1. Raw pipe stock is inspected and stamped with a tracer number for tracking throughout the manufacturing process.
2. Ultrasonic examination verifies minimum wall thickness and ensures the integrity of the material.
3. If required, ID grinding removes imperfections and reduces tare weight of the finished product. It may also be used to smooth and polish the inside surface.
4. A band saw cuts the pipe to the length needed for the finished tube.
5. FIBA’s state-of-the-art CNC spin forge utilizes precise induction heating to form pipe ends.
6. After forming, the vessels are heat treated in our computer controlled and calibrated oven.
7. Liquid quenching of the vessels continues the heating process of achieving product uniformity and required physical properties for regulatory compliance.
8. Hardness testing and other inspections confirm results of heat-treating processes.
9. After heat treatment, the vessel ends are finished with Class 2 or 3 threads using a CNC machining center.
10. Hydrostatic testing establishes a vessel’s service pressure, weight, and water volume, verifies proper heat treatment, measures elasticity, and inspects for leaks.
Internal steam cleaning and drying, while using an inverter, flushes out the machining residues and removes moisture.
12. The internal surface of the vessel is shotblasted to remove mill scale and further clean the interior surface.
13. Exterior shotblasting removes heat treatment scale and corrosion.
14. The pressure vessel is stamp marked for unique identification and to verify regulatory specification compliance.
15. Exterior coating per customer specifications finishes the pressure vessels, which are then shipped or packaged.
