Working in Energy Ace Controls International Unit 404 Easter Park Haydock Lane Haydock WA11 9TH United Kingdom Telephone: +44 (0)1942 727440 Facsimile: +44 (0)1942 717273 Email: info@ace-controls.co.uk Web: www.ace-controls.co.uk L I F E T I M E G U A R A N T E E L I F E T I M E G U A R A N T E E
ACE: Working in Energy Ace Controls International is a manufacturer of motion control equipment, actively solving applications around the world. The company started in the 1960's with a uniquely designed shock absorber. This was developed to serve the then, highly productive Detroit automotive industry. From this single shock absorber, a series comprising some 170 different models has followed and Ace has become an industry leader in the process. In addition, to their shock absorbers the Ace product range has expanded to include safety shock absorbers, TUBUS profile dampers, SLAB damping plates, rotary dampers, hydraulic dampers, feed controls and industrial gas springs. Ace has been working in the energy sector for many years, supplying products to the oil and gas, subsea, power generation, transmission and distribution and nuclear industries and more recently, developing applications in the growing renewable energy market. 02 ACE: Working in Energy ACE: Working in Energy 03
High Performance Products Shock absorbers, hydraulic dampers, TUBUS profile dampers and gas springs in particular are used from our extensive range of products by companies in the energy sector. Hydraulic Dampers Hydraulic dampers create resistance to movement by restricting the flow of oil through a single metering orifice. As standard, the rate of damping is adjustable which once set, remains constant throughout the stroke. When a specific travel speed is required fixed damping models are available on request. Both double and single direction damping configurations are available. TUBUS TUBUS profile dampers are formed from a special co-polyester elastomer, providing high energy absorption and consistent performance over a large temperature range. TUBUS units are extremely robust and are ideal for use in corrosive environments, having excellent resistance to oil, seawater and UV. TUBUS is an ideal product for use in the nuclear industry, having excellent retention of physical properties after irradiation at 23 C. Shock Absorbers Gas Springs Shock absorbers operate on the basis of energy conservation; in that energy cannot be created nor destroyed but can only be converted. The input energy, be it the motion of a mass (kinetic energy) impacting or that supplied from a motor or cylinder is converted inside the shock absorber to thermal energy. It is due to this process that the shock absorber has a specific energy capacity which correlates with the hydraulic oils specific heat capacity and the volume contained. Ace shock absorbers are specifically designed to complete this conversion of energy quickly and safely without re-bounding the input energy. By entering the application details into their product selection software programme, Ace engineers can accurately predict the performance of a particular shock absorber. For optimum performance the shock absorbers internal metering tube pattern can be custom designed. Peak reaction forces and rates of deceleration can be plotted with extreme accuracy thus allowing design engineers to calculate associated stresses placed on any supportive structures. The majority of Ace shock absorbers are now Weartec Plus treated as standard, giving greater corrosion resistance when compared to hard chrome, platinum and nickel plating. Shock absorbers constructed from stainless steel are also available and the standard operating oil can be replaced with Mil Spec oils and fire resistant fluids, such as Shell Irus Fluid C. The Ace gas spring range includes push type and pull type (traction) models. Gas springs are ideal for assisting the lifting of lids, covers and flaps and holding them in the open position. This prevents injury to workers from falling hoods when carrying out maintenance tasks. Corrosion resistant stainless steel gas springs are also available, being the preferred choice for use in marine environments. 04 ACE: Working in Energy ACE: Working in Energy 05
Motion Control Applications Today, Ace products can be found in nuclear plants, offshore and onshore drilling rigs, wind turbine farms and on mining equipment. Typical ways in which our products are being used are detailed below. Oil, Gas & Subsea Nuclear Power Subsea Soft Landing Controlling Swinging Equipment Crash Cushion Controlling Impact Safety & Efficiency In Mining In this application shock absorbers are used to provide a soft landing for the well intervention equipment deployed from a surface vessel to a subsea structure. The internal metering tube of the shock absorbers used, was custom designed to give the lowest possible reaction force during impact. In addition, to function at the increased external pressure at depth, pressure compensation holes were drilled in the body area surrounding the shock absorber s internal accumulator. As recommended by Ace, the shock absorbers external components were coated with Xylan 1070, an organic barrier coating suitable for extreme salt spray conditions. Hydraulic dampers are used to control the swinging motion of equipment suspended from a winch during deployment and retrieval from the seafloor. The dampers prevent the amplitude of swinging cycles progressively increasing to dangerous levels and improve the overall control of the lifting/lowering process. Stainless steel dampers are used because of the marine environment. Another recent application involved the use of CB safety shock absorbers mounted on a ship based loading arm (LDA). The LDA is approximately 52m long and weighs a massive 162 tonnes. Four CB100 units are staggered along the LDA to limit the load transmitted to the superstructure if the LDA was to swing out of control during rough sea conditions. In order to function in an aggressive marine environment, the shock absorbers body and end button were epoxy coated and a stainless steel piston rod was fitted. Ace shock absorbers are used to provide a crash barrier and protect valuable equipment attached to ROV s (Remotely operated underwater vehicle) and submarines. When impact energies are relatively low and an economic alternative is required, TUBUS profile dampers can be used. Safety shock absorbers and TUBUS profile dampers are used on the carriages transporting waste and materials during decommissioning of a nuclear plant. In the event of a collision these products significantly reduce impact forces, which when transporting unstable elements could prove disastrous. Shock absorbers and TUBUS dampers are also used to provide control over the final stages of the opening/closing of heavyweight doors. One application is for an extremely heavy shield door, 85 tonnes, moving at a very low velocity of 0.5m/min. Due to the low impact speed of this application, a hydraulic shock absorber is not suitable and instead a number of TUBUS profile dampers are used to arrest the mass in case of an overrun fault. Ace shock absorbers are specified for use on a cage hoisting system used in a coal mine. The shock absorbers are integrated into the safety catch gear unit to arrest a falling mass in the event of an overwind situation. The internal metering orifices of the shock absorbers were designed specifically to give the lowest reaction force on impact and provide constant deceleration of the free falling mass. To function in this dirty environment, the shock absorbers were epoxy coated and fitted with a bellow covering the piston rod to prevent the ingress of dirt. In another mining application, multiple TUBUS dampers are arranged in series to create a suspension system for large haul trucks, replacing existing oil/gas systems which require regularly charging and maintenance. A decrease in downtime of the trucks improved the efficiency of the mine and increased production rates. 06 ACE: Working in Energy ACE: Working in Energy 07
Choosing The Right Product Complete technical information about all of our products is available in our comprehensive technical catalogue or via our website where visitors can download the catalogue, access shock absorber and gas spring selection programs and view CAD images of products with selected accessories. More importantly however, if you are unsure about what product to use, especially in some of the harsh environments that you operate in, then contact us about your application. Use our product expertise, application experience and installation knowledge and get the right solution for you. 08 ACE: Working in Energy ACE: Working in Energy 09
Quality Approvals & Lifetime Warranty Offices Throughout The World Ace products are designed and manufactured to ISO 9001: 2000 and are guaranteed to be free from defects in materials or workmanship. Ace will repair or replace any of its products determined to have a defect in materials or workmanship at any time for the life of the product. L I F E T I M E G U A R A N T E E L I F E T I M E G U A R A N T E E Ace products are used throughout the world and with distributors in over 40 countries and Ace offices in six, high levels of customer service are always guaranteed. China Germany Great Britain India Japan USA In the UK, Ace also has the ISO 9001:2008 with UKAS accreditation from the British Standards Institution for operating a quality management system covering the stocking, sales, application selection, modification and supply of automation control equipment. In addition, because we work in the energy sector, we are members of The EIC, the leading trade association for UK companies that supply capital goods and services to energy industries worldwide. ACE CONTROLS (SUZHOU) CO. LTD. Building 7 East No. 369 Lushan Road, Suzhou Jiangsu Province 215129 P.R. China Tel: +86-(512) 88606699 Fax: +86-(512) 88606698 www.acecontrols.cn.com ACE STOSSDÄMPFER GMBH Albert-Einstein-Straße 15 40764 Langenfeld, Germany Tel: +49-2173-9226-10 Fax: +49-2173-9226-19 www.ace-ace.de ACE CONTROLS INTERNATIONAL Unit 404, Easter Park Haydock Lane Haydock, WA11 9TH, U.K. Tel: +44-1942 727440 Fax: +44-1942 717273 www.ace-controls.co.uk ACE AUTOMATION CONTROL EQUIPMENT PVT. LTD. Kaydon House, 2/396 A Mookambigai Nagar Kattuppakkam, Iyyapanthangal Chennai - 600 056, India Tel: +91-44 24768484 Fax: +91-44 24766811/911 www.acecontrols.in ACE CONTROLS JAPAN L.L.C. Room 31, Tanaka Bldg. 2-9-6 Kanda-Tacho Chiyoda-Ku Tokyo 101-0046, Japan Tel: +81-3 52 97 25 10 Fax: +81-3 52 97 25 17 ACE CONTROLS INTERNATIONAL INC. PO Box 71, Farmington Michigan 48024, USA (and in all states) Tel: +1-248-476-0213 Fax: +1-248-476-2470 www.acecontrols.com 10 ACE: Working in Energy ACE: Working in Energy 11