SS316L Online Sealing Adapter

In heavy industrial environments like urea processing plants, equipment reliability is the difference between a productive day and a costly shutdown. We recently completed a specialized project for RFCL that addresses a common pain point in pipeline maintenance: the failure of standard parts due to chemical corrosion.

What is an Online Sealing Adapter?

An online sealing adapter is a specialized mechanical component used to inject sealing compounds into a leaking system while it remains "online". This means the equipment—whether it is a pipe, flange, or valve—remains under pressure and fully operational during the repair.

It serves as the critical interface between an injection pump and the leaking equipment. By forcing high-pressure sealant into a custom-built clamp or cavity, technicians can arrest a leak without a costly plant shutdown.

The Challenge: Combatting Chemical Degradation

Standard market-ready parts are often made of materials like EN8 or EN24. While these are high-strength alloys designed to handle extreme pressures—often up to 250 kg/cm²—they may not always be compatible with specific chemical environments.

In urea valve pipelines, standard mild steel (MS) components are no match for the highly corrosive nature of the medium. Over time, these parts degrade, leading to leaks that compromise safety.

The Solution: Material Engineering & Precision Fabrication

We took a standard MS sample part and re-engineered it into a high-performance final product using Stainless Steel 316L (SS316L).

To achieve the necessary pressure tolerance and precision, the manufacturing process involved 10 distinct operations for the main component and 6 operations for the internal pin:

Component 1: The Main Adapter (10 Operations)

1. Cutting: Initial sizing of the SS316L raw stock.

2. Phasing: Ensuring the face of the part is perfectly flat.

3. Turning: Shaping the outer diameter to specification.

4. Horizontal Drilling: Creating the primary internal channel for the compound.

5. Marking Hole Center: Precision layout for vertical alignment.

6. Vertical Drilling: Creating ports for the injection interface.

7. Milling: Machining flat surfaces for wrench flats or mounting.

8. Tapping: Cutting internal threads for secure connections.

9. Taper Turning: Creating a conical profile for high-pressure seating.

10. Outer Threading: Machining the external threads to connect to the clamp.

Component 2: The Pin (6 Operations)

The internal pin facilitates the flow control and includes its own specialized workflow:

• Cutting, Phasing, and Turning for initial shaping.

• Milling for structural features.

• Final Turning and Threading for assembly.

• Final Step: Precision aligning of both parts followed by a unified drilling process to ensure a perfect flow path.

  
  

Why SS316L?

• Superior Corrosion Resistance: Specifically chosen to withstand the harsh environment of urea pipelines.

• Material Integrity: Ensures the adapter maintains its seal and structural strength under constant chemical exposure.

• Pressure Tolerance: Engineered to withstand the significant stress required to pump specialized compounds into the system.

  
  

The Outcome: Zero Downtime

The application allows for leak mitigation without turning off the machine. By facilitating "on-stream" repairs in valve glands and flange joints, we help our clients maintain continuous production cycles and avoid the massive costs of an unscheduled shutdown.