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A skid package is a vital component of your process plant facility. It is capable of supporting additional process equipment, including motors and pipes, as well as its own weight, when fabricated correctly. Skid packages need to be robust and strategically fabricated to facilitate the supporting of loads. Now, supporting loads is not easy and many factors should be considered. But it’s a critical function of skid package equipment. If you’re wondering which factors must be considered when getting a modular skid package fabricated for your plant engineering project, take a look at this article.

Which factors should technicians consider when designing modular skid packages?

There are a few essential factors that designers and skid fabricators must consider when designing modular skid packages. The first of these is the loading and transportation difficulties that the skid package equipment will experience. The second is the resonance or vibration that can impact the lifespan of your package equipment. In terms of loading and loads, it’s important to remember that there are different types of loads for modular skids. 

Which loads should you consider when designing a skid?

Three critical loads that you should consider when designing and getting a modular skid package fabricated include static, quasi-static, and dynamic loads. Here we’ll explain the difference between each of these load types.

What are static loads and how do they relate to modular skids?

A static load can be temporary in nature, but they might also be permanent. Since they can impact the equipment alignment of modular skid members, your skid package must be able to accommodate them. A few examples of static loads include the movement of the skid via cranes, the loads that are classed as thermal loads (including steam), the equipment weight, and the torque that occurs with equipment that rotates.

What are quasi-static loads and how do they relate to modular skids?

A quasi-static load might not cause structural inertia consequences, but they should still be taken into consideration. They can occur intermittently and you might need to consider an analysis of the fatigue if your skid package experiences frequent quasi-static loads. There are a few quasi-static loads to be aware of. Some of the main ones include installation loads, weather effects (including waves or wind), and loadout and transportation loads.

What are dynamic loads and how do they relate to modular skids?

Dynamic loads should be considered during the design phase due to resonance, including wave or wind effects. It can be a problem for machinery or equipment that has a variable, altering speed drive. For rotating motors or pumps, you can expect a low dynamic force.

Which other factors are critical when designing a dynamic modular skid?

Since dynamic loads should be evaluated when designing and fabricating a dynamic modular skid, technicians must ensure they assess the fatigue of the skid package and the vibrations that the equipment can sustain.  Also, because skid member vibration can cause the equipment to vibrate, which includes the piping and vessels, keeping this as low as possible is critical.  Your modular skid technician will also need to assess the rotating equipment or machines for dynamic impact or stress, and conclude whether any alterations are needed.

How should modular skid designers keep vibration low?

The essential way that modular skid designers ensure that vibration is kept low during the design phase is to measure the vibration. This process involves measuring each and every component that features on the path of the load. The measurements must then be recorded and the designer and plant engineer should then compare these to the standard, guideline levels of vibration.

One additional, crucial factor to consider for skid package design

Bear in mind that there is also one other critical factor to take into account for skid package design, which are assessments of loading and transportation. What loading and transportation assessment involves is understanding whether you can transport your skid package and move it to your site. It also involves assessing whether the skid package is capable of handling the environmental and weather loads that can affect it. This might include wind effects or the effects of earthquakes on your skid package.

Make sure your skid package equipment is equipped to handle loads

It’s crucial to ensure that your skid package equipment can handle loads, effortlessly, and there is one way to guarantee this. Selecting a quality process plant modular skid fabricator will ensure that your design can accommodate the most essential load types as well as the weight of the skid package equipment itself. You’ll find one of the leading, industry best fabricators of modular skid package equipment at dg-skid.com. Their expertise is second to none and will guarantee that your process plant project gets completed with ease thanks to the quality of their skids. To ensure your skid package equipment can effortlessly handle loads, find out more about dg-skid at prosupportsolutions.ca.