Aker Solutions has opened its new state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in Pickering, Ontario, Canada, to allow it to capitalise on market demand for fabrication of its proprietary equipment for acid plants, by more than doubling its production capacity. The original fabrication facility was established in Toronto in 1961, and has been designing and fabricating custom shell and tube heat exchangers and process equipment for the sulphuric acid, nitric acid, petroleum and chemical industries for nearly 50 years.

Gary Mandel, Executive VP of Process & Construction, Aker Solutions, said: “As a result of our success as an industry leader in these niche sectors, we have re-located to this much larger facility, and implemented key equipment upgrades and manufacturing improvements to enable us to continue to meet market demand for our high quality, custom fabrication capability.”

The machine shop and assembly bays are equipped with a total of seven cranes; each with a span of 21.3 m. Single lift capacity in one of the assembly bays is 100 t. The facility provides higher and heavier lift capacity for larger equipment. It also provides improved workflow and ergonomics by eliminating congestion in work areas, more efficient energy usage, and built-in waste management systems.