A trio of NOF Energy members from the North East have combined to deliver a bespoke rig for the testing of gas pipelines.
Having been introduced at Subsea North East, an event organised by NOF Energy, M5tec Ltd, ROSEN Group and Renown Engineering Ltd have collaborated to deliver the project.
ROSEN engaged with Newton Aycliffe-based M5tec with a design brief for a test rig, which needed to simultaneously induce a tensile, torsion and bending force to a fitting connected to a variety of pipe diameters.
An agreed design concept was put through detailed 3D modelling and Finite Element Analysis (FEA), followed by the production of manufacturing drawings for ROSEN. Renown supported the project by producing the test rig’s frame, before the final product was assembled at ROSEN’s test facility.
The next stage of the project will see ROSEN perform a series of tests to support the approval of the product for the gas industry.
Founded in 2014, M5tec is a multidiscipline engineering design company for the oil and gas, subsea, nuclear, and general engineering industries. With expertise in engineering, mechanical and hydraulic design, the company also provides engineering resource and consultancy services.
ROSEN, a world-wide inspection technology company, provides cutting-edge solutions in all areas of the inspection and integrity supply chain to over 120 countries. In Newcastle, ROSEN offers engineering consultancy and technical testing and field services to support asset integrity management on an international scale in the engineering sector. The ROSEN Test Facility is based in Brunswick Park in Newcastle upon Tyne.
Renown Engineering, based in Cramlington, is a premium supplier of fabrication, welding, design and assembly services to the oil & gas, defence, marine and offshore industries.
Chris Wood, Principal Engineer and Test Facility Manager at ROSEN, said: “ROSEN required conceptual and detailed designs ahead of the test rig’s fabrication with tight delivery targets. After being introduced to M5tec at an NOF Energy event in the summer of 2017, we decided to collaborate. M5tec provided us with expert engineering design services to allow us to meet our project requirements and deadlines.
Carl Jones, M5tec’s Operations Director, said: “Our time-served engineers bring experience and knowledge with them from previous engineering backgrounds, which allowed our team to deliver high-quality designs to ROSEN. The communication between ROSEN and M5tec was excellent, which was definitely influenced by our existing relationship from Subsea North East.
Paul Livingstone, Business Development Manager at NOF Energy, said: “NOF Energy’s networking events give our members the opportunity to connect with other businesses in the energy sector. It’s fantastic to see three members, M5tec, ROSEN, and Renown, combine their expertise to design and manufacture a new product for the international gas industry.”