3x2 Innovator logo

1-855-436-4666

Leak Repairs

Trust Innovator for Expert Industrial Leak Repairs.

Our skilled technicians specialize in valve packing, valve seat injection, line crimping, upstream line blocking, valve bonnet repairs, and valve kill services.

We also provide comprehensive services for engineered pressure enclosures (EPEs), including precise measurement, design, and registration.

With a focus on safety, efficiency, and environmental compliance, Innovator is your reliable partner for resolving industrial leaks and preventing costly disruptions.

Discover How Your Facility Can Become Leak-Free

Capability

  • Line Size: Any Size
  • Pressure Rating: #150 to #2500 Systems
  • Line Contents: Any

Benefits

  • Expert Technicians: Highly skilled and experienced technicians specializing in industrial leak repairs.
  • Efficient and Reliable Solutions: Quick and effective repairs to minimize downtime and prevent costly disruptions.
  • Safety Focus: Adherence to strict safety protocols to ensure the well-being of workers and compliance with industry regulations.
  • Tailored Approach: Customized solutions to meet the specific needs of each client and industry.

Applications

  • Engineered Pressure Enclosures (EPE)
  • Valve Packing
  • Valve Seat Injections
  • Line Crimps
  • Upstream Line Blocks
  • Valve Bonnet Injections
  • Valve Kill
  • Nozzle Repairs
  • Turn-key Measure, Design, Registration for EPEs

Compliance

  • ABSA
  • TSASK
  • TSSA
  • TSBC
  • New Brunswick
  •  And More
Play Video

Innovator's Pay Once Promise

Innovator’s Pay Once Promise 30-day or 365-day guarantees is our way of providing our clients a risk-free service. It is based on the premise that when you hire a contractor to fix a leak… 

You expect it to stay fixed!

Save Money

At Innovator, we take pride in our leak repairs, which are backed by our Pay Once Promise. With our 30-day or 365-day guarantees, we stand confidently behind our work, ensuring your peace of mind and long-term satisfaction.

Save Time

Innovator Industrial Leak Repairs can take just a few hours to complete, and technicians can be on site as early as TODAY. Eliminate downtime and keep your facility in production.

Protect Health

Expertly trained technicians ensure the highest safety standards are met on every job. Every employee, supervisor, and manager wants everyone else on the job to go home safe and sound at the end of every shift. Innovator Industrial Services makes sure that happens.

Need Expert Leak Repair Services for Your Piping System, Tank or Vessel?

Call Innovator

Monday to Friday 8am to 5pm MST Available 24/7 For Emergencies

Submit Online Form

Fill out a quick form and tell us about you and your potential project. We'll get back to you within 24hrs.

Schedule A Meeting

Schedule some time with one of our team members to learn more about composite repairs, or discuss a project.

What Do Our Clients Think?

Maintenance Coordinator from Major Alberta Oil Producer

Work was completed safely and executed efficiently according to scope identified. Field techs were friendly and easy to deal with.
10 / 10
Overall Rating: Very Good
Safety Rating: Exceptional
Survey Date: 27/04/2023

CMO from Major Nuclear Power Company

Responsive, knowledgeable staff
10 / 10
Overall Rating: Exceptional
Safety Rating: Exceptional
Survey Date: 23/05/2023

Central Process Maintenance Engineer from Oil Refinery

8 / 10
Overall Rating: Good
Safety Rating: Very Good
Survey Date: 12/12/2022

Every challenge is accepted. We start with how, and then we find a way.

Don Cooper Founder & CEO

Forge Bonding - Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

API 653, a standard for tank retrofits and repairs, has approved the use of friction stud welding as a repair method. Friction stud welding reduces the risk of igniting flammable vapors and allows for installations on tanks where conventional welding is unachievable. The proposed changes to API 653 include guidelines for friction stud welding, such as qualification requirements, design considerations, safety protocols, and examination procedures. Notably, Section 11.5 covers the use of friction stud welding, while Section 12.1.11 focuses on the examination and testing of friction welded studs.

Friction welding is a solid-state welding process that generates heat through mechanical friction between workpieces, without relying on external heat sources.

With API approval, friction stud welding is recognized as a standardized and safe welding method, delivering exceptional benefits in terms of repair quality and unmatched safety for bolted-on retrofits and repairs of ASTs.

According to API 653 Section 12.1.11, friction welded studs should undergo visual examination and torque testing, adhering to ASME Section IX torque test requirements. Non-destructive examination (NDE) applies to all tank and stud materials.

Friction welding can be used for various repairs and retrofits of tanks and vessels, including but not limited to the following:

  1. Installation of studs: Friction stud welding can be employed to install studs on in-service and out-of-service tanks, such as tank shells, roofs, and floating roofs.

  2. Structural repairs: Friction welding can be utilized for repairing structural components of tanks and vessels, addressing issues like cracks, corrosion, or damaged sections.

  3. Leak repairs: Friction welding can be employed to repair leaks in tanks and vessels by joining or sealing damaged areas.

  4. Attachment of components: Friction welding can be used to attach or weld additional components, such as reinforcing plates, brackets, or support structures, to tanks and vessels.

  5. Retrofitting: Friction welding can facilitate retrofitting activities, enabling the installation of new equipment, modifications, or upgrades to existing tanks and vessels.

It is important to note that the specific repairs that can be done with friction welding may vary depending on factors such as the condition of the tank or vessel, the type of material involved, and the recommendations of engineering professionals overseeing the repair process.

Forge bonding uses very high pressures to bond instead of high temperatures. A 5/16” stainless steel stud is inserted, and pressure is applied to rotate the stud at very high speeds for a few seconds. A small amount of thermal energy is applied during this process, which softens the two metals to a clay-like consistency.

After the three seconds are up, the metals are fused together. And the bond is so strong, it becomes stronger than either of the two metals involved in the bonding process.

There are a few varieties of steel that are worked on with Forge Bonding, but the most common is carbon steel. And when making the repairs, we will always try to use carbon steel in the repairs that is the same as the parent material.

98% of the studs we put down use a 304 stainless steel, which creates an incredibly strong bond that is immune to the elements. A standard polymer is used to seal the plate against the leak, which fills the pits and helps to planarize if we have to cross a lap joint.
Also, Forge bonding enhances the asset the repair is performed on, which means that the equipment that is repaired is left in better shape than before the leak happened in the first place!

The good news is that a forge bond itself only takes about 3 seconds, plus or minus depending on the temperature of the equipment being worked on. The more time consuming portion is moving and setting up the machine for each bond.

Three sizes of plates are typically worked with – 4 bolt, 8 bolt, and 12 bolt, with 12 bolt being the most common. We estimate on a good day, sixty studs can be put down. So if we happen to be working with 8 bolt plates, you can expect six to eight to be put down in a typical shift.

This is of course affected by things like obstacles and hard to reach areas, but that is to be expected.

Forge Bonding is incredibly safe for a few different reasons.

First, there’s the benefit of being able to eliminate hot work by using this process. And as the industry is becoming more and more safety conscious, the amount of safety gained by eliminating hot work is huge.

Second, the amount of thermal energy used in the bond is very minimal. Truth is, the auto-ignition temperature of most hydrocarbons is in fact exceeded that the bonds are performed on top of. However, the auto-ignition temperature is measured over a 10 minute interval. And according to API practice 2216, if the thermal energy that the hydrocarbon is exposed to is small enough, it takes a much higher temperature to ignite. Considering the bond only takes 3 seconds, a much higher temperature is required, which is never reached.

And Third – the machine used for the bonding process is completely air driven. There’s no electrical hookups required. Plus, the pressure and temperatures are regulated on the machine to ensure maximum safety. There are pneumatic timer counts down the 3 seconds that the bond takes, then shuts off. There’s also redundant timers built in as backup to ensure a smooth process

If you’re going to be implementing a new process, you’ll obviously need some numbers to justify your decision. We understand that.

First, let us tell you that the bonding studs are fully qualified to the ASME codes, section nine.

Second, the torque test performed(where a stack of washers is put on the stud and a nut is torqued on until something gives) fails at 45 foot pounds of force. Code only requires passed 1 foot pound!

Third, when taking a hydraulic press to the stud and pulling, it fails at a whopping 5000 pounds of force! (Which actually rips the base metal out rather than the stud)

As just mentioned, the skill level required for forge bonding does not need to be specialized.

While we can’t guarantee you a price point without looking at your situation, we can say that it is going to cost a heck of a lot less than taking your tanks out of service. If your tank is only 10 feet in diameter, welding might be for you.
Once you get larger than that, forge bonding truly starts to shine.

In Conclusion…

Forge bonding solves a big problem in the marketplace by letting you keep your production going while you make repairs to your equipment. It also lets you make these repairs outside of your turnaround which eases the pressure next time you have to shutdown.

Proud Member of:
can qual logo
isn logo
Avetta Logo
comply works logo
achilles logo

Message Us

Meet with Us