Pretreatment and painting plants for energy and petroleum components

These surface treatment and protective coating systems meet the technical standards required by the Energy and Oil&Gas sectors , sectors characterized by harsh operating conditions. The intervention is part of a broader plan to upgrade the customer’s production capacity, with the aim of improving the quality of surface treatments and durability of products intended for extreme operating environments.

The chemical and petrochemical industries as well as the energy sector challenge the efficiency and durability of plants, which must be designed to operate in aggressive atmospheres and withstand extreme conditions of pressure, temperature and humidity.

In these contexts, the quality of the pretreatment cycle and industrial liquid painting is crucial to ensure corrosion protection and the service life of metal components, in line with the international ISO12944 standards for corrosion protection by paint systems on steel,(ISO 12944 – Corrosion protection of steel structures by protective paint systems).

Surface treatment and anticorrosive painting of metal components are crucial to ensure the protection and long life of structures.

The production process of technologies intended for particularly heavy-duty applications from the point of view of material resilience and component durability cannot be separated from the use of specialized technologies capable of handling pretreatment operations and the complete painting cycle. Only through the total synergy of the different components of the plant is it possible to guarantee successful production. Eurotherm, with decades of experience in the design of painting plants for the energy and Oil&Gas sectors, develops integrated solutions for the surface treatment of large components and complex geometries.

For an Italian company that has been active for more than 40 years in the design and manufacture of systems, equipment and metalwork for turbogas, petrochemical and power generation plants, two treatment and painting plants for the energy sector have been realized, aimed at internalizing the pre-treatment and painting operations of metal structures.

This choice allows optimizing time and costs, while improving the quality of surface treatment and the uniformity of the protective coating.

During shot blasting, which is carried out in accordance with good practices outlined in SSPC-SP 10 / NACE No. 2(AMPP – Standards for oil and gas pipeline coatings) standards for surface preparation in highly corrosive environments, 4 suction units are in operation, each connected to 3 hoods. The grit used in the process, is recovered through scraper tracks.

During liquid painting, 6 suction walls capture and filter in-cabin emissions.
This integrated sandblasting and painting plant configuration enables mechanical pretreatment and subsequent application of protective coatings to be handled in a single controlled cycle, ideal for components destined for the energy and Oil&Gas sectors.

• During washing/decontamination, 6 suction walls are in operation, and air is replenished by filtered air inlet diffusers in the ceiling.
• During the liquid painting phase of the components, 6 liquid suction walls are in operation, and 2 AHUs are in operation for the forced supply of heated air. Filtered air is partially replenished by ceiling inlet diffusers.
• During drying, 6 liquid suction walls are in operation, and 2 AHUs are in operation for the forced supply of heated air. The diffusers for air make-up are closed by automatic dampers for the purpose of quickly raising the internal temperature.

This system ensures precise control of environmental conditions at every stage-from chemical treatment to industrial coating and final drying-improving the adhesion of protective coatings and corrosion resistance, according to technical guidelines developed by international associations such as theInternational Society of Coating Science and Technology (ISCST).

The construction of these two industrial coating plants is a concrete example of how integrated technologies and design know-how can meet the production needs of the Energy and Oil&Gas sectors, ensuring efficiency, operational safety and compliance with environmental and quality standards.

The design and construction of pretreatment and liquid coating plants for components destined for the Energy and Oil&Gas sectors requires well-established technical skills, in-depth knowledge of production processes, and the ability to guarantee high standards of quality, safety, and durability over time, supported by international standards and test methods such as ASTM E2330 – Standardizing Corrosion Protection in Coatings.