With more than 100 years of experience in heating and cooling, Axiom Heat Treatment (AxiomHT) has dedicated itself to delivering impactful, quality services and advanced technology to create satisfied customers.
Headquartered in Pasadena, Texas, and Bakersfield, California, the company specializes in pre-heat, post-weld heat treatment (PWHT) solutions, from planning and budgeting, to scheduling and execution of services. Treatments include electrical resistance, induction and combustion, with new, blended heating and cooling patent-pending technology recently added to the fold. Bake outs (process using hydrogen), line thaws and post heating are also specialties.
Industry vet introduces patent-pending technology to produce low-cost heat treatment
Combustion post weld heat treatment
This new technology (the patent) is a compilation of one, two or three of the aforementioned heating treatments — altogether reducing set up costs and production time. It also reduces the amount of applied heat required by code to achieve the same results — meaning a reduction in equipment costs, temporary power costs, material costs and teardown costs by 30 percent or more.
The AxiomHT patented-technology of pressure and vessel tanks is composed of convection sections attached to the work piece, or a “girdle” around vessels, or an outer skin. It reduces the total kilowatts of heat required.
The unique insulation coating helps retain and dissipate the heat and provides additional benefits by reducing the temporary power requirements and its carbon emissions. When heat needs to be applied from the inside of the vessel, all the same concepts and benefits apply to consumers.
AxiomHT utilizes an engineered solution with heat on the inside, and convection panels and the cooling process on the outside. Other uses outside of PWHT are preheat and bake out for weld overlay. If there are issues with weld interpass during welding, in a pinch they may engage their cooling process to cool the metal, which keeps welders producing.
Additionally, AxiomHT has a practical and rapid cooling process, setting it a part from others. It engineers a cooling method, or cool down period, which expedites the temperature of metal from a traditionally uncontrolled state from 800 to 1200 F in under four hours — quicker, if needed by adding additional vents and/or a larger cryogenic solution. Meanwhile, this time is given back to the customer 12 hours or more per PWHT.
Industry vet introduces patent-pending technology to produce low-cost heat treatment
Temporary fueled furnace
According to AxiomHT’s founder and CEO Gerry McWeeney, “We also help minimize safety risks by using remote monitoring capabilities, keeping labor out of the hot zones during operations, as well as improving logistics by decreasing the footprint associated with taking excessive amounts of heating equipment. The new method provides cost-savings to a ‘flailing industry,’” he said.
McWeeney has an unprecedented, 40-year track record of industry experience, and a repertoire in heat-treatment services and engineering solutions. He has spent a considerable amount of years working to perfect the system.
“I started out as an apprentice technician in Scotland in 1981 working in oil rig yards, power plants and offshore rigs in the North Sea. My first international trip was to Holland in 1985, then to the U.S. from 1989 to 1991 — when there was rapid growth in the industry training and supervising American technicians. I returned to Holland from 1992 - 1994. I was then offered a full-time position in the U.S. in February 1995, which led to green card/citizen- ship. I have been in the U.S. ever since, with gigs on the East Coast, West Coast, Gulf Coast and Midwest,” he said.
Industry vet introduces patent-pending technology to produce low-cost heat treatment
Penstock piping weld heat treatment
His career has also taken him across the U.S., successfully managing companies in heat treatment. The lineup includes: Chicago (1995), New Jersey (1996), California (1998-2006), Texas (2006-2018), Louisiana (2018-2020) and 2020 to the present with AxiomHT.
“My successes are many. I have worked with the largest refineries, power plants, nuclear fossil and EPC contractors for new LNG construction projects,” he said.
He added, “Axiom’s innovative method of controlling and dissipating heating and cooling through attached temporary convection sections and internal manifolds, sometimes simultaneously, has opened the eyes of some industry experts.”
Industry leaders leaning on the services of AxiomHT include:
- Power generation — resistance and induction heat treatment of piping, headers, main steam lines turbine casings, bolt and tube removal and rotor expansion
- Refining — vessel preheat, post-weld heat treatment and weld overlay (faster production)
- Fabrication — heat treatment of piping and vessels systems and temporary furnace builds
- Pipelines — phenolic curing, hot tap preheat, post-weld heat treatment and induction heating
- Chemical — heat treatment of piping, phenolic curing, heat exchangers, heaters and valves
- LNG — preheat, post-weld heat treatment and modular heat treatment management
- Shipbuilding — resistnce and induction preheat, post-weld heat treatment and header and hull repair
More than meets the eye
Industry vet introduces patent-pending technology to produce low-cost heat treatment
Induction heat treatment
The AxiomHT team has set aside time for anyone interested in a Lunch and Learn for more on how the technology works, and how it improves cost and scheduling without impacting material integrity. Participants may take away from a session — cost benefits of the reduced schedule; improved productivity; reduced losses at the pump if they purchase fuel from the open market/competition and/or reduced outlay to meet contract obligations. They may also learn about demobilizing craft from the jobsite early, reducing indirect and/or labor costs.
AxiomHT is not the only focus of McWeeney — he has a dual role as CEO of the independently created and operated, Energy Resource Institute, a company he started that offers training and reporting, compliance, specialty resources and heat treatment consulting. AxiomHT and Energy Resource Institute go hand-in-hand.
Through the heat treatment certification program, participating companies are allowed access to do Gap Analysis reviews and take courses in the science of learning, enhancing employee performance levels and business overall. Certification also includes competency assessments, technician, supervision and project management training. To top it off, training and certification is available 24/7, and is designed by industry leaders.
As for AxiomHT, McWeeney said, “There is no competition for our heating and cooling system — first to market.”
“Other heat treatment companies have a cookie cutter attitude — a copycat. The industry has been bereft of any new technology in over 20 years. Axiom is the ‘the new normal.’ We’re the future.”
For more information, visit www.axiomht.com or call (714) 655-3205.
