If you ask Petersen Products CEO Phil Lundman about his company’s competition, you’ll get a smile.
“It’s not about competing,” said Lundman. “We do things that are different. Basically, since the start of the company in 1916, what we’re doing is creating unique pipeline plugging solutions when there's nothing else available to get the job done.”
One of Petersen Products’ popular systems — the 129-series “Multi-Flex” Line Stop Plugging system — blocks a pipeline without depressurizing. “Bringing a refinery or factory to a full stop was a huge problem,” said Lundman. “Imagine an entire water cooling system in a factory having to be shut down.”
The patented Multi-Flex Line Sop Plugs are Petersen Products’ answer to the problem. The 128 and 129-series are inflatable plugs that are installed and removed easily — enabling workers to close off sections of the pipe while the rest of the system keeps running. “They’re designed to plug a pressurized pipeline without reducing the pressure,” said Lundman, “so you can do repair work downstream – replace a valve, cut in a fitting, or replace a section of pipe.”
Another unique product is the Inflatable Annular Seal. This seal fills the annular space between a smaller inner pipe and a larger one providing a quick temporary by-pass connection. The Petersen Annular seals many uses include grouting boreholes and bypassing a large pipeline during repairs.
Petersen provides plugs for almost any size, pressure, chemical and temperature. Their primary market is major pipeline contractors, industrial plants, and municipalities. They have many standard-configuration mechanical and inflatable plugs in inventory. It is Petersen Products’ ability to quickly create custom solutions or ship standard items immediately that has earned them a reputation as problem solvers all over the world.
“When you say you can create a solution for anyone, you get all kinds of calls,” laughed Lundman. “Including a 23-foot diameter tunnel in the largest uranium mine in the world, the Cigar Lake uranium mine in Canada.” It had sprung a leak and filled with 450 meters of water — they had to abandon it. Petersen Products built an inflatable tunnel seal that could be pulled down into the space to seal it off, all using remote equipment. “Once it was in place, they filled it with concrete,” said Lundman. “That stopped the flow forever and saved the mine. ”
Lundman said the challenges for his third-generation family-owned company are constantly evolving, ever since his grandfather was issued his first patent in 1916. “Today we deal with higher pressures, higher temperatures, and more challenging chemicals,” said Lundman. Each challenge brings a new learning curve. That new knowledge is then applied to all future projects honoring their motto. “We provide solutions."
For more information about Petersen Products, and to read case studies about the Cigar Lake uranium mine and other fascinating projects Petersen Products has made possible, visit PetersenProducts.com.
Contact Petersen to learn how they can partner with you to create your pipeline solution, call 262-692-2416 or 800-926-1926 or email [email protected].
