News
Give Your QOCs some TLC with Field Services from GD Engineering
06/12/26
Quick Opening Closures (QOCs) provide safe access to pipelines and pressure vessels for maintenance and servicing – but they need a little TLC of their own to deliver continued levels of safety and performance. Like any safety-critical equipment, regular inspection and maintenance are essential to keep them operating at their best.
That’s why our GD Engineering brand, manufacturers of Bandlock™ QOCs, offers a range of lifecycle support services to ensure that these safety-critical closures are properly maintained. Poor QOC maintenance can create safety risks, increase downtime, shorten equipment life and potentially lead to environmental incidents or product loss. Neglect can also result in increased maintenance costs and unplanned downtime.
Bandlock™ QOCs have a 25-year design life, but we recommend that a preventative maintenance inspection should be carried out annually, with a full site inspection and parts replacement in line with operational frequency.
Regular tasks that keep QOCs operating at their best include checking for general signs of wear and tear or corrosion, cleaning seal surfaces, lubrication of moving parts, seal checking and replacement, and correcting any misalignment.
Carla Connolly, Global Product Management Director for GD Engineering, says: “Routine maintenance tasks may seem very simple, but there can be serious consequences if you get it wrong. For instance, if a replacement seal is not identical in dimension, material, and hardness to the original, it won’t deliver the seal and fit required for proper closure operation. Our field services team are qualified engineers and QOC specialists who know how to select and fit the correct replacement parts to avoid this type of error.”
Keeping shutdowns on schedule
The GD Engineering field services team works in partnership with customers to ensure that QOC maintenance is carried out within the planned shutdown windows, minimizing disruption. For example, the team recently undertook a project for an Australian gas operator that involved hub seal face machining and installation of oversized replacement Bandlock™2 doors on two 18” MEG filters. The work was completed in just three days.
In addition to general inspections and routine maintenance, GD Engineering offers other essential services, including non-destructive testing, hub seal face refurbishment and on-site machining, interlock systems maintenance, and equipment upgrades. Customers can access these services on a project basis or take advantage of the company’s master service agreement for ongoing support.
Want to learn more? Download our leaflet for a visual guide to a best-practice QOC lifecycle maintenance regime and discover how our field services team can help maximise safety, reliability and operational life.
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