Global safety seal manufacturer Roxtec has specialised in the delivery of reliable and flexible sealing solutions for more than two decades. Roxtec UK Marine & Offshore Director John Kayes says the firm’s seals are now used within cabinets and enclosures in demanding environments on land and at sea all over the globe. He explains the key to effective surge and circuit protection and how the firm’s products have been used by the likes of BP on one of the largest and deepest oil developments in the North Sea.
Effective protection of equipment
Although Roxtec has developed an international reputation for sealing cables and pipes entering structures, its products are now increasingly being used to protect equipment. There are multiple hazards to consider with cable entries including lightning, gas, fire, dust, flood, humidity, rodents, electro-magnetic disturbances and the risk of explosion.
However, traditional sealing systems only tend to protect against one particular hazard. The effective protection of electrical equipment in heavy industrial and hazardous environments has become an engineering challenge. There remains increasing demand for solutions which provide environmental protection in the harshest of environments including potentially explosive atmospheres.
BP Quad 204
Roxtec frequently delivers surge and circuit protection solutions for clients. Its successes include a major contract to supply one of the largest and deepest oil sea developments in the North Sea. Roxtec’s UK and Korean operations joined forces with global petroleum giant BP on its offshore oil and gas project called ‘Quad 204′ where it was building a new floating, production, storage and offloading (FPSO) unit, the Glen Lyon. The unit is located approximately 80 miles west of Shetland, in Scotland.
The Glen Lyon, built by Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI) in South Korea, the largest shipyard in the world, replaced the existing ‘Schiehallion’ FPSO and included an extension of a subsea system with new and replacement flow lines, risers and 14 wells in addition to the 52 existing ones. The project saw Roxtec’s bulkhead/deck seals used on the hull and top sides and also in the living quarters.
Roxtec worked in partnership with the yard to supply a range of bespoke products to seal stainless steel tubes. Its seals were chosen because of a range of benefits including quick and simple maintenance as well as being easy to upgrade in future renovation work. The Lloyds-approved, watertight seals protect vital equipment on this production platform against salt water ingress which can be so damaging if cables are not properly sealed.
Surge and circuit protection
With specific regard to surge and circuit protection, Roxtec’s BG (Bonding & Grounding) seals were used to seal armoured cables going into ICSS (integrated control and safety system) cabinets. These specialist seals were also used on HVAC (heating, ventilation and air-conditioning) control systems. Many engineering hours were saved for HHI as they didn’t need to know all the cable data details at the design stage due to the flexibility of the Roxtec solution.
The FPSO was designed in the UK and constructed in South Korea. As a global company, Roxtec was able to provide support to the project from bases in the UK and South Korea for the lifespan of the project. The Quad 204 was designed to operate in harsh weather conditions and can produce 130,000 barrels of oil and more than 2 million cubic meters of gas a day. The facility is also able to provide storage capacity for more than 1 million barrels of oil.
As this project demonstrates Roxtec’s products are being used more and more frequently in the oil and gas sector. Due to the fact Roxtec is a market leading company with an international presence, it is perfectly placed to advise and supply these types of projects which involve multiple geographical locations.
‘High Density’ cable sealing solution
Roxtec has paid close attention to industry calls, and in particular clients within the oil and gas sector, before integrating the design of cable entry devices used in terminal boxes and enclosures within hazardous environments.
This work resulted in the manufacture of a ‘High Density’ cable entry system. Aside from providing environmental protection, the seal helps designers and installers save time, space and money when compared to traditional cable gland systems. The HD system can accommodate up to 32 cables. The ability to feed multiple cables into one opening can save large amounts of time as only one hole needs to be cut.
The solution is also a cost saver as it dramatically reduces labour and production overheads compared to installing 32 separate traditional cable glands. Tests have further shown that the Roxtec HD solution can create weight savings of up to 50pc and can increase cable capacity by almost twice as much when compared to traditional cable glands. Crucially, the high durability of this cable transit device means it offers a direct replacement to stainless steel and brass cable glands.
Removing costly and timely design processes
To further help designers, Roxtec also offers free online software called Roxtec Transit Designer (https://transitdesigner.roxtec.com). This can be used remotely with speed and ease removing the time-sensitive and costly process of designing detailed cable configurations. It can be used on computers and touch screen devices and essentially helps designers and engineers select the right sealing solution. They can filter by application, certificate and sealing requirements enabling the design of a transit in just minutes. The project team gets it all right from the start – with manufacturer-approved 3D models, drawings, material lists and installation instructions.
For more details on Roxtec’s BG seals visit the website https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ny99ant-OVE or contact Roxtec UK at Waterfold Business Park, Bury Tel: 0161 761 5280 Email info@uk.roxtec.com or go online at: www.roxtec.com