2021 Directory

www.bfpa.co.uk 35 Jetrac, we really do practice what we preach. Maybe the fact that I’m ex-Navy has instilled in me an ethos whereby cleanliness is one of the absolute must haves, especially transferring that within a manufacturing environment.” Greenfield emphasises that an unexpected hose failure can cause serious injury, equipment damage and disruptions to production, which ultimately can lead to a costly downtime. He explains that this is why Jetrac conducts various levels of onboard surveys to establish baseline information, which determine the material state for every flexible hose assembly (FHA) onboard a particular platform or asset. “Having a flexible hose asset management system in place can provide accurate data to help companies to plan maintenance and ensure equipment can work to its maximum capacity,” he says. “Approved and accredited by the BFPA, our engineers can manufacture and test a wide variety of hoses to meet specific customer requirements. This is carried out at our new Chichester facility. At the site, we are able to undertake a wide range of services for customers, including hose management, hose manufacture, fitting and installation, pressure testing and calibration. Greenfield explains the key benefits of hose management. “Having a Hose Integrity Management system in place will benefit hugely from an efficiency, safety and cost-saving perspective. Each hose is criticality analysed and risk-assessed, and a record of all testing and inspections of each hose is maintained.” Database To support the hose management service, Jetrac has recently launched a new tablet web-accessible database, which ensures an accurate and up-to-date record of flexible hose assemblies is available to customers globally 24/7 365 days of the year. The prime contractor and/or ship’s staff are able to access the database to view all information to each particular hose and manage the database, which will allow them to plan for upcoming maintenance and refit packages. In addition, customers are presented with a dashboard that displays important information first-hand such as hose totals, categories, unsatisfactory assemblies and hoses that are due to expire. Greenfield stresses that, apart from all the benefits of having a hose management system in place, the most important aspect is safety and reducing the risk of hose failure, looking at the impact/potential implication it may have to the safety of personnel, production and the environment. “That is why hose management is so important,” he says. Overcoming current challenges In view of the challenges concerning training due to the ongoing pandemic, Greenfield explains that although face-to- face training has been limited over the past year, Jetrac’s team is still busy liaising with customers regarding their queries or service requirements. “We always refer back to the BFPA course guidelines and course information when providing guidance to customers,” he reiterates. “The team at the BFPA are very approachable and they are always at the end of the phone when needed if we have any queries.” Greenfield explains that Jetrac also continues to provide a wide range of other services to customers. “For example, if customers require technical drawings of any particular product then our design team can produce these to order within a short timeframe,” he says. “Hose management is our bread and butter, together with installation work, onsite pressure testing, the supply of hydraulic components and of course hose manufacturing. This type of work is still ongoing, and we are continuing to offer the full lifecycle of hose management to customers. A lot of our customers also request valve testing and valve calibration, which we can also provide and turn around in a timely manner.” Greenfield adds that Jetrac is also very busy with installation work. “More customers now understand that it’s not just a case of replacing a hose, it’s also important to fit and route the hoses correctly as well as adding any additional components such as spiral guards etc., as we are always looking at reducing the likelihood of premature hose failure,” he explains. “We also replace seals and bonded seals as a default, and bolts and washers where necessary. Some customers believe it is acceptable to re- use old seals and gaskets etc. but at Jetrac we explain the importance of quality component placement in order to keep the equipment efficient, safe and up and running over the longer term, which improves the overall integrity of the equipment package.” Greenfield explains there aren’t many requests that Jetrac turns away. “Because of our range of skillsets and flexibility we are normally able to help customers with their requests,” he says. “And if we can’t conduct a particular task, we have associates within the fluid power industry who we can call on to help out. We are very much the go-to company for many customers because they know they can rely on us.” The road ahead Jetrac is also planning to become a member of the BFPA’s Hose Accreditation Scheme during 2021. “We planned to become accredited during last year, but due to the pandemic things didn’t quite go to plan,” reflects Greenfield. “However, Jetrac did achieve Lloyds 9001 certification during 2020, so we are now individually accredited as a division of Oldham Seals. It’s all about ensuring our customers know that we are 100% committed to providing the very best service and advice while also continually looking to enhance our brand going forward.”  Uniflex swaging machines at Jetrac’s new workshop.