The defining trait of WOM as a company is the belief that no task or challenge is too difficult to undertake. Finding solutions for problems using resourcefulness and innovation is a characteristic that many WOM employees share. As such, the successful establishment of an in-house Xylan coating facility in India should come as a surprise to no one as WOM continues to expand and grow into a self-sufficient, world-class oil & gas supply company.
Xylan is a fluoropolymer-based industrial coating that is used to reduce friction, improve wear resistance and prevent parts from binding together. Additionally, it protects metals to which it is applied from corrosion.
Previously, WOM India was forced to send parts to a third-party Xylan coating facility in Mumbai- an almost 200 mile round trip which added significant cost and time to deliveries. Now, thanks to the team led by Mr. Ganesh Lanjekar and Mr. Shivaji Khandagale, WOM has been able to streamline the Xylan coating process without any sacrifice in quality. In fact, initial results have shown the new in-house facility has surpassed the previous coating vendor in terms of quality.
“The results of the adhesion test were found to be better than what we used to get from our vendor. We have consistently achieved adhesion performance at a rating of 5B as compared to the vendor’s rating of 4B,” Mr. Ganesh Lanjekar said, “The appearance of the coating is also better than what we used to get from the vendor.”
The Xylan coating process involves more than just dipping parts in a tank- there are three important steps. First, the surface to be coated must be prepared and cleaned. This is done with a shot-blasting machine that was specially designed for this process. Next, the Xylan chemicals are mixed using a pneumatic industrial stirrer for 30 minutes and must be mixed to an exact viscosity. After spraying the prepared parts with the coating, they must be cured at 2600C for a length of time that is dependent on the thickness of the parts being treated. The curing oven utilizes four thermocouples which sense the temperature inside the oven and adjust the temperature to maintain a constant temperature ±80C.
“With the establishment of an in-house Xylan coating facility, WOM India is better positioned to meet deliveries on time and ensure the quality of the coating process- all for a fraction of the cost,” Mr. Ganesh Laanjekar said.
The Xylan coating facility ,established in July 2014 ,is already up and running and has successfully completed its first coating, an annular BOP body- not an easy task considering the part’s size. Then again, when your CEO’s motto is “Can Do”, easy tasks aren’t part of the daily routine.
