Offshore staff

HOUSTON -- Equipment and Technical Services Inc. has added Thin Jack technology to its equipment line.

Thin Jack, a product of Industrial Solutions International Ltd., is a 2 mm thin envelope capable of being inflated to exert hundreds of tons of force to jack, lift, and separate difficult-to-move objects such as pipeline flanges and concrete weight coatings.

Thin Jack is constructed from two sheets of high tensile (grade 316L) steel and TIG welded to form an envelope with a narrow metal tube protruding from the envelope. It can be inflated with oil or water using a hydraulic hand pump at pressures up to 598 Mpa (8,700 psi), expanding the envelope to 10-12 mm. The steel sheets are forced apart, converting all the energy from the pressurized fluid into forces perpendicular to the steel sheets.

Depending on the size deployed, the Thin Jack will expand a gap of just a few millimeters to up to five or six times wider. Shims or wedges can be inserted to maintain the gap and the expanded Thin Jack discarded. If more pressure or higher lift is necessary, additional Thin Jacks can be inserted.

Thin Jack is available in a range of shapes, sizes, and thickness to address most flange API 6A specifications. Thin Jack can be custom manufactured for specific jobs.

This portable, hand-operated device promotes safe operations by providing better contact and application of pressure, which also means less damage to faces of flanges. There are no sparks from welding and cutting tools and Thin Jack is certified for work in Ex zones. The use of Thin Jack also reduces separation service time. For example, Thin Jack has been used to reduce production tree separation from 31 to three hours.

Because of its relative simplicity, Thin Jack can be used in various subsea applications by diver or ROV.

12/07/2006