Fiberglass (FRP) tanks and pipes are a little different than many assets because they are fabricated from a material that many people don’t know well. If you are one of those people, this blog is for you! Don’t worry, you can make a smart purchase if you follow the steps below:
- The most important thing is to find an experienced and trustworthy fabricator. Hopefully your company has already worked with one, but if not, start vetting fabricators BEFORE you actually need to place an order (See Diamond blog dated March 3, 2021 “Preventable FRP Purchasing Mistakes” https://www.diamondfiberglass.com/preventable-frp-purchasing-mistake-not-re-qualifying-your-named-fabricators/). You want a fabricator that has been supplying FRP assets similar to what you need for at least 10 years.
- Be very careful about using low price as the main decision criteria. While price is important, how much pain will you have to endure if the fabrication is improperly done or delivery is late?
- What is the fabricator’s process to design, fabricate and deliver? This should be made clear to you before you make your choice.
- Does the fabricator have the capability to increase the asset life through preventive maintenance? Lifetime costs are minimized with good maintenance.
- When you decide on a fabricator, bring them into your process early. Give them all the relevant information you can. Answer their questions completely and quickly. Let them use their experience to fine tune your specifications; you’ll get a better product and maybe save money, too.
- Consider having the fabricator perform the installation, too. They should know how to handle and install FRP assets properly. If anything goes wrong there won’t be multiple contractors blaming each other.
For more information, please visit diamondfiberglass.com.