UTComp: your partner from innovation to inspection
It’s easy to see the advantages of using composites like fiber-reinforced plastic (FRP) for industrial pipes, tanks and other assets. The lightweight material can handle acids, salt, high-impact forces, heat and more, making it a versatile option.
What’s not as easy is finding specialists who can ensure you get the most out of that material. Although engineers graduate with plenty of knowledge of metals, they learn far less about composites.
End-to-end FRP services
UTComp is a world leader in designing and non-destructive testing (NDT) services for FRP assets. Founder Geoff Clarkson, P.Eng., spent decades working with large industrial clients around the globe. When he struck out as an independent plant and project engineer, more and more of the assets his clients hired him to work on were made of FRP. In 2008, he created UTComp to focus entirely on FRP and to launch UltraAnalytix® our non-destructive FRP evaluation technology.
Today, we provide complete FRP solutions for some of the world’s biggest companies — and a host of smaller enterprises as well.
From FRP material selection, asset design and engineering…
We can help you select the best composite materials for your needs, performing expert failure analyses to determine their fitness for service. We’ll choose the right resins and reinforcing fibers to optimize performance in your plant — whether that involves handling corrosive liquids, extreme temperatures, abrasion or any combination of the above.
We’ll develop the appropriate specs and nail down all the engineering details, creating a design tailored for your specific application and environment. Thanks to our extensive experience assessing FRP, we understand how this material ages and the types of damage that typically occur in service environments. As a result, we’ve developed a set of practices that go well beyond current codes and standards to maximize the lifespan of your new FRP asset.
Once construction gets underway, our experts can supervise the installation to ensure every detail is right.
… to regular inspection and repairs
Our UltraAnalytix® system uses ultrasonic technology to assess the structural integrity of FRP tanks, pipes and other assets — without needing to take them offline. Using proprietary algorithms, we then analyze the raw data to determine the current flexural modulus of the material, forecast the remaining service life of your asset and recommend any necessary repairs.
We love tough problems
With more than 35 years of experience, we know how to address the toughest engineering challenges. For example, in 2013 a mineral processing company hired us to design a basin liner that could hold hydrochloric acid and withstand heat levels that increased from room temperature to more than 400 degrees Fahrenheit in less than a minute.
We recommended a resin that wouldn’t deform under the temperature stress, and we worked with the installers design a concrete mold that would give the FRP liner sufficient room to expand under the intense process heat. Five years on, the liner is functioning problem-free and is projected to last another 20 years.
Whatever the challenge — whether it’s designing a new piece of equipment, finding a solution to a thorny engineering problem or maximizing the service life of your existing assets — UTComp provides FRP expertise you can count on.
Contact us to discuss how UTComp can meet your composite needs.