Projects - INTEREP Inc.

Conquer Leaks with INTEREP: Introducing the Darlyn-1100 Composite Expansion Joint

Conquer Leaks with INTEREP: Introducing the Darlyn-1100 Composite Expansion Joint

Coal-fired power plants are known for their high-energy output, but they also require frequent maintenance and upgrades to operate at peak efficiency. One key area that often requires attention is the air heater inlet duct. Over time, these ducts can become worn and rusty, which can negatively...

Coal-fired power plants are known for their high-energy output, but they also require frequent maintenance and upgrades to operate at peak efficiency. One key area that often requires attention is the air heater inlet duct. Over time, these ducts can become worn and rusty, which can negatively impact efficiency and increase downtime. However, with the use of modern fabric expansion joints, power plant operators can achieve improved efficiency and longevity. What is a Fabric Expansion Joint? A fabric expansion joint is a flexible element that can be used to compensate for movement, misalignment, and vibration in duct systems. These joints are typically made from layers of high-strength fabrics, such as fiberglass or Kevlar, which are coated with specialized compounds to resist heat, moisture, and chemicals. They can be designed to withstand extreme temperatures, pressures, and other environmental conditions. Why Upgrade Air Heater Inlet Ducts with Fabric Expansion Joints? Air heater inlet ducts play a critical role in the combustion process by preheating the air that is used to fuel the boiler. If these ducts are worn or damaged, they can leak air, which can reduce efficiency and increase emissions. Additionally, worn ducts can be more susceptible to corrosion and other forms of damage, which can shorten their lifespan and increase maintenance costs. By upgrading air heater inlet ducts with fabric expansion joints, power plant operators can achieve several benefits, including: Improved Efficiency: Fabric expansion joints can help to minimize air leakage, which can improve combustion efficiency and reduce emissions. By maintaining a consistent flow of preheated air, fabric expansion joints can also help to prevent hot spots and other thermal imbalances. Increased Longevity: Fabric expansion joints are designed to withstand extreme temperatures, pressures, and other environmental conditions. As a result, they can provide longer service life than traditional metal expansion joints or welded joints, which can be prone to corrosion and other forms of damage. Reduced Maintenance Costs: By reducing the need for frequent repairs and replacements, fabric expansion joints can help to reduce maintenance costs and downtime. They can also be designed to allow for easier inspection and maintenance, further reducing the overall cost of ownership. Upgrading air heater inlet ducts with fabric expansion joints can provide significant benefits to power plant operators. By improving efficiency and longevity, fabric expansion joints can help to reduce emissions, increase productivity, and save money in the long run. For power plants looking to improve their operations and reduce their environmental impact, fabric expansion joints are a smart investment.

For many families, going on a work trip might not seem like the most exciting way to spend quality time together. But for our team at INTEREP, bringing our loved ones to industrial work sites is a chance to make unforgettable memories and show them what we do. There's something special about...

For many families, going on a work trip might not seem like the most exciting way to spend quality time together. But for our team at INTEREP, bringing our loved ones to industrial work sites is a chance to make unforgettable memories and show them what we do.

There's something special about having your family by your side as you don a hard hat and safety goggles, ready to tackle a project together. It's a chance to share a unique experience and bond over the challenges and triumphs of the work. And while we might be working hard to get the job done, we know that our family is there for us, providing support and encouragement every step of the way.

Of course, when it's time to work, we take our job seriously. We suit up and get down to business, making sure that every detail is just right. But we never lose sight of the fact that we're creating memories together and building relationships that will last a lifetime.

Whether we're installing new equipment, repairing equipment, or just working on routine maintenance, we always make time to enjoy the moment and appreciate the opportunity to work with our family by our side. It's a chance to show them what we do, and to remind ourselves why we love what we do.

So, to our families who have joined us on work trips: thank you for being our rock and making these experiences unforgettable. We might be working hard, but we know that with you by our side, anything is possible. Here's to making more memories together on the job site!

Centrifugal fans are a critical component in industrial settings, used to move air and other gases through various industrial processes to power machines and equipment. These fans are often the unsung heroes of heavy industries, and their proper functioning is essential to maintain productivity,...

Centrifugal fans are a critical component in industrial settings, used to move air and other gases through various industrial processes to power machines and equipment. These fans are often the unsung heroes of heavy industries, and their proper functioning is essential to maintain productivity, reduce downtime, and keep operations running smoothly.
At INTEREP, we provide a range of services to ensure your centrifugal fans are functioning at their best. Our team of experts uses the latest technology and advanced techniques to design customized centrifugal fans that cater to your specific needs, whether you are in power generation, oil and gas, or any other heavy industry.
Our approach to designing customized centrifugal fans involves an in-depth analysis of the specific requirements of your system. We use computer-aided design (CAD) and computational fluid dynamics (CFD) software to optimize fan performance, which ensures that our designs are highly efficient and effective.
Over time, centrifugal fans can become worn or damaged, leading to decreased efficiency and increased downtime. Our refurbishment services include cleaning, repairing, and replacing parts to restore your fan's functionality and extend its lifespan.
Balancing is an essential process to maintain efficient airflow and reduce noise levels. Our team uses advanced balancing techniques such as vibration analysis and laser alignment to ensure your fans are running smoothly and efficiently. We also provide on-site repairs, maintenance, and installation services to keep your operations running smoothly.
Our system assessment services include a thorough review of your operations to identify areas for improvement in your system. We use advanced monitoring tools and techniques to analyze your system's performance, recommend customized solutions to improve performance, and reduce costs.
At INTEREP, we understand the importance of centrifugal fans in heavy industries and provide a range of services using advanced technology and techniques to optimize fan performance and keep your operations running smoothly

Rotary kiln systems and dust collectors are essential components in many industrial settings, but they also face unique challenges due to the extreme temperatures and abrasive dust they encounter. Without the right equipment, these harsh conditions can cause serious damage and lead to costly...

Rotary kiln systems and dust collectors are essential components in many industrial settings, but they also face unique challenges due to the extreme temperatures and abrasive dust they encounter. Without the right equipment, these harsh conditions can cause serious damage and lead to costly downtime. That's why INTEREP's high-quality expansion joints are so important. Our expansion joints are engineered to withstand the toughest conditions and minimize the risk of downtime, so you can keep your operations running smoothly and efficiently. With INTEREP, you can trust that your equipment is protected and your focus can remain on the task at hand - getting the job done.

An INTEREP expansion joint hard at work. Can’t see it? That’s because it’s doing its job. You can juuuuust barely see the gap in the telescoping flow-liners there. We used a braided seal and cavity packing to ensure that no dust would accumulate in the bellows convolutions, and that this...

An INTEREP expansion joint hard at work. Can’t see it? That’s because it’s doing its job. You can juuuuust barely see the gap in the telescoping flow-liners there. We used a braided seal and cavity packing to ensure that no dust would accumulate in the bellows convolutions, and that this expansion joint would be able to run for many years without any special attention… even in hot metals service, with slag, abrasive particulate, and sulfur gas!

#hotshot time! This INCOLOY 800 universal expansion joint refurbishment is going to make it out of our shop just in time to get to an oil refinery on the last day of their turnaround, so they can start up on schedule and keep making money! They didn’t anticipate needing to replace this expansion...

#hotshot time! This INCOLOY 800 universal expansion joint refurbishment is going to make it out of our shop just in time to get to an oil refinery on the last day of their turnaround, so they can start up on schedule and keep making money! They didn’t anticipate needing to replace this expansion joint, because it’s only 6 months old, but it wasn’t an INTEREP part, and wasn’t suited to the application, so they discovered the bellows had already failed when they brought the FCCU offline.

Shooting an infrared thermal survey on the high pressure superheat piping of an Alstom HRSG. These units came with metal bellows penetration seals and INTEREP is one of the few companies that will show customers how to replace them with metal a second time! Sure, we offer fabric like everyone...

Shooting an infrared thermal survey on the high pressure superheat piping of an Alstom HRSG. These units came with metal bellows penetration seals and INTEREP is one of the few companies that will show customers how to replace them with metal a second time! Sure, we offer fabric like everyone else, but if you can get another 5-10 years with metal, go for it!

Take a look at Carl lining up this Viton Rubber Expansion Joint for the final splice.

Take a look at Carl lining up this Viton Rubber Expansion Joint for the final splice.

We think we have the coolest job. At this Coal Plant, we had 10 EJ splices to do. All requiring us to be tied in with access only possible by lift, scaffolding, or stairs. These Rubber EJs had to be heat cured, meaning we had an INTEREP crew working around the clock for 4 days. This was a fun one....

We think we have the coolest job. At this Coal Plant, we had 10 EJ splices to do. All requiring us to be tied in with access only possible by lift, scaffolding, or stairs. These Rubber EJs had to be heat cured, meaning we had an INTEREP crew working around the clock for 4 days. This was a fun one. 😆 check out our Instagram for more pictures of this job. @interep.inc

Smile, it’s almost Friday! 😆🛠👷🏼‍♀️ Even weekends won’t keep us from making sure you stay online. Give us a call! #performanceunderpressure #therewhenyouneedit

Smile, it’s almost Friday! 😆🛠👷🏼‍♀️ Even weekends won’t keep us from making sure you stay online. Give us a call! #performanceunderpressure #therewhenyouneedit

We’ll do whatever it takes to keep you up and running….. even if that means social closening. 🤝 . . . We fought this water treatment silo expansion joint for hours. Sometimes you just need a little elbow grease from a buddy to help you operate those vice grips. This one had an EPDM...

We’ll do whatever it takes to keep you up and running….. even if that means social closening. 🤝
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We fought this water treatment silo expansion joint for hours. Sometimes you just need a little elbow grease from a buddy to help you operate those vice grips. This one had an EPDM expansion joint belt with a natural gum rubber sheet liner inside.

Can you see the difference in the center spool angle? This indicates the expansion joints have been compromised. #metalexpansionjoint #heavyindustrial

Can you see the difference in the center spool angle?
This indicates the expansion joints have been compromised.
#metalexpansionjoint #heavyindustrial

Performance and longevity of an expansion joint (EJ) areaffected by storage & environmental conditions. While most forms of environmental attack will have little effect upon a typical EJ while in storage, they are susceptible to accidental damage and storage best-practices must be followed in...

Performance and longevity of an expansion joint (EJ) are
affected by storage & environmental conditions. While most forms of environmental attack will have little effect upon a typical EJ while in storage, they are susceptible to accidental damage and storage best-practices must be followed in order to avoid plant-process issues after installation. Contact us for a storage guide, link in bio! #expansionjoints #industrialplants #industrialparts

Does your brickwork have expansion joints in it? Often, they’re made of Viton Rubber, which can handle acid well, but if you wash your acid down with water, you create hot acid due to the exothermic reaction the two substances produce, no rubber expansion joint can handle hot acid. Have INTEREP...

Does your brickwork have expansion joints in it? Often, they’re made of Viton Rubber, which can handle acid well, but if you wash your acid down with water, you create hot acid due to the exothermic reaction the two substances produce, no rubber expansion joint can handle hot acid. Have INTEREP come out if you’ve had an upset event in your acid area recently, we’ll help you make sure your flooring expansion joints are holding up well, and help you avoid needed to do structural concrete repair work beneath your brick pad.

No drawings? No problem. Need a part for your plant, but its custom engineered and the drawings are nowhere to be found? INTEREP will show up and reverse engineer your expansion joints, dampers, or fans. Yet another reason to keep INTEREP on speed dial!

No drawings? No problem.
Need a part for your plant, but its custom engineered and the drawings are nowhere to be found? INTEREP will show up and reverse engineer your expansion joints, dampers, or fans. Yet another reason to keep INTEREP on speed dial!

Finishing up a Dynawave scrubber inlet liner that we built out of FRP with a dual-laminate layer of ECTFE inside. This process sees hot gas, fluorides, and sulfur, so it eats pretty much any alloy out there. We needed to get something in there that could handle abrasives and still see temperatures...

Finishing up a Dynawave scrubber inlet liner that we built out of FRP with a dual-laminate layer of ECTFE inside. This process sees hot gas, fluorides, and sulfur, so it eats pretty much any alloy out there. We needed to get something in there that could handle abrasives and still see temperatures around 300F from time to time. Next step is to get on-site and make sure that the Dynawave quenching weir is working properly so we don't get any hot spots

Check out this turbine crossover metal bellows refurbishment!

Check out this turbine crossover metal bellows refurbishment!

In the dry climate of the Rocky Mountains you really only get a rust bloom like this on your carbon steel when it sees direct contact with water (this new piece of ductwork just saw the first of many rainstorms in its life). However, in humid climates you’ll get this same rust inside of your...

In the dry climate of the Rocky Mountains you really only get a rust bloom like this on your carbon steel when it sees direct contact with water (this new piece of ductwork just saw the first of many rainstorms in its life). However, in humid climates you’ll get this same rust inside of your vessels that aren’t even exposed to rain. That’s why it’s important to put down a coat of primer such as Pennguard HB, Penntrowel Epoxy Primer, or other similar ErgonArmor products as soon as possible after you’ve cleaned and prepped your surface. That’ll ensure you seal it in and are ready for a solid bond between your steel and your vessel lining system.

We've been supplying industrial process equipment around the world since 1983. We believe in delivering the highest quality hardware to keep an American industry up and running. Process knowledge is our passion. Most vendors understand their products, but we understand your process and how our...

We've been supplying industrial process equipment around the world since 1983. We believe in delivering the highest quality hardware to keep an American industry up and running.

Process knowledge is our passion. Most vendors understand their products, but we understand your process and how our products will interact with it. We're here to help you avoid downtime when downtime isn’t an option.

INTEREP was created out of the ashes of the 1980’s oil bust. Our founder, Carl Horecky, swore he’d never put all his eggs in one basket again. From there, INTEREP was born and forged a path to become not only suppliers, but experts.

In 2021, we're excited to continue growing our team of professionals who live for the unique challenges and solutions of unforgiving environments. We’d love to hear from you! Bring us your piping or ducting design challenge today and let us show you why so many industrial facilities trust INTEREP as the experts.

A customer reached out to us with a dilemma. They had a whole duct full of fabric expansion joints that were burning up, and they needed all new ones in less than 4 weeks. What’s weird is the flue gas is normally only 300F. However, they sometimes bypass 1000F gas into it and ALL of the gas that...

A customer reached out to us with a dilemma. They had a whole duct full of fabric expansion joints that were burning up, and they needed all new ones in less than 4 weeks. What’s weird is the flue gas is normally only 300F. However, they sometimes bypass 1000F gas into it and ALL of the gas that goes through this duct is high in sulfur. Instead of providing a new expansion joint with more insulation, we decided to calculate the minimum allowable amount of insulation based on their excursion durations and temperatures, put in all stainless flow-liners, hardware, and frames, and topped it off with silicone gaskets to help get the PTFE belt as watertight (or acid tight) as we could.

Over-insulating the internal cavity pillow would cause sulfuric acid condensation inside the expansion joint (between the belt and pillow).

Is it going to build up acid on cold days still? Probably. Is it going to keep the plant up and running without leaving gaping holes in their ductwork? Definitely.

Here's a picture from today when our trained field service technicians (Liam Burns and Andrew Dixon) were able to bring a coal fired power generating station back online after one of their pulverizer outlet expansion joints had a critical failure.

Here's a picture from today when our trained field service technicians (Liam Burns and Andrew Dixon) were able to bring a coal fired power generating station back online after one of their pulverizer outlet expansion joints had a critical failure.

Safety Tip! If you see rust or discoloration on the outside of your vent silencer, check the inside. The perforated plate on this one came loose and it began shedding its internal insulation - causing safety and noise issues.

Safety Tip! If you see rust or discoloration on the outside of your vent silencer, check the inside. The perforated plate on this one came loose and it began shedding its internal insulation - causing safety and noise issues.

Sometimes you’ve just gotta suit up and get dirty to get plant back online. Here’s our founder, Carl Horecky, field-fitting a high temperature expansion joint belt onto the primary air duct coming off of a coal mill. Once he finishes, a whole coal-fired unit will be back up and running.

Sometimes you’ve just gotta suit up and get dirty to get plant back online. Here’s our founder, Carl Horecky, field-fitting a high temperature expansion joint belt onto the primary air duct coming off of a coal mill. Once he finishes, a whole coal-fired unit will be back up and running.