What Is a Pressure Vessel Skid Package and Where Is It Used?
At first glance, a pressure vessel skid package can look relatively simple – pressure equipment mounted onto a fabricated base or frame.
In practice, there is more to it.
A skid package brings pressure equipment and supporting fabrication together into an organised assembly for use within a wider industrial process. Depending on the application, that package may need to meet specific requirements around materials, dimensions, operating conditions, inspection, testing and documentation.
So, what exactly is a pressure vessel skid package, why are skid-mounted systems used and where might you find them?
What Is a Pressure Vessel Skid Package?
A pressure vessel skid package is an engineered assembly in which a pressure vessel and associated equipment are mounted onto a structural skid or frame.
Rather than treating each element as a completely separate item, the package brings them together into a defined assembly that can ultimately be integrated into a wider process or facility.
There isn’t one standard configuration.
Some packages may centre around a pressure vessel, while others can incorporate different types of pressure or process equipment. The size, arrangement, materials and supporting fabrication will depend on what the equipment needs to do and the requirements of the wider project.
That means a skid package should be considered as an engineered system rather than simply a pressure vessel placed on a frame.
What Can Be Included in a Skid Package?
The exact contents of a skid package depend on the application.
Pressure vessels can form the central part of the assembly, but other fabricated process equipment may also be required depending on the project.
LTi Vessco’s manufacturing capabilities include bespoke pressure vessels, heat exchangers, pressurised columns, drums, tanks and supporting fabrications, alongside skid packages.
What matters is that the individual elements are considered in relation to the complete package.
Dimensions, geometry, supporting structures and manufacturing requirements can all influence how the finished assembly needs to come together.
This is why there isn’t a universal answer to what a skid package should contain. The process requirements come first, and the equipment needs to suit them.
Why Put Pressure Equipment on a Skid?
There are several practical reasons why pressure and process equipment may be manufactured as a skid-mounted package.
One is organisation. Bringing related equipment together onto a defined supporting structure creates a clear physical assembly rather than treating every component independently.
The skid also provides the structural base around which the package can be manufactured, handled and eventually integrated into its intended location.
For bespoke projects, there is another important consideration: the pressure equipment and supporting fabrication can be viewed as parts of the same manufacturing requirement.
This doesn’t mean a skid-mounted solution is automatically quicker, cheaper or more appropriate for every project. Its suitability depends on the application.
Where a skid package is appropriate, however, it can provide a structured way to bring specialist pressure equipment together within a wider process system.
Why Are Skid Packages Often Bespoke?
Industrial process requirements rarely come in one shape or size.
Available space, vessel dimensions, operating conditions, materials and the wider system can all influence the configuration of a skid package.
That can make an off-the-shelf solution unsuitable.
For example, a project may require a pressure vessel with a particular capacity or geometry, manufactured from a specified material and incorporated into an assembly with defined dimensional constraints.
In these situations, the skid isn’t really the starting point. The process requirements are.
The vessel and supporting fabrication can then be manufactured around those requirements.
This is particularly relevant to LTi Vessco’s focus on bespoke and low-volume pressure equipment, where projects can involve specialist one-off equipment rather than repeat production of a standard design.
Where Are Pressure Vessel Skid Packages Used?
Skid packages can be relevant across a range of industries where pressure and process equipment forms part of a larger system.
Oil and Gas
Upstream and downstream oil and gas operations can involve pressure-containing equipment designed for demanding operating environments.
Bespoke pressure vessels and associated skid packages can therefore form part of wider process requirements where materials, fabrication and pressure containment need careful consideration.
Power Generation and Energy
Energy infrastructure can require specialist pressure equipment for a variety of process applications.
Where several elements need to be brought together as a defined assembly, a skid-mounted approach may provide an appropriate manufacturing solution.
Nuclear and Fission
Pressure equipment manufactured for nuclear applications can involve demanding requirements around quality, traceability, inspection and documentation.
LTi Vessco’s experience in the nuclear sector supports its work within this highly regulated environment.
Water and Utilities
Water treatment and utility infrastructure also relies on process equipment designed around the requirements of individual facilities and applications.
Bespoke pressure equipment and supporting fabrications can form part of those wider systems.
Chemical and Industrial Processing
Chemical and industrial processes can introduce specific requirements around materials, operating conditions and equipment configuration.
Where standard equipment doesn’t meet those needs, bespoke pressure vessels and packaged assemblies can provide a route to manufacturing equipment around the application.
LTi Vessco has also diversified into green energy and renewable applications, extending its pressure equipment expertise into evolving areas of industrial infrastructure.
The Pressure Vessel Remains at the Heart of the Package
Although a skid package can bring several elements together, the manufacture of the pressure vessel itself remains a critical part of the process.
Pressure-containing equipment needs to be manufactured according to the requirements of the project and its intended application.
That brings material control, welding, fabrication, inspection, testing and traceability into the picture.
At LTi Vessco, experienced coded welders and engineers manufacture high-integrity pressure vessels and pressure equipment for regulated and safety-critical industries.
The company works with stainless steel, carbon steel and customer-specified material grades, allowing manufacturing requirements to be matched to a broad range of applications.
The same disciplined approach required for a standalone pressure vessel remains important when that vessel becomes part of a larger skid package.
Manufacturing the Package as a Complete Assembly
A pressure vessel skid package isn’t simply a collection of unrelated components sharing the same frame.
The different elements need to come together as intended.
Dimensions and geometry matter. The supporting fabrication needs to suit the equipment it carries. Manufacturing sequence, inspection requirements, handling and eventual installation all need to be considered in the context of the complete package.
This is where experience in both pressure equipment and supporting fabrication becomes valuable.
LTi Vessco manufactures a broad range of bespoke equipment, from vessels with capacities of only a few litres through to substantially larger pressure and process equipment. Its capabilities also extend to heat exchangers, columns, tanks, silos and supporting fabrications.
That flexibility allows different manufacturing requirements to be approached around the needs of the individual project rather than forcing them into a standard format.
Inspection, Testing and Traceability
For regulated and safety-critical applications, completing fabrication is not the end of the manufacturing process.
Appropriate inspection, testing and documentation are needed to demonstrate that the equipment has been manufactured to its specified requirements.
LTi Vessco provides in-house pressure testing and non-destructive testing where specified, supported by traceable documentation.
Its quality and manufacturing credentials include ISO 9001, ISO 14001, ISO 45001, BS EN 1090 and ISO 3834, alongside its ASME U Stamp capability.
These systems support the controlled approach required when manufacturing pressure equipment for technically demanding applications.
When that equipment forms part of a skid package, the need for appropriate quality control doesn’t disappear. The package still needs to be manufactured around the requirements of the pressure equipment and the wider project.
When Might a Bespoke Skid Package Be Appropriate?
There isn’t a simple rule for deciding whether equipment should be skid mounted.
Instead, it helps to start with the application.
Does the process require specialist pressure equipment? Are multiple fabricated elements being brought together into one package? Are there particular dimensional or installation constraints? Does the project require a bespoke vessel rather than a standard product?
Materials, inspection requirements, testing and documentation also need to be established.
Considering these questions early can help define an appropriate manufacturing route and identify where bespoke fabrication may be required.
Bespoke Pressure Equipment From LTi Vessco
LTi Vessco has specialised in pressure equipment since 2006, manufacturing from its facility in Bridgend, South Wales.
Its capabilities include bespoke and low-volume pressure vessels, heat exchangers, pressurised columns, drums, tanks, silos, skid packages and supporting fabrications for regulated and technically demanding industries.
This focus on bespoke manufacturing is particularly relevant where a standard pressure vessel or packaged system doesn’t meet the requirements of the application.
A Packaged Approach to Pressure Equipment
A pressure vessel skid package is more than a vessel mounted onto a fabricated base.
It brings pressure equipment and supporting fabrication together into an engineered assembly intended to become part of a wider process.
Exactly what that package looks like will depend on the application. Vessel geometry, materials, supporting fabrication, operating requirements, inspection and testing can all influence the finished solution.
For organisations requiring bespoke pressure vessels, skid packages or associated pressure equipment, LTi Vessco can support technically demanding projects from its manufacturing facility in South Wales.