Few people from the oil and gasproducing regions of North Americamight think of the East Coast as agood place for a reciprocating com-pressor parts and service business.But that is exactly the location of Hi-Tech Compressor & Pump ProductsInc. Nestled in Tullytown, Pennsyl-vania, U.S.A., near Philadelphia, Hi-Tech supplies and services the wear-ing components of al l kinds ofreciprocating compressors andpumps.

The region has some of the largestrefineries and chemical plants in theU.S.A., with most of the facilities andtheir compression equipment havingbeen in service for several decades.Many operations and maintenancepersonnel have spent most, if not all,of their careers in these facilities. Asthese seasoned veterans retire, theirnewer replacements have to draw onvarious sources, including Hi-Tech,for the equipment knowledge andtechnical expertise needed to keeptheir compressors operating at peakreliability.

“Hi-Tech Compressor & Pump

Products is a leading supplier ofreciprocating compressor and pumpproducts for this region,” said ToddPollazzi, president. “Working togetherwith our application engineers, we of-fer customers the best combination ofmaterials, designs and services fortheir specific applications. Hi-Tech’sconstantly growing staff and state-of-the art facility are equipped to refur-bish parts and also precision manufac-ture new components promptly,” headded.

The company serves the air separa-tion, gas transmission, petroleum refin-ing, chemical processing, cogenerationand industrial air (P.E.T.) reciprocatingcompressor and pump marketsthroughout the New England states,but primarily in New Jersey, Delaware,New York and Pennsylvania. It has ex-perience with most compressor brandsincluding Ajax, Ariel, Chicago Pneu-matic, Clark, Cooper Bessemer, Dresser-Rand, Gardner Denver, Ingersoll Rand,Joy, Knox Western, Norwalk, Pennsyl-vania, Superior and Worthington.

Available 24/7, their portfolio ofservices includes the reconditioning

and replacement of all reciprocatingand pump wear parts. Capabilities in-clude valve repair, piston and rod re-pair, non-lube conversions, cylinderboring, honing and sleeving, NDTmagnetic particle inspection, castingcrack repair including cold lockingand lacing services, shaft and rodstraightening, application of HVOFcoatings, hydrostatic testing andchemical cleaning.

The 5500 ft2 (511 m2) shop has bor-ing mills and drills large enough to ma-chine cylinders up to 28 in. (711 mm)in diameter, lathes for turning parts upto 100 in. (2540 mm) long and 30 in.(762 mm) in diameter with up to 5 in.(127 mm) spindle hole diameter and a50 ton (45.4 metric ton) rod straighten-ing press. Hi-Tech has CNC turningand milling equipment, grinders andlapping machines for the manufactureof valve seats and guards, piston rings,riders, packing rings and other compo-nents. The facility has equipment forsand and shot blast cleaning, partswashing, magnetic particle and alltypes of dimensional inspections, ovenheating, laser marking and leak testing

EAST COAST RECIPROCATING COMPRESSOR SPECIALISTSHi-Tech Compressor & Pump Applies Expertise to Reciprocating Compressors

By Norm Shade

DECEMBER 2005 COMPRESSORTechTwo

n This Penn 11ATPcompressor with17.5 and 10.5 in.(444.5 and 266.7mm) diameter cyl-i n d e r s fo r H 2 Sservice was com-pletely rebuilt andrefurbished in Hi-Tech’s shop. Therebuild includedresleeved cylinderbores, a new pis-ton rod, new PEEKrings and packing,and new poppetvalves.

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of valves and unloaders. It also has ca-pabilities for producing CAD drawingsand CNC programming.

“With our experience and equipmentwe can make complete valve assem-blies in as little as two days, includingthe valve seat, guard, gaskets andplates or rings. We also make packingcups and cases, wiper cases, packingrings, piston rings, wiper rings, pistons,rods, nuts, caps, cages, oil slingers andmiscellaneous parts,” said David Finan,service center manager. “We stockPTFE bushing material for rings andpacking up to 25 in. (635 mm) diame-ter on the shelf,” he added. Hi-Techalso rebuilds valves and unloaders andcan restore cylinder valve pockets andbores. The company has four trucks in-cluding a 2 ton (1.8 metric ton) staketruck for picking up and delivering cus-tomer parts for turnaround repair andrebuild services.

Pollazzi started Hi-Tech in 1999, buthe has been working with compressorwear parts since 1988. He first learnedabout the workings of compressorsand pumps from his father, who spenthis entire career with Joy Manu-facturing working on compressionand drilling machinery.

“The Hi-Tech name is symbolic ofcutting-edge, state-of-the-art productsand solutions for reciprocating com-pressors and pumps,” said Pollazzi.“Our staff has more than 75 years ofcollective service. It knows the recipro-cating compressor and pump industryand can troubleshoot problems. Wetake care of customers and maintainold-fashioned relationships, treatingcustomers the way they want to be

treated with fast turnaround service.Our service includes keeping extensiverecords, and we often know customers’

equipment better than they know itthemselves. The condition of all recon-ditioned parts is documented with de-tailed measurements and digital photosbefore and after repair,” he explained.

“Supported by resources like AIMMechanical Field Services, ACIServices Inc., SBCO, and others withmany years of experience in thereciprocating industry, we can pro-vide multiple product options to offerthe best solution for the customer’sproblems and needs,” said JaneFoden, manager, sales and marketing.“We have been successful in manyspecialized applications including am-monia, butane, chlorine, carbon diox-ide, hydrogen and methane gas.”

The company can design and pre-scribe compressor piston rod packing,rings, riders, wipers, purge packing,purge gas monitoring control panelsand systems and lubrication systems.Its CAD designs include assemblydrawings and parts lists for the cus-tomer. Its services also include repairand sales of new compressor bush-ings and bearings, crossheads andshoes, rod drop indicators and sys-

DECEMBER 2005 COMPRESSORTechTwo

n Hi-Tech Compressor and Pump Products Inc.’s shop in Tullytown, Pennsylvania, U.S.A., canmanufacture and repair new compressor valve components and other compressor parts.

n A local refinery discovered during a turnaround that this 13.5 in. (342.9 mm) diameter, 10.5 in.(266.7 mm) stroke Cooper Bessemer FM-2 hydrogen cylinder had cracks and pulled studsaround a valve pocket. Hi-Tech metal stitched the casting, installed a sleeve in the valve pocket,restored dimensions and hydrostatically tested it to 1.5 times the maximum working pressure.They then rebuilt the cylinder with refurbished valves and new wear parts, returning it to thecustomer in only one week.

continued on page 82

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tems, crosshead jam nut tensionersand piston end nuts, cylinders, un-loaders and cylinder lubrication sys-tems and parts. It can also provideused and reconditioned replacementcompressor cylinders, frames, distancepieces, etc.

Hi-Tech has the capability of repair-ing many gas engine parts and canprovide new engine parts includingengine gaskets, shell bearings, bush-ings and shims, fuel valves, powerpiston rings, power valves, seats,guides and springs, turbocharger noz-zle rings, metal bellows, expansionjoints and flanges, and replacementfilters.

“We are a distributor of Watchmanlubrication systems and can look atan entire lubrication problem to offerthe best overall solution,” said BillMullen, sales engineer. “We carry pro-filometers in our trucks and cancheck the surface finish, material andlube system when dealing with awear problem.”

Watchman products offered by Hi-Tech include the Wizard Monitor forengine and compressor lubrication.“The Wizard is a processor-basedmonitor that offers precise, reliableprotection for positive displacementdivider block type lubrication sys-tems,” said Mullen. Displayed flowrates are updated at every block cy-cle, eliminating the need for timingthe ‘seconds per count’ and calculat-ing drops per minute. The Wizard

automatically displays the actual pintsbeing delivered per 24 hours. Con-tinually monitoring flow rate, theWizard signals lubrication failure andshuts down the equipment beforedamage can occur. The bright redLED flow rate display in each zonecan be programmed in gallons,quarts, liters, or any unit of measure.

“Purge flow monitoring and controlsystem upgrades are another growingpart of our business as customerslook for improvements to reduce fugi-tive emissions,” said Pollazzi. “Oursystems can control purge gas flowsand detect excessive rod packingleakage so that preventative mainte-nance can be scheduled before majorproblems occur.”

Several past accomplishments givetestimony to Hi-Tech’s problem solvingand repair capabilities. In one instance,a local refinery discovered during aturnaround that a 13.5 in. (342.9 mm)diameter, 10.5 in. (266.7 mm) strokeCooper Bessemer FM-2 crude gas cylin-der had cracks and pulled studs arounda valve pocket. Requiring an urgent re-pair, the customer had Hi-Tech assessthe problem. Within one week they

DECEMBER 2005 COMPRESSORTechTwo

n This purge gas and packing monitoring system panel was custom designed and manufacturedby Hi-Tech Compressor & Pump Products. Constructed of stainless steel for outdoor installation,it monitors purge gas flow and packing leakage to help customers reduce VOC emissions.

A Hi-Tech technician conducts an air leakage test on a rebuilt compressor unloader prior to re-turning it to a customer for installation on a Worthington BDC compressor in hydrogen service.

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metal stitched the casting, installed asleeve in the valve pocket, restored di-mensions and hydrostatically tested it to1.5 times the maximum working pres-sure. It then rebuilt the cylinder with re-furbished valves and new wear parts.

In another instance a local customerhad experienced piston rod and cylin-der bore wear in a Worthington HBB-NL2 compressor in methane service.Packing life was averaging only sixmonths. The rod, which had contactedthe packing case, accommodated twostages on one throw and was over 9ft. (2.74 m) long, but only 1.5 to 1.75in. (38.1 to 44.5 mm) in diameter. Hi-Tech refurbished the cylinder, straight-ened the rod and upgraded the designto PEEK packing, piston and riderrings, which has more than doubledthe packing life as it continues to ac-cumulate service hours after the repairand upgrade.

“Our mission is to grow our com-pany by captivating our customerswith an unsurpassed value package oftechnology, creative solutions and un-equalled execution in the services andproducts that we supply to them, thusmaking us always their vendor ofchoice,” explained Pollazzi. “We arelarge enough to serve and smallenough to care,” he added. n

n Hi-Tech is a distribu-tor of Watchman lubesystems, including thisWizard Monitor for en-gine and compressorlubrication.

n This gas storage packing case for an I-RKVS-512 is being double checked prior toshipment to the customer. Valves and casesare checked against minimum design stan-dards, magnetic particle tested for cracks,and reconditioned to like-new condition. Newinternals are installed and the assembliesare then leak tested, CNC stenciled, pack-aged and labeled.

n Hi-Tech’s service center makes complete valve assemblies in as little as two days, includingthe valve seat, guard, gaskets and plates or rings.

REPRINTED FROM DECEMBER 2005 COMPRESSORTechTwoCopyright Diesel & Gas Turbine Publications

Printed in U.S.A.

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