Honeywell is the largest, single-site producer of caprolactam / sulfate in the world. During the caprolactam production process a tremendous amount of ammonium sulfate is created. However, this byproduct has considerable commercial value - usage as fertilizer.

Eventually shipped to locations worldwide such as New Zealand and South America, the ammonium sulfate is loaded onto ships to 80% capacity at Hopewell, VA and then moved down the James River to Norfolk where the ships are topped off.

After years of loading the Ammonium Sulfate, Honeywell began to encounter problems. The cylinders in its ship loader assemblies had become highly susceptible to corrosion due to exposure to the Ammonium Sulfate and the harsh environment in general.

If a ship loader were to become inoperative due to a leaking cylinder, there would be no way to load the ammonium sulfate - costing Honeywell thousands of dollars a day.

Honeywell turned to Carter Hydraulics for assistance.

The experts at our Chesapeake shop recommended the cylinder rods be manufactured out of stainless steel, a material that is much more resistant to corrosion. The 5.5-inch by 11-foot stainless steel rods were custom fabricated and Honeywell's existing cylinder barrel was sandblasted and painted at our Richmond facility. Then, four new tie bolts were produced and the new cylinder head glands were manufactured using Naval Bronze, a stronger, corrosion resistant material that ensures longer life. Finally, the cylinder was re-assembled and tested to ensure proper operation.

But, our work with Honeywell didn't end there.

The Chesapeake shop also manufactured a 4-inch by 22-foot cylinder rod and an 8-inch by 21-foot cylinder barrel - both of which were resealed, assembled and tested. Carter is currently creating an entire boom up and down cylinder for Honeywell - rod, barrel, head gland, piston, holding valves and tie bolts.

Honeywell had a unique situation and needed a unique solution. Carter Hydraulics had the technical know-how and capabilities to get the job done.

TOP OF PAGE