Boiler Tube Peening

Creating the Next Generation of Superheater Boiler Tubes

Boiler tube maintenance is expensive.

Steamside oxidation and oxide exfoliation can plug traditional austenitic stainless steel boiler tubes in tight-bend areas and potentially cause accelerated wear in steam turbines downstream. Exfoliation-related damage results in expensive maintenance and cleaning as well as a major disruption to productivity through plant down time. Shotpeening is a proven surface treatment to minimize exfoliation of the inside diameter of stainless steel Super 304H and 347H boiler tubes.

Global Leader

MetFin has developed, customized and installed multiple boiler tube peening machines that have been working reliably and have proven to be a critical piece of equipment to our customers' operations. A MetFin peening system will provide tubes that are resistant to the forces that cause scale exfoliation and offer extended boiler up time.

Installing tubes that have been peened through cold working the ID in a MetFin peening system will increase the fatigue life expectancy of the tubes and drastically lower the incidence of failures associated with interior tube scale exfoliation. Downtime from pipe failure will be minimized and maintenance time will be reduced through this low cost, safe and reliable means of preventing exfoliation of oxide scales in boiler tubes. Taking corrective and preventive action by utilizing peened stainless steel tubes in boiler manufacture and repair, utilities can expect to save millions of dollars and thousands of hours of downtime over the life of a typical boiler.

Superior Design

MetFin's interior tube peening system for superheater boilers
The utility industry has recently recognized the importance of shot peening stainless steel boiler tubes as the best method of preventing exfoliation of oxide scales on the ID of boiler tubes. Peening the internal surfaces of austenitic stainless steel Super 304H and 347H tubes controls the occurrence of scale exfoliation. MetFin peening systems effectively deter this process by imparting residual compressive stress to the material resulting in the interior surfaces of tubes to be work hardened. This process changes the durability and microstructure of the surface of the tube interior effectively making the tubes able to maintain their integrity when used under the extreme pressure and high heat now present in ultra-high efficiency superheater boiler systems.

MetFin Peening Systems offer:

Prefabrication tube peening equipment capable of processing tubes with an ID range of 18 to 75mm; an OD range of 25 to 80mm and a length range of 6 to 25 meters.
Capability of peening 100% of the tube ID from end to end.
Electrical controls that monitor input variables including air pressure, media flow, rotation and linear speed. Ability to detect faults and pinpoint the location on the tubes where faults may have occurred and provide mechanisms for correction.
Capability to test and measure the shotpeening intensity to ensure consistent quality.
Mechanical system that ensures reliable rotational and linear movements.
Media collection, classification and re-application systems that ensure quality shot is impacting the inner tube wall.
A pneumatic system controlled from an operator's panel that ensures a precise, constant and even pressure.

A MetFin system will provide years of productivity and positive results. The MetFin team will set standards for the maintenance of the system to assure continued and confident up time and reliable results. Click here for more specifics on the engineering behind our designs.

Avoid Boiler Tube Failure

A MetFin Peening Specialist is ready to review your boiler tube needs. For more information please email us or call us today at 860-668-1050.