KLINGER and Grupa Azoty: 50 years of plant safety for Nitrogen Plant Puławy

Successfully leading a company across decades is becoming a rarity in our dynamic times, servicing a customer over the same duration is now a feat almost unheard of. In his guest talk at the KLINGER international sealing conference held in Warsaw, Marian Rybak, former president of the management board of the country's largest chemical plant, and part of Grupa Azoty, spoke of his experiences with the KLINGER Group and why he never saw a reason to change suppliers. Here's what he had to say.

KLINGER's involvement with the Polish Grupa Azoty, which also happens to be the country's largest chemical group, dates back to a time long before KLINGER Poland was ever formed or even before the Iron Curtain fell. Fittingly, it was one of the sealing technology expert's innovations that had caught the attention of the Polish foreign trade center: In 1966 KLINGERIT, which had led to a paradigm shift in the industry, paved the way for a collaboration between two leading groups of companies that would continue to exist to this day.

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Network of excellence

Over the years, more and more KLINGER companies were able to provide their services for the Pulawy nitrogen plant of Grupa Azoty. In 1976, for example, a new melamine facility on the premises of the plant led to the delivery of approximately 500 KLINGER Ballostar KHA ball valves, manufactured by KLINGER Fluid Control, and again sourced via the Polish foreign trade center. The establishment of KLINGER w Polsce (KLINGER Poland) in the early nineties enabled our colleagues to intensify their cooperation with Grupa Azoty's prime asset. "The advantage of being a member of a Group of companies is that you can bring their various strengths to bear in order to best serve your customer," states Marek Flisowski, Managing Director of KLINGER w Polsce, and adds: "For this purpose, we hold tailored product presentations for select refinery personnel on a regular basis and also invite members of the plant to attend our product seminars." And "spreading the good news" has definitely paid off for Marek and his team: Following their initial debut that resulted in the introduction of KLINGERSIL compressed fiber sheetings from KLINGER Dichtungstechnik and glass level gauges from KLINGER Italy, the Polish colleagues have been responsible for numerous other changes as well.

„KLINGER, just keep the level of quality you currently provide and your customers will be more than happy!“

Marian Rybak, former Vice President of the Management Board, Grupa Azoty

Partnership based on trust

For Marian Rybak, also a former vice president of the management board of Grupa Azoty, working with KLINGER has always been a matter of mutual trust. "Switching to KLINGERtop-chem as the exclusive gasket material for our sulfuric acid applications, for example, would not have been possible without fully trusting in KLINGER's capability to provide a high-quality material able to meet the high demands of this sensitive process," he says, and adds: "The same is obviously true for the consignment stock set up at the refinery in 2010, which ensures that a maximum availability of gaskets and other sealing technology-related products is maintained directly at the plant at all times."

Safety first

Next to the highest level of quality and durability – one of the KLINGERtop-chem gaskets mentioned above has already been in service for a record-breaking 15 years and still functions perfectly – plant safety has always been the decisive factor for every single contract awarded to KLINGER. Examples in this context include the full replacement of previously installed globe valves with piston valves from KLINGER Fluid Control in the DOWTHERM installation of the refinery or the choice to opt for soft seated butterfly valves with diameters of up to 1,200 mm for a new cooling system belonging to the nitrogen fertilizer production chain. Summarizing his years of working with KLINGER, Marian Rybak had the following to say: "Seen from the combined angle of quality, durability and plant safety, in other words considering the total cost of ownership, KLINGER is most definitely a supplier you should take a closer look at." At the end of his guest talk he directly addressed the attendees of the KLINGER international sealing conference, and added: "KLINGER, just keep the level of quality you currently provide and your customers will be more than happy!"

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The Pulawy nitrogen plant of Grupa Azoty, one of the world's largest melamine producers