FlowCast

API 610 has remained the primary standard governing the supply of centrifugal pumps in the oil and gas industry since 1954. Pumps made to this standard provide safe and reliable use and a long lifespan. Bradshaw said it was critical to remember that the average initial purchase price is only around twelve to fifteen percent of the total lifecycle cost. "People tend to focus on the upfront price, but that's the wrong thing to be looking at. Compared to that twelve to fifteen percent, the upfront price, around forty percent of your total lifecycle cost is operating, maintenance, and downtime."

The new edition of the standard came out in January of 2021, but Bradshaw mentioned that the pandemic may have shifted notice away from the release, so it is a good thing to get the word out now. And while updates to the standard typically happen every five years, the 12th edition took eleven years. The wait is over. So, what’s new?

One of the most noticeable updates to the standard is shaft guarding around the mechanical seal area. Previous editions did require guarding, but not in this specific area. This latest edition also changes several areas in material selection to increase pump reliability.

“These pumps are often handling very aggressive fluids, very corrosive fluids, and having the right materials is an important aspect,” Bradshaw said. But he did note that while the standard updated the material selection, the responsibility remained with the purchaser for the material selection. The wrong choice could lead to accelerated flow corrosion.

David Paradis, CEO of Trillium Flow Technologies, joined host Michelle Dawn Mooney to make an exciting announcement. Trillium recently completed the acquisition of Termomeccanica Pompe. Termomeccanica is a 110-year-plus company from Italy that offers an extensive range of highly engineered vertical turbine and split case pumps used in water transmission, desalination, power generation, and the oil and gas markets. They also operate a solution-oriented, rotating equipment service organization serving the Middle East and Europe.

Termomeccanica Pompe will merge with another longstanding Italian Trillium-owned company, Gabbioneta Pumps. Paradis couldn’t wait to bring together these two legacy pump manufacturers with incredible people and products.

“Termomeccanica Pompe is a business we’ve had our eye on for quite some time,” Paradis said, “It really fits our M&A strategy around highly engineered products with great aftermarket opportunity and nice recurring revenues. It’s a brand and a product that creates stickiness with our customers.”

Termomeccanica Pompe’s entrepreneurial spirit and focus on customers made it a natural fit for Trillium’s culture.

“Termomeccanica Pompe has expertise in engineering products for specific applications, and we like that,” Paradis said. “That’s complimentary to our configured product. Gabbioneta is more engineered to order and Termomeccanica Pompe is more designed to order.”

Termomeccanica Pompe’s turbine pump product line also broadens the existing range of Trillium’s Floway brand. They specialize in larger and higher-capacity pumps with engineering know-how and testing capabilities. Paradis said this extension instantaneously upgrades Trillium’s offerings. In the space occupied by Gabbioneta, Termomeccanica Pompe opens the water vertical, which provides a crucial market opportunity.

“We like Termomeccanica Pompe’s core markets,” Paradis said, “They grew up in water applications and desalination applications. We’re going to continue doing more of that. They also have some great technology that they’re about to launch into those applications. They also have an opportunity to move more into mining. We have a strong position in mining with our Floway brand, and there are some great applications for larger capacity pumps in mining.”

Innovative companies know it’s possible to do well by doing good. Many firms have reaped financial benefits by committing to sustainable business practices. Trillium initiated environmental, social, and governance changes by recruiting employees into a specialized team in 2019.

Trillium Flow Technologies Senior Vice President Mehgan Wichuk said, “When I was able to start a sustainability discussion with our executive team in 2019, we started with why we should be an advocate for sustainability in the workplace and [evaluated] what practices we were already doing.” After starting with the research on sustainability and understanding the materiality threshold available to Trillium, the team hired an outside consultant to begin the process.

After determining Trillium’s baseline, the initiative set goals and found willing employees to participate in the team. “[We wanted to] capture the internal teams' passion, drive, and interest,” Wichuk said. “Individuals applied for the team and were divided into environmental and social categories. The team creates yearly initiatives.”

“They [really] are a superhero team. These are members from each of our facilities, 12 worldwide, with one or two members per plant,” Wichuk said. “The strength is that the team comes from a range of areas. Some members represent HR, others safety or engineering. With a variety of roles, the team has a clearer perspective. They brainstorm ideas that are coming out of their plants.”

Trillium can remain agile in a changing world by shifting to sustainable practices. Carbon neutrality is the goal, but these practices will help the company shift when materials are in short supply or prices increase. Our economy favors lower-carbon energy sources and non-fossil-fuel resources. The initiatives offer no-regret strategies, which means they provide practical solutions that start with sustainability and improve quality of life.

World Water Day began in 1993 and has occurred on March 22nd every year since. This celebration of water seeks to raise awareness for the 2.2 billion people on the planet who live without access to safe water. Joshua Jensen, Senior Sales Director, Western Hemisphere for Trillium Flow Technologies, spoke to Michelle Dawn Moody about some of the initiatives Trillium’s involved with to make this mission a reality.

Trillium’s mission to provide safe drinking water solutions for millions in North America dates back eighty-five years. While Jensen humbly suggested Trillium Flow’s products play only a small part in these efforts, they contribute to bringing safe water to over 300 million people in North America. “We work with and support some of the largest water and wastewater districts across North America, helping them develop solutions for their water or wastewater treatment facilities,” Jensen said.

Trillium offers critical water pumping-based products manufactured in their U.S. facility located in Fresno, California. Their Floway brand provides vertical turbine pumps for water, wastewater, and dewatering applications. “Our Floway products are NSF 61 and 372-certified for drinking water and drinking water treatment chemicals,” Jensen said. “Which allows us to support the demanding services of the water market.” Both Floway and Trillium’s Wemco line are industry-leading, known for their quality and longevity in the water market.

While the United States may have access and infrastructure to support clean and safe drinking water, many areas across the globe do not, which is why Jensen said Trillium’s support of World Water Day is crucial. Climate change brings new challenges into the equation. “In just North America alone, the Western United States is experiencing some of the worst drought periods in the last 100 years and record growth, putting a greater strain on our water supplies.” Water consumption reduction, reuse, and recycled water technologies will be needed to maximize available water supplies.

In this episode of Trillium Flow Technologies‘ FlowCast podcast, host Hilary Kennedy sat down with Webster Madole — who serves as Senior Vice President of Global Operations and Supply Chain at Trillium — to discuss what factors are crucial for supply chain execution during times marked by unpredictability and constantly changing conditions.

Madole, whose work in supply chain totals 25 years, explained to Kennedy that — between supplier execution, labor issues, and material availability — there is no playbook for running a perfectly executed supply chain. “One great way to mitigate [never having a perfectly executed supply chain] is to [make sure it is as] robust [as possible],” he stated.

Accordingly, when Kennedy asked what defines a robust supply chain, Madole explained that it is not a one-size-fits-all situation.

“Certainly [one crucial factor is] the number of suppliers you have. Are you sole-sourced?” he asked rhetorically. “Or did you have the foresight to have secondary and tertiary suppliers in place that could handle those capabilities? Have you developed production parts with them?”

He also added that the location of a supply chain, specifically having local and regional options, can help solve many of the previously addressed challenges.

In addition to a robust supply chain, Madole discussed the importance of leveraging the customer relationship, especially through the supply impact. “When these challenges [such as COVID] come, [companies need to consider] the ones [who are hurting most]: our customers. They’re the livelihood of our business. They’re number one — it doesn’t matter if it’s good times, bad times, or typical times.”

Madole emphasized the importance of engaging customers during such times. “If you engage them, it’s really surprising what can come from that,” he said. “If you can explain to them the complexities and all the leverage you are pulling, and you can still execute supply chain [to at least a degree,] it really can create a partnership that pays for years.”

Tune in to the podcast to hear more of Kennedy and Madole’s conversation, such as how Trillium reacted quickly and precisely amid the pandemic, the importance of having a relationship with suppliers, and other unique matters that are cropping up during this unusual — and critical — time in supply chain history.

The well-publicized, recent and ongoing supply shortage of a wide range of materials is leading many manufacturers to postpone or reschedule projects, effectively leaving them on the table. But Red Point Alloys BV’s’ (RPA) success in overcoming that obstacle with that company’s focal product, supply valves, is a feat that — according to General Manager Fred Jansen — proves his company is rising above the competition.

“We’re grateful not to have those [postponement or rescheduling] issues,” Jansen recently shared with Hilary Kennedy, host of the FlowCast podcast.

And, with all RPA components and materials made in Europe — close to its shop in the Netherlands — Jansen is confident his company has even more of an edge with shorter turnaround times. In turn, those quicker times ensure RPA can supply businesses with the necessary valves they need, pronto.

“If a plant gets shut down and valves are missing, the time to replace them is crucial,” Jansen said. “But because fast-tracking valves is really in our DNA, and it’s how we think and how we act, we make sure companies have the supplies they require ahead of time.”

Jansen boasts that RPA not only has shorter delivery times on valves but is also a customer-focused company. Since RPA’s recent merger with Trillium Flow Technologies in 2021, RPA has grown its customer base and its product portfolio. Their valves are made with a broad array of materials available on the market, even exotic materials like titanium, Jansen said.

“We are in full control of every step [of the process], from engineering to production, right up to the assembly and testing of the parts,” he told Kennedy on her podcast. “We become a one-stop shop where we’re committed to supplying high-quality valves and to enabling our customers to start up as soon as possible.”

The world of pressure relief values is a global one, with opportunities growing each day. And it was in another section of the globe, Bryan Voytilla, Global Product Director, Pressure Relief Valves at Trillium Flow Technologies, recently found himself. Voytilla recently returned from Trillium’s two manufacturing facilities in France, and he brought home some timely insights and takeaways to share with FlowCast’s Hilary Kennedy.

Trillium’s Northern France facility focuses on many general valve needs, and their Southern France operation develops valves for the nuclear industry and aeronautics. While both factories share similarities and differences, Voytilla noticed that everything they are doing, from process improvements to technology design and innovation, is driven by customer needs.

“It’s a constant focus to try and drive a better experience for our customers,” Voytilla said. “And that can be anywhere from the beginning part of an order, and how we quote, all the way through the production cycle and the post-shipment cycle, and how our customers interact with us.”

So, what does Voytilla see coming down the pipeline for pressure relief valves?

“There’s always been this need for a higher degree of monitoring equipment in the field,” Voytilla said. “It’s difficult to bring a digital side to mechanical technology. So, I’m excited to see that as a need because it really drives and pushes the need for innovation and how we design and provide a product to our customers. It’s exciting for me to be a part of this space, and this market, to see how it's going to change and how we support those customers.”

But with change comes challenges, and Voytilla believes that the leap to new methods could be difficult for some, but the industry's major players will be excited to figure out all of the puzzle pieces to forge a new path for pressure relief valves.

The amount of data, data sources, tools, and technologies has increased tremendously, and companies have had a hard time keeping up. Some companies have kept up and evolved to make sure to thrive in their sectors. Trillium is one of those companies thriving.

On this episode of FlowCast by Trillium Flow Technologies, Host Hilary Kennedy talked with Alberto Fajardo, Global Sales Operations Manager at Trillium Flow Technologies. He sees firsthand which technologies work and which don’t and how to technology can add value in an ever-changing market.

“The role of sales operations at Trillium is to support our company’s go to market strategy,” Fajardo said. “It’s a strategy that is centered around our customers, focused on providing valuable solutions to meet our customers’ needs and ensure their success.”

With the vast amount of data, data sources, technologies, and new tools available, Trillium leverages the value of these tools to find solutions specific for each customer. This means they have to spend time getting to know their customers to understand what their customers really need and how best to help them.

“Our teams understand this and are committed to bringing more value every day,” Fajardo said. “What we do is make these technologies work for us, so we can measure how we’re performing in key areas, such as delivering quotes on time, ensuring our customers that reach out to us get a quick response, and on-time delivery of our orders.”