Inflatable Packers International (trading as IPI Packers) has received an AUS 1 million grant from the Australian government. The sum was delivered as part of a three-year ‘transformative manufacturing technology’ investment program into the company totaling AUS 9 million.
The program began last year with a contract for the construction of a new Inflatable Packers facility in Bayswater. This includes a robot-assisted machine shop and systems for agile production management and inventory control. The new facility will be operational in October.
‘We are constantly researching and refining our offerings,” says Commercial Director Howard Kenworthy. ‘We have a state-of-the-art elastomer testing laboratory capable of chemical resistance and mechanical property testing at temperatures up to 200 degrees Celsius, which we use for developing new elastomers for inflatable packers. Because we offer custom designs, we receive expressions of interest from all directions.’
Inflatable Packers’ core technology has been evolving for over three decades in Western Australia. With increased popularity in resources industries worldwide, their products are being used in flow-control, where annular seals are required, as well as carbon sequestration, geothermal projects (providing artificial lift), and gas storage testing and maintenance work. Inflatable Packers holds several patents and are expected to receive more for their contribution in the field of high-pressure curtain grouting for tunneling in civil engineering and mining.
Visit Inflatable Packers International: https://www.inflatable-packers.com/IPI/index
