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Wet Bench System Designed and Fabricated by PKG Equipment
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PKG Equipment designed and fabricated a wet bench system for the Printmedia Department at The School of the Art Institute of Chicago. The system consisted of four wet benches. Each wet bench design had stainless steel framework to support the body, sinks and removable inserts and was clad in white polypropylene. All wet bench tops and sinks were fabricated from black copolymer polypropylene. Inserts were fabricated from white polypropylene. Sliding doors on the front of each wet bench allowed for access and/or storage. Each wet bench had removable containment trays under the sinks and inserts.
Wet bench #1 was 110" x 33" x 36" high. It included two 24" x 24" x 12" deep sinks, two 4" x 20" x 24" deep inserts with covers and two 6" x 14" x 18" deep inserts with covers. Each sink was equipped with a laboratory style wash down sprayer with flexible spray hose and lever action spray head. PVC piping was included for water feeds and drains with true union ball valves at the rear of the wet bench. Wet bench #2 was the same size as wet bench #1, but it included one 42" x 32" x 10" deep insert with a white polypropylene bi-fold cover. Both of these wet benches had integral ventilation hoods. Wet bench #3 was 46" x 22" x 36" high and included one 6" x 42" x 30" deep insert with a cover. All three wet benches were designed to be easily bolted together in the field.
Wet bench #4 was 120" x 33" x 36" high and included one 48" x 32" x 12" deep sink. The sink was equipped with a laboratory style wash down sprayer with flexible spray hose and lever action spray header. PVC piping was included for water feeds and drains with true union ball valves at the rear of the wet bench.
Similar etching equipment fabricated by PKG Equipment for The Rochester Institute of Technology can be seen in "The Contemporary Printmaker: Intaglio-Type & Acrylic Resist Etching" written by Keith Howard, who is considered to be the foremost authority within the field of non-toxic intaglio printmaking.
PKG Equipment Installs New Miller Submerged Arc Welding System
PKG Equipment recently installed a new Miller submerged arc welding system to expand its capabilities in the fabrication of process equipment. This sumerged arc welder uses a continuously fed consumable solid or tubular (flux cored) electrode. The molten weld and the arc zone are protected from atmospheric contamination by being "submerged" under a blanket of granular fusible flux. When molten, the flux becomes conductive and provides a current path between the electrode and the work. This thick layer of flux completely covers the molten metal thus preventing splatter and sparks as well as suppressing the intense ultraviolet radiation and fumes that are a part of the welding process. The sub-arc welder is mounted to an Aronson manipulator that has a 10' longitudinal travel and a 12' vertical travel. Advantages of sub-arc welding are reduced weld time, high deposition rate, superior weld penetration and repeatable x-ray quality welds.
PKG Equipment Fabricates 62' Long Polypropylene Tank for Steel Manufacturer
| PKG Equipment fabricated this continuous strip, sulfuric acid, pickling tank for Siemens Energy & Automation for delivery to a major steel manufacturer in Japan. The polypropylene tank is 5263 gallons and measures approximately 62' x 7.5' x 5.5' deep. It was manufactured from 1.5" stress relieved polypropylene sheet and was designed for a maximum operating temperature of 194° F. |
Section of Pickling Tank
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The tank had an integral drip tray and six tank covers. A water trough style seal was incorporated into the tank to ensure a gas tight seal with the tank covers which increases the effectiveness of the ventilation. Teflon steam injectors and granite wear bars were included in the tank. The entire polypropylene tank had full penetration welds and was completely spark tested. All extrusion welded corner joints were capped with 40mm square corner polypropylene reinforcements.
PKG Equipment Inc. Receives Exclusive Authorization to use HY-PROŽ for Plastic Fabrications
| PKG Equipment Inc. has just received exclusive authorization to use HY-PROŽ flame retardant clad polypropylene to manufacture process equipment. PKG Equipment has been fabricating process equipment from various thermoplastics for over 30 years, but this new capability allows PKG to offer plastic fabrications that require some flame retardant provisions without the expense associated with solid flame retardant sheet. |
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HY-PROŽ was developed by Allegheny Plastics, but Siemens Corp. currently owns the trademark and rights to HY-PROŽ. It is co-extruded polypropylene sheet with an impact resistant copolymer polypropylene core and two outer protective layers of .090" thick flame retardant copolymer polypropylene. HY-PROŽ offers the superior weld ability, toughness and strength of the copolymer polypropylene core with flame retardant skins on the outside faces. Butt welds are made by machine hot blade fusion welds or by using full penetration welds with natural copolymer polypropylene welding rod. The only non flame retardant areas in fabricated parts are the exposed edges and weld seams which are a very small percentage of the total surface area.
While this material has flame retardant outer protective layers, it is not represented as having the equivalent burning characteristics as solid flame retardant sheet. It is an economical alternative with superior physical properties. The flame retardant skins protect the copolymer core from ignition from weld splatter, burning droplets, electrical arching, etc. Typical applications for HY-PROŽ polypropylene include, but are not limited to fume exhaust hoods, ductwork, tank covers and scrubber bodies.
Field Erected Polypropylene Tank
 PKG Equipment Inc. replaced a bulging and embrittled rotationally molded tank with a custom fabricated polypropylene tank that was shipped to the job site in pieces that would fit through a 5' x 6' opening. The tank was located in the basement of the Pennsylvania American Water Company's water treatment plant in Hummelstown, PA. The largest opening to the basement was a 5' x 6' hatch in the first floor of the building, but the tank needed to be 142" in diameter x 101" high.
In order to avoid any demolition work that would be required to get the tank installed in one piece, PKG Equipment assembled and extrusion welded the tank on site. The tank was fabricated from 1/2" thick copolymer polypropylene and was supported by epoxy coated steel girth bands. Field erecting this polypropylene tank saved the customer money and greatly reduced their downtime.
PVC Scrubber
 This horizontal scrubber was constructed of 1/2" thick type I PVC. The scrubber was designed to remove 99.9% of nitric acid from the air stream at 20,000 CFM. Separation efficiency was acquired through an 8' bed of wetted polypropylene packing and an additional 2' bed for mist elimination. The bed was wetted with a caustic solution by twelve spray nozzles fed by two 5 HP vertical seal-less pumps. Wash down water was monitored by a pH control and maintained by metering sodium hydroxide into the wash down water. Five access points, and removable inlet and outlet sections, facilitate in the maintenance of internals.
New Polypropylene Pretreatment Tanks & Reconstruction of Secondary Containment Pits
This project occurred in two phases during the winters of 2006 and 2007 & required engineering, fabrication & installation by PKG Equipment.
Phase I - East Pit
Fabrication of three new 38' x 5' x 7' deep steel reinforced copolymer polypropylene tanks began in November of 2005. In January 2006 demolition of the old pit was started. All of the existing concrete was removed and replaced with a panelized pre-cast concrete secondary containment pit measuring 27' x 44' x 4' deep. The panels were assembled and post tensioned to add strength to the structure. PKG Equipment then coated the entire inside of the pit with Rhino Lining's Durabond spray-on elastomer polyurethane coating to make the pit a secondary containment structure that meets NY state standards. A PVC lined trench was installed between the east and west pits, and cast-in-place concrete was laid to match the existing finished floor to the edge of the pit and trench all the way around. The three new polypropylene tanks were set in place and leveled in the pit. The system was finished off with fiberglass grating at grade level around and between the tanks.
Phase II - West Pit
Fabrication of four more 38' x 5' x 7' deep steel reinforced copolymer polypropylene tanks began in October 2006. In January of 2007 demolition of the old pit started. All of the existing concrete was removed and replaced with a panelized pre-cast concrete secondary containment pit measuring 38' x 44' x 4' deep. The panels were assembled and post tensioned to add strength to the structure. PKG Equipment coated the entire inside of the pit with Rhino Lining's Durabond spray-on elastomer polyurethane coating to make the pit a secondary containment structure that meets NY state standards. The new pit was matched up to the PVC trench between the two pits, and a new PVC lined trench was installed to the heat exchanger room. Cast-in-place concrete was laid to match the existing finished floor to the edge of the pit and trenches all the way around. The new polypropylene tanks were set in place and leveled in the pit. The system was finished off with fiberglass grating at grade level around and between the polypropylene tanks.
Glass Plant Expands Batch House
 This batch house expansion was engineered, fabricated & installed by PKG Equipment. Eight feet of height was added to the existing raw material storage bins. PKG fabricated side extensions, internal extensions & a new top that was bolted & welded to the existing hopper. The existing level detectors, dust collectors & other equipment that were located on the top of the hopper were raised & installed on the new hopper top.
A 5-position plus clean-out rotary distributor was fabricated complete with a separate control panel with position indicator lights.
12' of elevator section was added to the raw material bucket elevator to give an additional 4' of height above the top of the storage bins after the bins were raised. The elevator section included caged ladders attached to the elevator that were similar to the existing ones.
The existing elevator service platform was raised with the elevator. The diverter service platform was also raised & the support legs had an additional 4' of length added to them. A new electric actuated 2-position offset diverter was supplied. The diverter has a separate control panel located in the batch house.
The ladder used to access the bin tops was extended with an 8' caged section welded to the existing ladder. The ladder from the upper bins to the lower storage bins had an 8' section added to it. PKG also welded five 13'-6" sections to the existing five access ladders inside the bins. Several new chutes were fabricated & installed as well. All shop fabricated surfaces were sand blasted to joint surface preparation standard SSPC-SP6 & painted in house.
Glass Plant Sand Elevator Renovation
 PKG Equipment designed, fabricated & supervised the installation of this elevator. It included platforms for the head section & lower small head section with a short access ladder. There was also a roof level platform. New platforms included pipe railings & bar grating walking surfaces. 3/16" plate was used to skin the west side of 3 elevator sections. Intermediate landing & caged ladders from the roof to the intermediate platform & from the intermediate platform to the head section platform were included.
The chute from the elevator discharge to roof top was Triten lined on 3 sides. Triten lined target boxes were included at the top & bottom of the chute. A new target box support frame was included. Each target box had a camlock opening & additional openings near the top & bottom of the chute. A 12" diameter Sch 40 pipe was installed from the side of the chute to an existing target box. Two slide gates were included.
The hoist was designed to lift 2000 lbs. & extends 8' out from the edge of the roof. The 36' long hoist beam was 10' above the roof structure. The hoist beam support was welded to existing roof embedments.
All items were painted in house.
Fully Automated Nickel / Chrome Plating Line
 This rack plating line was designed, fabricated & installed by PKG Equipment. Tanks were fabricated from polypropylene, stainless steel & Koroseal lined carbon steel. The line included 3 semi bright nickel cells & 2 bright nickel cells. Each cell was 156" long x 24" wide x 70" deep. The overall length of the line was 101'. Two PLC contolled hoists had a capacity of 1500 lbs. each. Temperature & rectifier control was handled through the PLC. Installation was turnkey & included flight bars, rectifiers, pumps & filters, air agitation system, steam heating system, water feed & waste piping & PVC ventilation system.
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