The power to succeed under pressure Vulcan

THE POWER TO SUCCEED UNDER PRESSURE

Vulcan is a market leader in the design and manufacture of high-pressure boilers and pumping units for a broad range of industries. The company has seen steady growth despite the global recession and continues to stay ahead of the field through its on-going investment in new plant and technology. Philip Yorke reports.

Mr Corneliu Cherbis, Eng, MBA Commercial Director

Vulcan SA was founded in Bucharest, Romania in 1904 and was involved initially in the manufacture and installation of pressure boilers and fabricated components for oil refineries, steam locomotives and tank-wagons. The company has maintained steady growth over the years and in 1998 invested heavily in new welding technology for speciality steels. This opened up new horizons for Vulcan SA, thereby making it an attractive proposition for acquisition by other companies. Subsequently in 2002 Vulcan SA became part of one of Romania’s foremost industrial conglomerates: GET (The Tender Energy Group).

Growing product diversity

Vulcan SA’s new owners have continued to invest in new plant and technology and as a result the production of high pressure boilers and components has continued to accelerate. Today many of Europe’s best known energy companies look to Vulcan for their advanced design and manufacturing expertise. In fact, many of Vulcan’s customers are leading, ‘blue-chip’ companies such as Alstom, ABB, Babcock Power, Petrofac, Petronas and KOC of Kuwait. The company’s growing manufacturing capabilities place it among the world’s leading suppliers of power plant boilers and the biggest supplier of pumping units in Europe.

Today Vulcan SA offers complete boiler packages, including utility boilers, industrial boilers, fluidised bed boilers and those for biomass applications. This is in addition to specialised products for waste incineration and waste recovery and boilers for renewable energy sources. The company also produces a wide range of pressure parts, such as membrane walls, headers, drums, piping, coils and rotary-air pre-heaters.

Vulcan’s broad product portfolio also extends to pumping units for oil extraction in accordance with API Spec 11E, as well as for conventional pumping units and welded structures for thermal power plant boilers. The range of customer services provided by Vulcan is equally comprehensive and includes the design of boilers and pumping units as well as the preparation of all relevant documentation. Furthermore, Vulcan is able to manufacture special, tailor-made products for sectors such as the chemical and petrochemical industries, as well as for oil & gas extraction, cement, metallurgical and environmental protection industries.

To cater for such a diverse product portfolio the company operates three modern workshops with each fulfilling a specific function. The first workshop specialises in the manufacture of boilers and pressure parts, whilst the second is focused on the production of pumping units and machining. This large workshop also acts as the company’s main assembly facility. Vulcan’s third workshop is a comprehensive, light processing shop.

All three modern facilities offer hot and cold bending, automatic welding and cutting and the manufacture of steel piping. In addition, they are able to provide other primary functions such as toothing, hot and cold rolling and lifting, with capacities ranging from 10 to 80 tons.

One stop-shop

Vulcan offers much more than advanced, high-tech boilers and pumping units for the chemical and petrochemical industries. The company also provides a wide range of basic and advanced design services for its clients that cover all aspects of product development. These include the provision of on-site assembly for its manufactured

products and an extensive repair and after-sales service. A company spokesman said, “At Vulcan we work to provide the highest levels of quality and service at the lowest possible prices. Every product that we produce is made using the most advanced, high-tech equipment and compares favourably with any other modern European production facility.

“Our products are destined mainly for the European market but we are seeing a growing demand for our products and services outside the European theatre. We are happy to take on new and challenging projects and closely follow the trends in the market relating to new energy sources and environmentally friendly production processes. Today we offer a ‘one-stop-shop’, which is a fully integrated service that involves packages that include design services, the procurement of raw materials, production, and technical support prior to commissioning. We also maintain an on-going programme of investment in new plant and work hard to increase our competitiveness through leaner business practices that help us to reduce our costs and material consumption.”

Leaders in complex welded structures

The infinite variety of technological expertise and manufacturing facilities available at Vulcan means that it is capable of designing and manufacturing virtually any complex welded structure. Currently, in addition to its core businesses, the company manufactures telecommunications towers, air and gas ducts and large steel structures for bridges, as well as undertaking special, tailor-made projects. As if to underscore its capabilities, Vulcan SA recently manufactured and delivered a number of critical parts for the latest VLT (Very Large Telescope) commissioned by the Chilean government as part of a joint EU project.

Yet another facet of Vulcan’s diverse capabilities can be seen in its manufacture of technological equipment for district heating power plants, thermal power plants, nuclear power plants and water treatment facilities. In reality, there appears to be very little that Vulcan cannot undertake with its broad range of high-tech facilities in Bucharest. n

For further details of Vulcan’s range of cutting-edge products and services visit: www.vulcan.ro

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