The X-BT fastener system offers high performance in corrosive environments and is best suited to fastening solutions in the petrochemicals industry, fastening systems manufacturer and supplier Hilti tells Engineering News.

However, it is a challenge to convert older-generation specifiers to accept the new fastener technology.

Hilti business developer Webber Marais notes that, to tackle this challenge, the company will have to build relationships and provide concrete evidence that its solu- tion is as good and even better than current traditional methods for the intended application. Hilti is also very conservative when it comes to safety and implements high load safety factors in its solutions.

“Traditional methods involve a lot of time consuming and expensive reworking that could have a detrimental impact on safety, productivity and the overall profitability of a project. “The time a contractor normally has for the rework (the punch list that needs to be completed before the client accepts the handover of the plant) of the welding, drilling and clamping disciplines could become a costly exercise [in terms of] his preliminary and general overheads and also often exceeds the estimated cost of the project.

“If a contractor increases his productivity and reduces his rework with no additional labour, he can reduce his overheads and project execution time,” says Marais, adding that, even though the application forms a small component on the overall project, Hilti’s solutions can reduce project execution time by between 15 and 30 days.

Therefore, this will have a positive effect on the preliminary and general overheads of the contractor.

Hilti spends almost R1-billion a year on research and development (R&D) to improve existing technologies and develop new tech-nology. Hilti operates its own research, development and testing centres in Europe, the US and China. Certifications and findings of current and future-orientated technologies are issued by Hilti’s internal test labs, which have been accredited by independent institutions. Numerous international specialists and universities use the labs. This combination of know-how and experience results in thoroughly new design methods, applications and products, says Marais.

“The X-BT system is developed, manu-factured and imported from the Hilti R&D centre, in Schaan, in Liechtenstein. “We had initially launched the system in 2002 and, through our R&D, we are constantly improv- ing it to suit the requirements and specifica-tions of several industries,” he says.

The X-BT system is manufactured from 316 grade stainless steel, an austenitic chromium-nickel stainless steel containing molybdenum, which allows it to form a friction weld in carbon steel structures. Corrosion resistance is also obtained through cathodic protection. The X-BT fastener is manufactured from stainless steel – a more noble material than those most generally used, such as aluminium, zinc and steel. The ‘noble’ stainless steel fastener induces a low rate of corrosion of the less ‘noble’ base material and fastened material, or possibly results in no corrosion at all.

“Once it is installed, there is no rework and coating damage to prepainted steel structures. “There is also no base material preparation required in the form of grinding and removing paint from steel structures for installation.

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Further, X-BT’s cordless system increases safety, as there is no need for cable manage-ment. This, in turn, reduces the preparation time needed to start on-site installation, as it eliminates the setting up of welding and drilling equipment generally needed to start installation work, which can be strenuous, says Hilti.

The X-BT system supports a wide range of applications, including fastening grating, PFS ESL-type slotted cable hangers and SLP-type pneumatic tube supports. PFS also offers its customers an X-BT installation kit, which includes a powder-actuated tool, a cordless drill, a cleaning kit, a rapid charger, two batteries, spray lube and operating instructions in a compact case.

Hilti has supplied petrochemicals companies such as Exxon Mobil, Petrobras, Chevron Texaco, Sasol, Shell, Qatar Petro-leum, BP, Total, BG Group and Dolphin Energy with its X-BT system and continues to look for ways of improving the system for its clients, says Marais.