Why Are Fabricated Strainers Necessary
Fabricated strainers functions like a normal strainers but are customized to suit specific settings and requirements. A strainer traps unwanted solid materials like rust, and sediments to separate from flowing fluids. It can perform this main function through the use of perforated metal, mesh, or wedge wire. A fabricated strainer protects piping system equipment like pumps, turbines, valves, meters, nozzles, and sprinkler heads. Its other advantages include improving productivity by reducing downtime as well as lowering maintenance efforts and costs.
Fabricated strainers are created to address some straining application issues like space limitations, special piping connection, specific opening systems, and cast metal modifications. These days, leading manufacturers offer clients various fabrication options. They can resize bodies of the strainers to meet the needed flow process, offer easy maintenance by creating special covers, or make larger casting to save costs. A fabricated strainer can retain and remove solid particles of various sizes. However, the most common size is around 1 to 40 mesh. Just like the normal straining models, customized strainers can also be made of the same materials like stainless steel.
Sometimes, fabricated strainers are manufactured one at a time in order for them to address the exact application problem by particular clients. This allows businesses to only pay for strainers that can do the job. Oftentimes, strainer companies do not need to design a strainer from scratch as they generated a set of various kinds of fabricated strainers that only needs to be slightly modified to fit a certain application. Some slight modifications can involve changing the cover, nozzles or piping connection, as well as generating horizontal-vertical flow. Clients can meet with the manufacturer's team to discuss the design parameters of the strainer they need.
There are different types of fabricated strainers based on their design. Some of the types that are primarily used are Y strainers, T strainers, suction diffusers, and basket strainers. The right fabricated design depends on the expected pressure drop and the kind of particles to be removed. In applications where operation is required to be continuous and the line should not be shut down for cleaning purposes, manufacturers can fabricate a duplex basket strainer. Once the first basket strainer is full of particles, the flow is then directed to the second one. Twin or automated strainers are commonly used in fuel oil process, ship's lubricating lines, cooling towers, industrial water intake and other continuous chemical operations.
Fabrication requests for strainers occur when facilities require extremely high quality strainers that are not easily found in the market. Some facilities and process systems require strainer units that are able to handle high pressure and extreme or varying temperature. In some cases, strainers are fabricated so that they become fully automated, possess self-cleaning capabilities, and provide easy operation. The best fabricated strainers are the ones that have their cover flanges easily removed, serviced and replaced. In addition, this superior type of strainers does not need constant draining. With such excellent features, the process line in plants or facilities is shut down for maintenance less frequently, and consequently, lowers maintenance costs and downtime rate.
