Oil and Gas

The production of Oil & Gas and Petroleum involves the use of a wide range of heavy-duty machinery often installed in remote locations. The need for reliable bolting solutions is absolutely essential for the vast number of bolting joints installed in Safety critical applications.

The use of WL Series Wedge Locking washers provides these reliable bolting solutions by maintaining the Pre-Load in the bolted joint and stopping the fastener from coming loose under dynamic load and or vibrations.

The applications are limitless and we have named some specific ones below for reference but if you have anything outside of these and would like to discuss your exact requirements then please get in touch.

Offshore Drilling Equipment

A major part of the Oil & Gas industry is the use of drilling equipment to extract materials from the Earth’s surface. These drilling rigs are huge and involve lots of high loads and vibrations on the bolted joints. The equipment to perform these tasks is very expensive so maintaining the Pre-load in the bolted joints and reducing bolt failure or maintenance is key. The WL Series Wedge locking washers perform this function and are used in many applications across Rough necks, Drilling turn tables and many more drilling needs.

Flame Tower

The temperatures in Flame Tower applications are extreme high but also fluctuate quite a lot making it difficult for bolted joints to keep a consistent pre-load to stop the fasteners from loosening. The WL Series Wedge Locking washers are produced in a variety of materials including heat resistant alloys designed to withstand these applications.

Remotely Operate Vehicles (ROV’s)

The ability to maintain ROV’s once they are deployed under the water is impossible until they return to base, it is essential that they do not have the bolted joints holding them together coming loose. ROV’s are subjected to high loads from the pressure of the water meaning a reliable bolting solution is essential to their operation. The WL Series Wedge Locking washer provides this solution and is available in different finishes for certain areas on the ROV.

Top Drive

The Top drive on a drilling rig is exposed to some of the most arduous of dynamic loads and vibrations which are transferred to the bolted joints. Maintaining the Pre-load in the fasteners to prevent them from coming loose and potentially falling inside is a major factor. This is where the WL Series Wedge locking washer system comes into play with a wide range of sizes and finishes available to solve the many applications which can often be in difficult to access locations.

Rotating Equipment

The Oil & Gas industry involves the use of many different types of rotating equipment all of which generate constant dynamic loads and vibrations back to the bolted joints. The loosening of a bolted joint could have major consequences to the safety of the people around the equipment and also to the equipment itself.

The WL Series Wedge Locking washers provide a solution for maintaining the pre-load in the bolts and are commonly used on rotating equipment such as shale shakers and mud pumps as well as many more.

Derrick

A Derrick is a lifting device composed at minimum of one guyed mast, as in a gin pole, which may be articulated over a load by adjusting its guys. Most derricks have at least two components, either a guyed mast or self-supporting tower, and a boom hinged at its base to provide articulation, as in a stiff leg derrick.

Loads from the Crown blocks, top drive, drill string and sea are all transferred to the Derrick which is know to be the strongest structure on an oil rig.

The articulation of loads through this structure require the bolted joints to be resistant to loosening and maintain their pre-load when subject to dynamic loading and or vibrations. WL Series Wedge Locking washers provide this with an easy to install and low maintenance solution.