Large bore equipment snubbers present specific testing challenges. Their installed locations and large physical size make removal and replacement costly both in time and money, and the snubbers high rated loads require test benches of extreme capabilities and cost.
For these reasons, Barker/Diacon engineers developed “In Place” testing. In Place testing uses a specialized system to load the snubber hydraulically using internal pressure, instead of mechanically using applied force. Sophisticated flow and pressure instrumentation measures the internal activity of the snubber valves, and our proprietary software converts the information to the commonly required load and velocity quantities.
There are many variations of In Place testing, including valve only testing, pin removed, and “PIP” or pins-in-place testing. Which type of testing is most appropriate depends on the site, snubber design and other considerations. All methods save a considerable amount of time, money and personnel dose rate compared to remove/bench test/ replace scenarios.
Barker/Diacon IPST10 Snubber Testers are designed perform all variations of In Place testing on snubbers up to 2 million lbf and above. Barker/Diacon has been a leader in this technology since 1982. Contact us with your requirements and we will be glad to discuss the available options.