Flamgard-Calidair: Leading Manufacturer of High-Integrity Dampers
High integrity dampers
For 30 years the Flamgard name has been synonymous with the manufacture of high integrity stainless steel dampers for use in offshore petroleum and heavy industrial ventilation systems.
In 2007 the company acquired Calidair creating Flamgard-Calidair, a business with 50 years of combined experience in the industry and a major force in high integrity ventilation.
Operating from its office and manufacturing base in Pontypool, South Wales, the total site covers 35,000 cubic feet including 7500 cubic feet of re-furbished offices added in 2010. Flamgard-Calidair currently employs 39 people and has achieved an annual turnover in excess of £3 million. This success stems from the successful combination of the two previous company’s operations, which effectively amalgamated Flamgard’s offshore expertise with Calidair’s association with the nuclear, tunnel, metro and marine ventilation markets. Such extensive experience in a broad range of industry sectors, as well as in a number of specialist disciplines and skills, allows Flamgard-Calidair to provide clients with a bespoke design and build service that places it in a unique position in the industry.
The company’s current product portfolio has expanded considerably since its early days. Continuous innovation, combined with an extensive R&D programme, means that it can now offer a wide range of dampers in various materials including stainless steel and mill galvanised mild steel, or a combination of these metals to suit varied environments.
The product range includes:
- Fire dampers
- General control and balancing dampers
- Nuclear dampers including zero leakage
- High temperature tunnel ventilation dampers
- Marine fire & general dampers
- Blast dampers
- Specialised bespoke dampers
- Inlet vane control dampers
- Inert gas retention dampers
- Hot gas diverter dampers
- High temperature control/shut off dampers
Flamgard-Calidair is accredited to BS EN ISO 9001:2008 by Lloyds Register Of Quality Assured Firms (L.R.Q.A.), with product approvals from Lloyds, DNV, ABS, SIRA.
The business first earned industry-wide recognition for its fire dampers, which are still the choice of many industry leaders in the market today. All Flamgard-Calidair fire dampers are based around a number of key features to ensure that they meet the highest safety requirements and to maintain integrity of fire divisions.
Features include:
- Maximum four hour fire rating in accordance with BS476 part 20 maximum module sizes 2100mm x 2500mm
- Low leakage in accordance with BS EN 1751 66class 1L
- Low pressure drop
- High temperature operation for smoke control
- Designed to accommodate cyclic pressure
- Can be used as combined control and fire damper
In the offshore and marine sector, fire and smoke dampers form an integral part of the ventilation system. When fitted to duct penetrations of fire rated divisions within the installation or vessel Flamgard-Calidair fire dampers will protect adjacent spaces from the transfer of fire and smoke ingress via the ductwork system.
Flamgard-Calidair fire dampers are designed to operate in the most arduous marine environments and can easily cope with the extremes of climate and temperature often found in modern E&P operations.
The company’s experience in this particular field means that customers can be assured of the highest standards of quality as well as a proven track record of reliability and high performance. In fact, the business has developed a comprehensive and highly accurate database of know-how, which covers a range of key criteria such as operating performance, levels of system safety and installation criteria, as well as Mean Time between Failure data. Such is the business’ competence that it can count a number of the major players in the industry as its clients, including Agip, BP, Occidental, Marathon, Philips, Shell, and Total.
As mentioned, reliability and quality are the key cornerstones by which Flamgard-Calidair measures its performance. The business has a large installed base in the North Sea sector and much of this equipment, alongside the rigs and installations on which it is installed, has already exceeded the original estimates for its working life. To ensure that its equipment continues to operate, and working closely with the service operators in the North Sea, the company provides a refurbishment or replacement service, where replacement products can be supplied exactly as the original thus assisting installation and decreasing downtime, this service constitutes around ten to fifteen percent of its overall business. Using this service clients are safe in the knowledge that by receiving the correct support, alongside maintenance and replacement parts, they are able to ensure the safety of their employees and the long-term success of their own operations.
As with any successful business, Flamgard-Calidair is dedicated to continued expansion to ensure it remains competitive in a marketplace where competitors offer similar products. Setting the business apart however is the fact that it has become recognised for quality, performance, delivery and price.
As well as achieving considerable success in its export markets recently, the business is also working on expanding its manufacturing operations by investing in new equipment and updating its existing site. Alongside the aforementioned re-furbished office premises, the business has increased its manufacturing efficiency and revised its internal management systems, generating flexibility within its lead-times to satisfy customer demands.
These efficiencies will only serve to increase Flamgard-Calidair’s reputation in the industry, and enable it to continue to provide market-leading solutions.
For many years customers have understood that when buying a Flamgard-Calidair product they receive more than just a form of engineering. Most importantly, they are buying confidence, reliability and peace of mind, and with further success sure to follow for the business, workers across the world are guaranteed safety in the workplace for years to come.
Flamgard-Calidair
Services: High quality ventilation products