Fast response prevents failure

Our dedicated OCAS task force offers a versatile skill set in welding, corrosion, fatigue and fracture. We are confident we can add value by supporting our customers in asset integrity management and de-risking of capital-intensive projects.

Filip Van den Abeele & Christoph Gerritsen

OCAS has a strong track record in tackling challenging engineering problems involving welding, fatigue and fracture. With the recent acquisition of ENDURES by FINOCAS, the combination of OCAS and ENDURES as sister companies has strengthened our global service offer in corrosion and material degradation. And we continue to invest in competences related to durability and lifetime prediction. We have assembled a multidisciplinary task force to address the rising demand for asset integrity management services.

EVALUATING FITNESS-FORPURPOSE

In the metals and mining industries, the opportunity costs associated with deprived production are substantial. Hence, ensuring the reliable operation of safety-critical equipment can unlock value. In recent years, this dedicated OCAS team has been mobilised to support different cases on reliability of industrial assets. We’ve assisted customers and key accounts across the globe with forensic failure investigations, root cause analyses of fatigue and fracture, and integrity assessments of welded structures. The scope of these interventions has covered large industrial assets such as overhead cranes, pipelines and pressure vessels. Thanks to our lean organisation, we’ve been able to deploy experts with the right skill set overnight to address the needs of our customers swiftly. By performing Engineering Critical Assessment (ECA), we’ve also been able to evaluate whether flawed structures were still fit-for-purpose. Combining our experience in weld integrity and computational fracture mechanics allowed us to take a more informed decision on lifetime extension of ageing assets.

DE-RISKING CAPITAL-INTENSIVE INVESTMENT PROJECTS

In addition to our reactive response to asset integrity, we can unlock value by reviewing investment files for capital goods. By scrutinising the material selection, challenging the engineering approach, or evaluating the redundancy of the design, we can identify potential flaws already in the early stages of the project. This proactive approach de-risks capital-intensive projects and can prevent potential failures and costly mistakes.