Author: Mark Griffo

COB Industries Awarded Large Contract for Subsea Plugs

January 2013—COB Industries was contacted by Swiber, an offshore construction services company, to discuss their need for subsea plugs for a large offshore oil project in Brunei. COB Industries has been building various types of high-tech pipe plugs for offshore applications for years including large Seachest Plugs, ROV-Operable Plugs and plugs for various pressure applications and long-term abandonment projects. COB has supplied subsea plugs to Shell Pipelines, BP, Chevron, Exxon, Petrobras, PetroTrin to name a few.

Swiber needed multiple J-Tube subsea Plugs for their rig. J-Tubes are vertical sections of pipe that are used to connect offshore production piping to seabed pipelines. The J-Tubes (shaped like the letter “J”) are actually guides or mandrels for the subsea pipeline which is pulled up through the J-Tubes. This method is commonly used and eliminates the need to make underwater connections between the riser pipes and seabed pipelines.

After researching several other options and then having discussions with COB’s engineering and design team, Swiber came to the conclusion that they wanted COB to supply the subsea plugs that they needed at their offshore project in Brunei. Swiber ordered a total of 42 plugs for 10” – 12” pipe, and the complete order was shipped and delivered on schedule and are in service at this time.

For more information or to schedule an interview, please contact Cletus O’Brien at (321) 723-3200 or email to sales@cob-industries.com

Fabtech 2012 show was biggest/best for COB Industries

November, 2012—COB Industries has been an exhibitor at the annual Fabtech / AWS Show for a long time, but the recent Fabtech 2012 show in Las Vegas was our biggest and best show to date. The COB booth space was larger than ever before, boasting an all-new display, new graphics, live weld purging demonstrations, and a lot of productive activity. In fact, many show attendees noted that the COB booth seemed to be one of the busiest in the show. We would like to say a big “thank-you” to our partners from Huntingdon Fusion Techniques (HFT) from the U.K. for all of their help coordinating and staffing the show with us, and additional thanks to Craig Elliott from West Country Welding Supplies (also from the U.K.) who was an invaluable addition to the COB team this year as well. Due to the knowledgeable team and several exciting new Argweld® products, COB and HFT were able to clearly demonstrate that the Argweld® product line continues to lead the industry in weld purging equipment and technology.

The new “Nano” Weld Purge Monitor™ was a big hit at the Fabtech 2012 show as the lowest-cost monitor in the industry capable of reading 02 levels down to 10PPM, and the Flexible Welding Enclosure that was on display also generated high levels of interest. The Argweld® PurgElite® and Quick-Purge™ MK II Pipe Purging Systems created a lot of excitement, especially with large pipeline contractors that can benefit from significantly reduced operating costs with the use of Argweld® systems when welding Stainless Steel pipe.

For further information and a complete report about the Fabtech 2012 show visit our website at www.cob-industries.com or call (321) 723-3200 or (800) 431-1311 to speak with a COB Industries representative.

Accu-Freeze™ Training Program For Kansas City Power and Light

December, 2011—COB Industries recently completed a two-day training program for maintenance personnel at a KCPL generation plant in Kansas City, Missouri. Two separate shifts of personnel each completed a one day comprehensive training program offered by COB Industries’ field training specialists. This is the second KCPL facility to implement the Accu-Freeze™ system for piping repair and maintenance.

The Accu-Freeze™ training program consists of 2 parts:

• The first part is a classroom session with a PowerPoint presentation covering the history of freeze sealing, various methods, limitations and capabilities, safety, planning, trouble-shooting etc.
• The second part is a hands-on orientation with the Accu-Freeze™ Kit and a live freeze seal procedure is completed (in this case a 6 inch diameter pipe was frozen).

COB Industries conducts Accu-Freeze™ training programs regularly at their facility in Melbourne, Florida as well as on-site training for customers around the globe. COB has been manufacturing pipe freezing systems for over 35 years. COB Industries also offers the popular Argweld® line of weld purging equipment and COB is one of the industry’s largest provider of a large range of Pipe Plug and Test Plug products.

If you would like more information please contact Cletus O’Brien at (321) 723-3200 or email to sales@cob-industries.com

COB Industries to Unveil All-New Argweld® Line at Fabtech Show

COB Industries has been a long-time exhibitor at the Fabtech / AWS Show, and the upcoming show in Chicago promises to be one of the most exciting ever for several reasons:

The all-new line of PurgEye™ Weld Purge Monitors™, the industry’s ONLY full-line “family” of purge monitors to meet any application and any budget

• The new PurgEye™ 100 is an upgraded hand-held model that is replacing the popular MK V model.
• The new PurgEye™ 300 Nano is the newly designed, simplified, low cost version of the Argweld® Titanium Weld (10 PPM) Monitor.
• The new PurgEye™ 600 is the ONLY Weld Purge Monitor™ that can measure and read from 20.9% O2 all the way down to 10 Parts Per Million.

Revolutionary pipe purging technology

The new Qwik-Purge™ MK II systems are the fastest, most effective pipe purging systems available. The MK II systems continue the Argweld® tradition of staying ahead of the curve with reliable, cost cutting pipe purging technology with features and functions never seen before.

Brand new Tandem Purge Systems for smaller pipe diameters that are rated for 700 degrees F, with the industries only inflatable pipe purging system for as small as 1” pipe.

LIVE Pipe Purging Demonstrations—

This year, instead of just telling everyone about all of these new products, we will actually be showing everyone firsthand how the purge systems and monitors work, so make sure to come see 12” Stainless Steel pipe purged to under 2% O2 in as little as 90 seconds!

We will of course also have all of the latest information regarding our Qwik-Freezer® and Accu-Freeze™ Pipe Freezing Equipment including brand new Liquid Nitrogen Accu-Freeze™ Seal Jackets and our expanded Pipe Plug product lines.

We are looking forward to catching up with many of our distributors and customers, as well as meeting new ones. COB Industries, along with representatives from Huntingdon Fusion Techniques that will be joining us from the U.K. are planning to have a big presence and a great show this year so please make plans to join us. If you would like to schedule specific meeting times with us or if you would like more information please contact Cletus O’Brien either by email at cobrien@cob-industries.com or by phone at (321) 723-3200 or (800) 431-1311. See you in Chicago!

(BOOTH # 6844)

If you would like more information please contact Cletus O’Brien at (321) 723-3200 or email to sales@cob-industries.com

COB Industries Unveils New PurgEye™ 100 Weld Purge Monitor

The All-New Argweld® PurgEye™100 Weld Purge Monitor

August 2011—COB Industries is proud to announce the brand new PurgEye™100 Weld Purge Monitor. This unit is replacing the popular MK V Purge Monitor which has been the best selling purge monitor for years. Purge Monitors have become extremely popular for all welding applications where purging is required to achieve a clean weld without discoloration or oxidization. The Argweld® product line has led the industry in cutting edge weld purging technology for over 30 years, and continues the tradition with this new unit that offers the most advanced purge monitor technology available, even greater accuracy and unmatched features:

• New “Push Button Auto Calibration” feature with increased capabilities
• Added features including “Low Battery” and “Replace Sensor” indicators
• Larger LCD display
• Quicker / easier sensor replacement
• Quick-connect fittings for gas purge tubing
• Tripod mount
• Optional accessories including Gorilla Tripod, Camera-Style Tripod, Protective Rubber Housing

The PurgEye® 100 Monitor is now available through COB Industries. (800) 431-1311 or email sales@cob-industries.com.

If you would like more information please contact Cletus O’Brien at (800) 431-1311 or email to sales@cob-industries.com

Qwik Freezer® Multi Freeze Control Station

QF 910 Multi-Freeze Control Station

QF 701 Remote Actuated Valve

COB Industries, Inc is proud to announce a new remote operated Qwik Freezer® liquid CO2 pipe freezing system. With 30 plus years of pipe freezing experience, industry is constantly coming to COB to help with new challenges facing its piping maintenance issues. The US Navy has used pipe freezing for years, and in their nuclear powered vessels the Qwik Freezer® liquid CO2 system has been the primary choice. Many times when valve maintenance comes up in nuclear powered vessels it entails doing multiple freezes at one time. This can mean difficult setup and extended exposure to radioactivity for the freeze team. The Navy came to COB with a request to design a system that would allow them to remotely operate the liquid CO2 supply for multiple freezes from a single control station.

To answer this, COB Industries introduces the QF 701 Remote Actuated Valve and the QF 910 Multi-Freeze Control Station. The QF 701 is a high pressure cryogenic solenoid valve with a manually actuated backup system (in case of a power failure). The remote valve is mounted on the CO2 bottle and is connected to the QF 910 via a 100 ft extension cord (QF 711). High pressure CO2 hoses pipe the liquid CO2 into the freeze jacket or collar. The QF910 is a remote six-jack freeze control station which allows the operator to inject liquid CO2 into the freeze area with the single push of a button while staying away from potentially hazardous areas. Prior to the development of these systems, normally the operator had to enter the reactor compartment to manually operate the valves, thus increasing his/her exposure. The push button energizing of the Remote Actuated Valve allows the operator to inject CO2 as needed by simply holding the button down for longer or shorter periods of time depending on the requirements of the application. Remote temperature monitors are used to let the operator know when more CO2 is required. This also greatly conserves liquid CO2 by only putting in the proper amount required to maintain the ice plug.

If you would like more information please contact Cletus O’Brien at (321) 723-3200 or email to sales@cob-industries.com

New Purge Monitor, Tungsten Grinder at Fabtech / AWS Show

October 2010—COB Industries is preparing for the upcoming Fabtech / AWS Trade Show which will be in Atlanta from November 2 – 4, 2010 at the Georgia World Congress Center, and is planning to unveil 2 exciting new products in the welding industry.

1. The new Critical Weld Purge Monitor is bound to generate a lot of excitement as the latest addition to the Argweld® line of purge monitors. This highly accurate monitor is designed to monitor oxygen levels down to 10 Parts Per Million (PPM) during the welding of titanium and ultra-pure stainless steel applications to prevent discoloring or adverse effects on the weld caused by oxygen. This unit is similar to the Argweld® Titanium Weld Purge Monitor with a few added features including an automatic pump for extracting a continuous gas sample where it is not possible to deliver a constant flow to the sensor.

2. The New TEG-III EXT Grinder is an improved model of the popular TEG-III Tungsten Electrode Grinder which now offers a vacuum dust extraction system to extract all of the dust from the electrodes which in many cases is carcinogenic. The TEG-III EXT is equipped with the most powerful motor of its kind with a lifetime warranty.

COB Industries’ exhibit booth (#7632) has also received a makeover with all-new graphics, photos and displays and will be located in the welding section of the show in the North Hall of the World Congress Center.

If you would like more information please contact Cletus O’Brien at (321) 723-3200 or email to sales@cob-industries.com

Oil companies turn to COB Industries for High-Tech pipe plugs

COB Industries, Inc. recently delivered a new series of custom engineered pipe plugs for offshore subsea pipelines to both BP Pipelines and Shell Pipelines. These plugs are designed to be ROV-operable, meaning they must be built so that underwater Remote Operated Vehicles (“ROV’s”) can handle, install and manipulate them. The plugs incorporate mechanically actuated seals and one version also has a “guide cone” on the front of the plug to help guide the plug into the pipe while being controlled by the ROV arm. In this application, the plugs are being used to seal up abandoned pipelines on the sea floor. COB was first contracted by BP to build ROV operable plugs in 2007 and has expanded this business steadily over the last few years with repeated orders from offshore oil platforms. This latest series of ROV plugs represent the first orders from the pipeline divisions of the oil companies.

COB Industries, a family-run private company based in Melbourne, Florida, has been in business for 40 years, manufacturing and supplying specialty industrial equipment including pipe plugs, pipe freezing systems, specialized welding products and pneumatic tools.

If you would like more information please contact Cletus O’Brien at (321) 723-3200 or email to sales@cob-industries.com

FLUOR Selects Argweld Weld Purging Equipment

May, 2010—After reviewing and testing various types of weld-purging systems and equipment, the welding engineers and quality control managers with FLUOR Constructors decided to invest in a large quantity of Argweld® Pipe Purging Equipment and Purge Monitors for the refinery modernization project in Whiting, Indiana.

COB Industries personnel first demonstrated the capabilities of the purge systems a couple of months earlier. The demonstration was conducted for a group of approximately 20 welding engineers and supervisors, piping superintendents and quality control managers. During the demonstration, a section of 8” pipe was purged to less than 1% O2 in less than one minute, which clearly illustrated the potential for huge savings in man-hours and Argon gas that could be achieved with the Argweld® systems, as well as the reliability and simplicity of the Purge Monitors. This resulted in one of the largest orders of Argweld® products that has ever been placed. The order consisted of both standard and high-heat resistant Quick-Purge™ Pipe Purging Systems for a wide range of pipe sizes to be used on Stainless Steel and Chrome pipes up to 42” diameter.

At FLUOR’s request, COB Industries sent personnel back out to the job site to conduct training for the welding supervisors and staff to ensure smooth implementation of the new equipment.

The Argweld® product line has become increasingly popular around the world over the last several years, and has become one of COB Industries’ largest product lines.

If you would like more information please contact Cletus O’Brien at (321) 723-3200 or email to sales@cob-industries.com

COB Industries delivers more custom flange plugs for BP “Marlin” Offshore

July, 2009—COB Industries recently completed production and testing on a new set of ROV-friendly flange plugs to be installed on the BP Marlin offshore platform. This follows previous orders for the same type of plugs for the Thunderhorse and Na Kika platforms. These plugs have ranged from 4” – 40” diameter.

COB Industries designs and builds these robust plugs with special attention to features that make them easily handled and installed by subsea ROV’s (Remote Operated Vehicles). This involves designing and building handles that the ROV arms can grab and valves and controls that can be operated by the ROV arms and manipulators, as well as being made for long-term subsea use. The plugs are made to seal existing flanged openings on offshore platforms either for repair and maintenance or to help secure the platforms for storms and hurricanes.

Inspectors from BP recently visited COB Industries’ facility in Melbourne, FL to complete specified “Form / Fit / Function” inspection and testing. The plugs passed inspection without incident and are being shipped out this week for deployment offshore.

COB Industries, Inc. is a private company in Melbourne, FL that has been in business for 40 years manufacturing and supplying specialty industrial equipment including pipe plugs, pipe freezing systems, specialized welding products and pneumatic tools.

If you would like more information please contact Cletus O’Brien at (321) 723-3200 or email to sales@cob-industries.com