Instead of throwing out your vessel and buying a brand new one, you can actually refurbish your existing one and restore it to “like new” condition at a fraction of the cost.
Some advantages to reglassing your existing equipment include:
1. It's Faster
Fabricating a glass-lined vessel is an intricate process involving many steps that take a considerable amount of skill and time to complete. Due to the variety of sizes and specifications such as nozzle locations, glass-lined equipment manufacturers typically don’t keep a large inventory of stock vessels. Because vessels are manufactured on demand, the order process can take months from the time an order is placed to the time the vessel is delivered and installed onsite. Reglassing, on the other hand, offers a turnaround time that can be measured in weeks versus months since the framework or “skeleton” of the unit already exists.
2. It’s “Like New”
A vessel that is reglassed undergoes the same glassing procedure as a new vessel. The refurbishment process to the steel substrate of an existing vessel is so meticulous that if you were to put a brand new vessel next to the refurbished one you wouldn’t be able to tell the difference. Why is that? Because essentially, a reglassed vessel is the same as exact quality as a brand new one. So much so that De Dietrich Process Systems will provide a warranty for a reglassed vessel that is identical to the standard warranty that comes with new vessels. If you have any reservations about reglassing from the standpoint of it resulting in a second-class piece of equipment in terms of quality, you can rest assured that is a complete misconception. Refurbished units are just as good as new ones.
3. It's Cost Effective
With reglassing, you are using the frame of an existing vessel, and that saves on the cost of steel as well as the labor needed to build the vessel. Less materials and work equates to substantial price cuts – as much as 50% off the list price of a new vessel. Considering today’s most common-sized reactors, that would mean reglassing can provide a 4,000 gallon vessel at approximately the cost of a new 2,000 gallon vessel. Rarely is there a company that is not looking to save money wherever they can, so this is definitely a good selling point if you are trying to win the support of your plant manager.
Reglassing is also cost effective in terms of cash flow. Many companies find reglassing, which is considered a maintenance budget expenditure, preferable to a new capital expenditure. Capital spending is usually more difficult to get approved too so it’s often less of a hassle for you to get a purchasing order generated for reglass service.
4. It's Environmentally Friendly
In a world where everyone is continually taking more effort to reduce waste through recycling and repurposing materials, reglassing is a great way to minimize your company’s carbon footprint (not to mention, this environmental consciousness pairs perfectly with a company’s objective to minimize capital costs). Reactors and tanks may not be buried in graveyards like we depicted above, but far too many vessels prematurely end up in a junkyard. But how can you tell if your vessel is a reglass contender or if it is beyond repair? If you are unsure, a qualified service technician can inspect it for you.