Manhattan Mechanical Services has been working with industrial facilities in the Chicagoland area for over ten years. Initially focusing on oil refining/petrochemical mechanical construction and maintenance support, we have expanded our services to provide pipefitting, fabrication of process piping and structural steel, and maintenance solutions to industrial facilities across numerous industries.
We are proud to have completed small and large projects for some of the most prominent oil and gas refineries in the Chicagoland area. Successfully completing complex and custom engineered projects makes process piping and pipe fabrication second nature to us.
Manhattan Mechanical Services has two fabrication facilities. The newest location is at our company headquarters in East Chicago, Indiana. Our second is in Manhattan, IL. The East Chicago facility is over 10,000 square feet under roof dedicated to fabrication; our Manhattan, IL facility includes over 4,000 sq. ft. under roof.
These two shop locations allow us to offer prefabrication and preassembly of process piping and structural steel. Prefabrication takes certain variables out of the construction equation and decreases costs, while adding value to projects.
Prefabrication is closely associated with offsite and modular construction and has been a growing industrial-construction trend over the past decade. That’s because there are several advantages to prefabricated piping for processing facilities.
Let’s explore some of the reasons why it has been such a fast-growing trend.
1. Reliable resources improve safety and quality.
Many industrial fabrication shops, such as Manhattan Mechanical’s fabrication facilities, feature state-of-the-art technology and equipment. The use of band saws and mechanical bevelers improves productivity and quality. The controlled environment of a fabrication shop offers reliable resources and a stable working environment for craftsmen, resulting in improved safety and quality.
Delivering prefabricated piping to plant locations results in fewer people needed on site, because on-site technicians will have minimal welding, cutting, and jointing to do. This, in turn, results in reduced field-construction risks and errors.
2. Increased efficiency
Prefabrication provides quality, prefabricated process piping ready to be installed. As long as craftsmen are permitted to field-verify before fabrication, the pipe is usually guaranteed to fit in the field. Meaning, by the time the pipe arrives on-site, the project is halfway to completion.
Weather delays are also common with field fabrication, but can be easily avoided with shop fabrication. Depending on your location and the season, weather delays can add days or even weeks to project timelines, resulting in high costs due to downtime. Fabrication shops eliminate weather delays, offering a controlled indoor environment for fabrication.
3. Lower Costs
Productivity and reliability are greatly enhanced with shop fabrication, especially when compared with field fabrication. The result: Lower overall project costs. Not only can the cost per unit be lower, but a larger quantity of process piping can be produced in the same amount of time, further reducing costs and improving the production timeline in the process.
In addition, prefabricated piping minimizes the number of machines and equipment required on site, contributing to a decrease in transportations costs.
4. Early equipment testing and project start-up
Prefabrication encourages detailed testing and equipment evaluation early in the project. It is imperative to take a step back and thoroughly evaluate equipment for a safe project startup.
Testing must be done, regardless of location. Still, a fabrication shop offers a controlled environment for rigorous testing, resulting in increased testing efficiency that outperforms most field-fabricated piping testing abilities.
The above four benefits of prefabricated process piping are irrefutable. But how do you ensure that you are working with a qualified fabrication company?
What to look for in a pipe fabrication company
- Proximity: Our two facilities in the Chicagoland area provide quick turnaround time and minimal transportation costs for major industrial plants in Chicago and Northwest Indiana.
- Excellent safety record: Manhattan Mechanical Services has had zero recordable injuries in the past 18 months and zero lost time injuries in the past ten years.
- Skilled craftsmen: Manhattan Mechanical Services is the largest merit shop contractor in the Chicago area. We have 200+ skilled craftsmen on staff.
- Standardized training programs: Manhattan Mechanical administers a U.S. Department of Labor-approved craft training program.
- Multi-craft workforce: A multi-crafted crew will create a 25 percent cost savings in labor for construction. Manhattan Mechanical Services self-performs all phases of construction, except electrical.
Would you like to learn more about our fabrication capabilities? Don’t hesitate to reach out.