Forest Products Laboratory in Madison, Wis., is a federally owned and operated, one of a kind treatment plant that allows users to explore new research in wood and treatment products.
Hooper’s piping crews upgraded and repaired a process system to allow for hazardous use substances, and treating specimens under differing levels of pressure and vacuum conditions at elevated temperatures.
This upgrade allowed for process constraints such as minimizing piping layout and thus product and cost usage.
Piping crews upgraded devices to Class 1 Division 1 and 2 ratings to allow for hazardous use chemicals during treatment. Crews installed a new vacuum system with multiple condensing tanks for elevated temperature vacuum operation.
Hooper provided a detailed system controls review and modifications to allow for a better and safer operator interaction.
Piping crews worked closely with the owner to define a more appropriate set of operating ranges to ensure safety in operation and simplify the batching. Crews conducted detailed operations and commissioning tests to provide basis of operation and design.
Alongside mechanical updates and improvements, Hooper’s commissioning efforts dramatically improved controls and operations of the system.
