PISTONS, RODS, AND RINGS

Pistons and rods are available from our extensive warehouse inventory or can be manufactured in a matter of hours to strict OEM tolerances and weights.

Piston materials include cast iron, ductile, steel or aluminum. Available designs include one, two and three-piece, along with custom designs. Repairing pistons includes replacement of damaged segmental pistons, Teflon rider band conversions, and anodizing of aluminum surfaces. Machining of oversize rings and rider grooves, along with aluminum welding for ring groove repair, is available.

Rods are manufactured from the finest steel and are based on mill spec sheets required from steel manufacturers. Rods are precision ground to OEM tolerances and installed to OEM specifications using a hydraulic torque machine. Downtime is reduced because delivery is fast, whether from Compressor Elements inventory of common styles or custom manufactured in the shop.

Significant upgrades in equipment and technology provide customers with the latest specialty services including compressor rod thread rolling. This in-house capability translates into quick deliveries for natural gas pipeline and plant customers. The thread rolling operation is a means to reduce rod breakage in the field and is just one part of Compressor Elements' Quality Control.

For newly manufactured rods and pistons, or repaired pistons, a full-time Quality Control Specialist verifies hardness, surface finish and dimensional accuracy. Magnaflux inspections indicate any imperfections -- such as hairline cracks in the material -- that would otherwise be undetectable. Documents of new and repaired items are maintained in Compressor Elements' archival system for future reference.