Trelleborg’s offshore operation has been awarded its Licença Municipal de Operação (LMO) certification; a municipal license which permits the company to manufacture in Brazil. As a result, Trelleborg has received and delivered its first order for its Vikotherm PT thermal insulation tape, manufactured at its Brazil facility.
Richard Beesley, Business Group Director within Trelleborg Offshore & Construction in Brazil , says: “Receiving an LMO license is an important step for Trelleborg, one which completes the startup of Trelleborg’s manufacturing facility for offshore products and enables us to commence local production. With our offshore operation’s first contract win in the region already complete, there are also others well under way.
“Vikotherm PT insulating syntactic foam tape is ideal for use offshore in Brazil, as it is able to withstand the demanding pressure and temperature requirements of the Brazilian deep water environment. The product combines very low thermal conductivity with very high flexibility, to provide optimum performance against wax hydrating, as well as enabling an easy installation around flexible pipes, allowing it to perform dependably in a dynamic application.”
Vikotherm thermal insulation is part of the growing suite of subsea ancillary products, which Trelleborg is now able to manufacture locally in Macaé. Other solutions within the company’s portfolio include bend protection, Uraduct abrasion protection, vortex induced vibration suppression and thermal insulation (coating and shells).
Further to Trelleborg’s first order in Brazil, it has recently secured two additional contracts for drill riser buoyancy module (DRBM) strings. Manufactured out of Trelleborg’s Houston facility to be delivered to its end location in Brazil, this latest contract demonstrates that Trelleborg is continuing to grow its position as the technology leader in the DRBM marketplace.
In recent years, Trelleborg has prioritized expansion of its market coverage in selected countries outside Western Europe and North America, among them, countries like Brazil. The principal drivers include proximity to customers in expanding and profitable segments, following them in their globalization processes and developing local customer relationships.
Trelleborg has several manufacturing facilities in Brazil, in Macaé, São Paulo and São José dos Campos, employing approximately 400 people across five sites, as well as several sales offices that effectively cultivate the local market.
Press Release, April 28, 2014; Image: Trelleborg