HVAS On-Site Services: Custom Coating Wherever You Need It

HVAS technology reaches its full potential when supported by comprehensive professional services, designed to meet the specific needs of every customer. Flame Spray combines advanced technical expertise, decades of experience, and global operational capabilities to deliver coating solutions that maximize the reliability of oil and petrochemical assets while reducing total cost of ownership.

This article outlines the key services offered by Flame Spray in the field of HVAS technology: from the regeneration of worn components to custom treatments, from on-site work to specialized technical consulting.

On-site coating: bringing the technology where it's needed

One of HVAS's key competitive advantages is the portability of its equipment, which makes it possible to carry out coating work directly in the field, wherever the asset to be protected is located.

Advantages of on-site application

Drastically reduced downtime: Large components (towers, exchangers, vessels) would otherwise require weeks for disassembly, transport to a workshop, processing, and reinstallation. With on-site coating, the work is completed in a few days, often during scheduled shutdowns, with no need for removal.

Elimination of logistics costs: There is no need to transport heavy, bulky components, hire special equipment, or manage complex handling operations. The Flame Spray team travels with compact equipment directly to the field.

Operational flexibility: On-site work allows targeted interventions on critical areas without full disassembly. For example, it is possible to coat individual sections of piping, specific flange areas, or reactor internals accessible through nozzles, reducing the impact on the plant.

Access to remote locations: Offshore platforms, desert facilities, and refineries in mountainous or isolated areas particularly benefit from on-site services. Flame Spray has proven experience working on FPSO and FSO platforms, jacket platforms, and remote refineries in the Middle East, Africa, and South America.

 

Flame Spray's on-site operational capabilities

Flame Spray has specialized mobile teams equipped with:

• Latest-generation portable HVAS guns (weighing < 15 kg)
• NACE/SSPC-certified blasting and surface preparation systems
• Portable quality control instrumentation (hardness testers, thickness gauges, adhesion test kits)
• Generators, compressors, and self-sufficient equipment for operations in locations without utilities

 

Component regeneration: extending the life of critical assets

HVAS regeneration offers an economical, fast alternative to the full replacement of costly components, making it possible to recover assets that would otherwise be scrapped.

Regeneration process

1. Inspection and assessment: The component is inspected using NDT techniques (dye penetrant, ultrasonic, radiographic) to assess the extent of the damage. Checks confirm that the base substrate is sound and free of through-cracks or critical structural defects.
2. Damage removal: Worn, corroded, or damaged areas are removed by controlled grinding, turning, or milling, down to sound material. Smooth surfaces with graded transitions are created to promote coating adhesion.
3. Surface preparation: The surface is blasted to Sa 3 grade (ISO 8501-1) or to the customer's specifications, achieving a controlled roughness (Ra 5-10 μm) optimal for HVAS adhesion. Any contaminant residues (oils, salts) are removed using solvents or steam.
4. HVAS application: The coating is applied in multiple controlled passes, monitoring thickness, substrate temperature, and spray parameters. For dimensional restoration, thicknesses of up to 2-3 mm can be deposited with dimensional tolerances of ±0.05 mm.
5. Finishing and quality control: The coating is ground, lapped, or polished to the required dimensional and roughness specifications. Hardness, adhesion, porosity, and dimensional tests are carried out to certify compliance.
6. Documentation and certification: Every intervention is accompanied by complete technical reports, material certificates, process datasheets, and photographic documentation, in compliance with international standards (ISO 9001, API, ASME).

 

Components typically regenerated

Component	Typical problem	HVAS solution
Turbine shafts	Seal area wear	WC-Co dimensional restoration
Sealing flanges	Damaged sealing faces	316L build-up + lapping
Turbine blades	Leading-edge erosion	Stellite/WC rebuild
Gate/globe valves	Worn seats and discs	WC-CoCr hard coating
Pistons/cylinders	Dimensional losses	Build-up + grinding

 

Typical cost savings from regeneration compared to replacement range from 60% to 85%, with lead times reduced from months to days/weeks.

 

Custom treatments: tailored solutions for every need

Every Oil & Gas application presents unique challenges. Flame Spray works with customers to develop HVAS coating solutions optimized for specific operating conditions, combining metallurgical expertise, field experience, and R&D capabilities.

Selecting the coating material

Flame Spray offers a wide range of HVAS-certified powders, selectable based on the performance required:

• Metal carbides (WC-Co-Cr, WC-Ni, Cr3C2-NiCr): Maximum hardness (800-1200 HV) and resistance to abrasion/erosion. Ideal for elbows, valves, blades, and components subject to mechanical wear.
• Corrosion-resistant alloys (Inconel 625, Hastelloy C-276, 316L, 317L): Excellent chemical resistance in sour gas, acidic, and chloride environments. Used for CUI protection and surfaces in contact with corrosive fluids.
• Cobalt-based alloys (Stellite 6, Stellite 12, Tribaloy): Excellent hardness/toughness combination and resistance to high temperatures. Suited to turbine blades, high-temperature valves, and components prone to galling.
• Self-fluxing alloys (NiCrBSi): Dense, self-bonding coatings, usable as a primer for multilayer systems or as standalone protection against moderate corrosion.
• Bond coats for multilayer systems: NiCr, NiAl, MCrAlY used as anchoring layers for thermal barrier coatings or ceramic coatings, improving adhesion and interfacial oxidation resistance.

 

Optimizing process parameters

Flame Spray's technical team develops spray parameters specific to each application, optimizing:

• Particle velocity (air/fuel ratio and pressure adjustment)
• Flame temperature (control of oxidation and powder melting)
• Scan speed and overlap (thickness uniformity)
• Spray distance (optimal adhesion)
• Substrate preheating (control of residual stress)

This customization ensures the required specifications (hardness, porosity, adhesion, surface finish) are met for every single project.

 

Testing and validation

Before application on critical components, Flame Spray carries out qualification tests on representative samples, including:

• Adhesion testing (ASTM C633 pull-off test, shear test)
• Metallographic analysis (porosity, structure, interface)
• Hardness testing (micro/macro Vickers)
• Corrosion testing (salt spray, immersion, electrochemical)
• Wear testing (pin-on-disk, abrasion, erosion)

Results are documented and shared with the customer for approval before production begins.

 

Economic and operational benefits

Adopting Flame Spray's HVAS services generates measurable economic value through several mechanisms:

Longer component life

HVAS coatings extend the operating life of critical components by 3-5 times compared to traditional solutions, reducing replacement frequency and spare-parts procurement costs.

Reduced maintenance

Fewer failures mean fewer corrective maintenance interventions. Plants that adopt systematic HVAS protection programs report maintenance cost reductions of 30-45% over several years.

Lower operating costs

Increased availability (fewer unplanned shutdowns) translates into higher production and revenue. For an average petrochemical plant, every day of avoided downtime can be worth €500,000-2,000,000 in avoided production losses.

Typical ROI

The return on investment for HVAS coating programs is generally between 12 and 24 months, taking into account:

• Initial coating cost vs. component replacement cost
• Extended service life
• Reduced plant downtime
• Lower logistics and emergency-management costs

 

Global coverage and technical support

Flame Spray operates worldwide with dedicated facilities and mobile teams ready to respond:

Facility network

Coating centers in Europe (Italy, Croatia, Hungary), North America (USA), the Middle East (Saudi Arabia), and Central Asia (Kazakhstan) ensure fast response times and local support.

Dedicated technical team

Process engineers, metallurgists, and technicians support customers from the design phase through post-application validation, ensuring optimal solutions and regulatory compliance.

Emergency support

In the event of critical failures or urgent intervention needs, Flame Spray mobilizes an emergency team able to reach the location quickly, minimizing operational impact.

Discover the HVAS service