QA Weld Tech has gained a ‘shop window’ with companies in the oil and gas sector by joining Achilles FPAL – an online community which is used by over 100 buyers from oil and gas companies.

We will now be able to share on an online platform our capabilities in key business areas, such as quality, health and safety and financial performance.

Achilles works to ensure suppliers’ information is accurate via data validation and desktop and physical audits. The FPAL community serves the procurement needs of the wider European oil & gas market, whilst maintaining firm roots within North Sea operations. FPAL is an industry-run community of operators, contractors and suppliers working in collaboration to promote a fair and transparent supply chain.

Malcolm Wilson, Director for Achilles FPAL, said: “By joining the biggest supply chain risk management community supporting the North Sea and European oil and gas industry, QA Weld Tech has put itself in the best position to be considered for work with major oil and gas buyers. Achilles FPAL is a simple and successful model which has operated since 1997 by streamlining procurement and reducing cost for suppliers and buyers.”

QA Weld Tech has invested £250k in a custom built cladding rig to meet the growing demand for weld overlay of pipe with corrosion resistant alloys. Engineers from QAWT worked with Key Plant of Leek, Staffordshire to design and build a modular rig capable of cladding pipe up to 7.5m long and 1m diameter, down to bores as small as 125mm. Drawing on 30 years of weld overlay experience the Company was able to ensure this latest piece of equipment will meet the needs of the Oil & Gas industry well into the future.

The computer –controlled, twin head, twin wire design uses servo motors to ensure accuracy over a 7.5m travel of 0.02mm, so that stops and starts in even the longest of bores can be achieved without fear of defect.

Windows-based software allows real time monitoring of all welding parameters, taking its readings from the unit’s digital power source. Chiller units cool the AVC motors while an adjustable head stock and spring loaded stands ensure no torsional stresses are introduced into the positional chucks. QAWT’s proprietary self-tensioning jacking system for the guide ropes maintains the welding torch head in the optimal position during cladding.