When an unexpected heat exchanger failure created an urgent replacement need for a refinery in Northern Europe, Alleima and its customer BTR Industry had to move quickly.
The refinery’s existing heat exchanger tubes had suffered chloride-induced stress corrosion cracking, leading to leakage that could not be repaired. Replacement tube bundles were therefore required, creating a time-critical situation for the refinery and a risk of significant unplanned downtime.
BTR Industry, a manufacturer of pressure vessels and heat exchangers, led the replacement heat exchanger fabrication, working closely with Alleima to support the accelerated timeline.
The result: a six-to-eight-week reduction in delivery time, contributing to an overall project acceleration of eight to ten weeks.
The challenge: compressing the schedule
With production continuity at stake, the order had to move at pace without compromising safety, quality or material assurance.
The total order placed with Alleima comprised three tube bundles in two sizes, totalling 13 tonnes.
For a project of this type, the standard lead time is usually around 28 weeks. The refinery needed a shorter delivery timeline, but manufacturing and supply were only part of the challenge. The schedule also had to accommodate the necessary material approvals.
Sanicro® 35 was selected as an alternative to Alloy 625, supported by Alleima’s material expertise, technical documentation and dialogue with the relevant project stakeholders.
To meet the compressed schedule, Alleima reviewed its production plan and identified where time could be saved, finding gaps in production scheduling which would significantly shorten the lead time.
Alleima’s sales, production, planning and technical teams worked closely with BTR Industry: with all involved intently focused on the delivery target.
As a result, Alleima shortened its delivery time by approximately six to eight weeks and delivered complete order ahead of schedule.
For BTR Industry, the accelerated delivery of tubes supported its fabrication schedule and helped maintain momentum on the wider heat exchanger replacement programme. This contributed to an estimated eight-to-ten-week reduction in the overall project timeline, helping the end customer return the equipment to operation four weeks earlier than planned.