demonstrated, as the gasket is also engineered to withstand both cryogenic and scorching temperatures.

DeltaV-Seal is always manufactured from the same metal alloy as the connecting flanges enabling both seal and flange to expand or contract in unison during temperature fluctuations. The gasket maintains the tightest seating while eliminating the possibility of galvanic corrosion from developing within the connection.

Verified perfection

Tests conducted by DNV and AMTEC GmbH demonstrate sealing strengths that exceed oil and gas industry standards. The DeltaV-Seal has been certified as a Fire and Blowout Safe gasket sealing solution in accordance with API 6FB regulations.

Through controlled extreme heat and pressure tests, lasting 30 minutes in length the gasket was exposed to temperatures in excess of 650C and 40 bar of pressure. Test results revealed that the DeltaV-Seal released only 1% of the permitted volume.

DeltaV-Tight

Germany’s 'TA Luft' is a national air quality regulation that sets standards for emissions, ambient exposures and control methods. In a powerful demonstration of DeltaV-Seal’s ability to not just comply, but far exceed regulatory demands, AMTEC GmbH conducted a TA Luft Helium test in accordance with VDI 2440 guidelines.

Pipeotech’s revolutionary solution was certified as a 'high-grade sealing system', sealing an incredible 10,000 times tighter than industry requirements.

To be approved by DNV, the DeltaV-Seal had to undergo a unique durability test, not ever been completed by any other gasket. Extensive vibration and pressure pulsation tests were carried out as part of the rigorous test program to document its resistance towards pressure pulses and vibrations over time.

These additional testing revealed the gasket to resist mechanical stress and vibrations greater than 10 million repetitions. These results also enabled it to receive the first DNV certification for gasket sealing technology.

– Unlike Spiral Wound and Kammprofile gaskets, the non-resilient design of the DeltaV-Seal never requires any re-torquing after installation. The elimination of re-torquing enables the seal and flange to offer a longer, maintenance-free, life span.

Jarle Ribler, Chief Technical Officer, Pipeotech

How does it work?

When forces from the mating flanges are applied to the sealing rings, the sharp edges of the rings perfectly adapts to the imperfections of the mating flange surface, creating a perfect gas-tight seal.

The DeltaV-Seal does not degrade or change properties while in operation, eliminating residue from building up, as well as the need for flange cleaning. It effectively lasts as long as the piping network it joins together.

As clients continue to invest in the implementation of the DeltaV-Seal, adjustments are made to the design to accommodate new applications. Regardless of a client's requirements, the DeltaV-Seal continues to prove its value through superior sealing performance, structural integrity, versatility, and ease of operation.

Intergas exclusively use DeltaV-Seal™

Fri, 07 Mar 2025 13:41:26 GMT

Following a highly successful test period, Intergas AS has announced that the DeltaV-Seal has been named as their exclusive seal of choice for all current and future liquefied natural gas operations. As a provider of services such as: LNG & LPG facility construction, control systems, and operation monitoring, Intergas AS understands the tremendous importance of utilizing the DeltaV-Seals unique sealing strengths. Their reliance on components capable of tolerating temperatures fluctuating from scorching, down to -160°C is integral in their operations.

– In pipeline systems for LNG, liquefied natural gas, we now exclusively use DeltaV-Seal as a seal solution

Jacob Stebekk, Sales Manager, InterGas AS

The Risør-based company provides service and monitoring products to large and small gas plants, in various environments both on the mainland, as well as onboard ships. However, regardless of the operating environment it is essential that all operations are leak-free. Any leakage can mean product loss, health concerns, environmental hazards, unplanned shutdowns, or government fines. Sending a team to deal with leakage at a facility is both time consuming and expensive for any company to incur.

– A service call to a location such as the Hammerfest facility would take us between two or three days. These kinds of operations can easily cost NOK 100.000,- (approx. $12.000,-USD), so DeltaV-Seal gives us big savings. Previously, we used other sealing solutions that did not follow the movements of the piping in the same way. We began testing DeltaV-Seal a little over two years ago and we now have switched to using this solution exclusively at all LNG plants.

Mr Stebekk highlighted the importance of having a metal seal that is made of the same material as the connecting flanges.

– Since metals contract and expand with changes in temperature, producing the gasket out of the same metal enables the seal and piping to expand or contract in unison, this way we obtain solid pipe connections without leaks.

Download the case study here

Fortum Oslo Varme chooses zero-emission gasket

Sun, 24 Mar 2019 12:15:46 GMT

Fortum Oslo Varme continued carrying out efforts to phase-out the remaining fossil fuel burning operations in favor of biofuel solutions from oil burning facilities located in Haraldrud, Vika, and Ullevål. With its primary objective to reduce the risk of leaks, environmental contamination, and maintenance costs, Fortum Oslo Varme announced its decision to utilize Pipeotech's next-gen DeltaV-Seal sealing solutions in these three locations. To-date the company is happy to report a very positive experience with the performance of DeltaV-Seals.

Numerous large district heating suppliers have begun following suite in undergoing the process of upgrading their current reserve storage facilities. Under normal operations energy suppliers extract their main source of energy production from waste incineration or other forms of Eco-friendly fuels. However, it is during the coldest hours or in emergency scenarios that the demand for more heat forces suppliers to utilize their (fossil-fuel based) reservoirs and peak load installations. Having recognized the need for new Eco-friendly solutions, these reserve systems have begun being upgraded for use with bio-fuels.

– Fortum Oslo Varme is currently using non-fossil fuels in a normal situation, but in those hours when power and energy needs are greatest, we must make sure that reserve and peak feeding systems start," said Anders Norling, Director of Technical Development, Fortum Oslo Varme. "Measures and improvements that can strengthen delivery safety and reduce maintenance costs are always interesting.

Tasked with overseeing the design of the new facilities was Department Manager Hallstein Brandal of Norsk Energi AS. He explained that the DeltaV-Seal was selected as the sealing solution because of its ability to withstand temperature fluctuation. His previous experience with traditional seals shows leaks occur when fluids in a piping network are exposed to temperature fluctuations.

– This requires re-tightening and maintenance, which quickly becomes expensive at large plants like this one

Hallstein Brandal, Department Manager, Norsk Energi AS

DeltaV-Seal's patented metal-to-metal sealing technology has a valuable advantage since the re-torquing of flange bolts is never required due to fluctuations in temperature. The metal seal expands and contracts in unison with the pipe flange regardless of temperature fluctuation.

– Pipeotech's sealing solution is not significantly more expensive than other products, so we were interested in testing it. So far, it looks promising, and we have hope that this solution will stand the test of time

Hallstein Brandal, Department Manager, Norsk Energi AS

Having carried out the installation process, Enwa PMI AS also gave Pipeotech's new sealing technology high praise. Enwa PMI AS's Project Manager, Morten S. Helgesen, emphasized the team's complete satisfaction with the DeltaV-Seal carbon steel product, as well as the level of Pipeotech's customer service.

– The seals were delivered at the agreed price and were in our hands the day after ordering - sometimes the same day. The flange seals were installed, and the bolts were tightened according to Pipeotech's torque tightening table. Since that time, Fortum Oslo Heating has not had a single leak in the flanges after the plant was put into service three months ago, and there has been no need to re-tighten flange bolts.

Morten S. Helgesen Projector Manager, Enwa PMI AS

DeltaV-Seal™ solved permanent leakage at processing plant

Thu, 21 Mar 2019 12:40:28 GMT

Operating conditions expose gaskets to excessive strain, normally leaving deposits on the flange.

Erlend Berntsen, Direct Sales Manager, Pipeotech AS

The flange the leak was located at a flange several meters up on the rig and a mobile crane was required in order to complete the installation process.

After installation of the DeltaV-Seal was completed a test report confirmed the flange became 'gas-tight' and all leakage was eliminated after the old seal was replaced.

Erlend Berntsen, Direct Sales Manger, Pipeotech AS

Download the case study here