Modular process skid packages are today emerging as the most sought-after solution for today’s fast-paced industrial landscape because of their efficiency, flexibility, and agility. These pre-engineered, self-contained units offer a range of benefits, from cost savings to accelerated project timelines.

In this article, we’ll explore the types and numerous advantages of modular process skid packages while shedding light on their role in modern industrial processes.

Modular process skid packages, often called “skids,” are self-contained units that house various components and equipment necessary for a specific industrial process. They are typically compact, standardized units containing essential equipment and parts for industrial processes or applications. These packages are designed and fabricated off-site, often in a controlled environment, and then transported to the installation site. Modular skids can be integrated seamlessly into existing systems or used to build entirely new processes. By capturing all essential components within a compact and standardized design, skids offer several advantages over traditional on-site construction.

Several Modular Process Skid Package types are tailored to specific industries and processes. Let’s explore some of the most common modular process skid systems categories:

• Chemical Process Skids: Designed for various chemical processes, such as mixing, dosing, and reaction. They often include tanks, pumps, valves, instrumentation, and control systems and are widely used in the pharmaceutical, petrochemical, and food processing industries.
• Oil and Gas Skid Packages: Essential for the oil and gas sector to manage tasks like gas compression, metering, and filtration. They typically include compressors, separators, valves, and safety systems. They are critical in enhancing efficiency and safety for exploration, production, and refining operations.
• FPSO Skid Package: Multi-disciplinary Skid Package engineering for chemical injection covers piping, structural, electrical, instrumentation & PLC. This eventually paves the way for the future technologies roadmap with the digitization of FPSO Skid Packages with IoT, Data Analytics, Cloud and Edge Computing, AI, and Machine Learning.
• Water Treatment Skids: Usually employed in municipal water treatment plants, industrial facilities, and desalination plants. They consist of pumps, filters, membranes, and chemical dosing systems. The said packages are pivotal in ensuring a clean and safe water supply.
• HVAC Skid Packages: HVAC (Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning) skid packages are utilized in commercial and industrial buildings. They include chillers, boilers, pumps, and control systems. Most importantly, they provide efficient climate control solutions while reducing energy consumption.
• Power Generation Skids: These are crucial in distributed energy systems, usually including generators, switchgear, and control systems. They offer flexibility in supplying power to remote locations or as backup systems.

These packages come in various configurations, tailored to meet specific industry requirements. Common examples include:

• Pumping Skids: Designed to handle the transfer of fluids, such as chemicals, water, or oil. They often consist of pumps, motors, valves, instrumentation, and associated piping.
• Heating and Cooling Skids: They provide precise temperature control and, therefore, are crucial components in the chemical processing, pharmaceutical, and food production industries. They typically include heat exchangers, boilers, chillers, and control systems.
• Filtration Skids: They help remove impurities from liquids or gases and include filters, membranes, and associated instrumentation to ensure optimal filtration performance.
• Chemical Dosing Skids: These are designed for accurate chemical dosing and are common in water treatment, wastewater management, and industrial processing. They contain dosing pumps, tanks, meters, and control systems.
• Control Systems and Automation Skids: They house programmable logic controllers (PLCs), human-machine interfaces (HMIs), and other automation equipment. They play a crucial role in optimizing process control and data monitoring.

The adoption of Modular Process Skid Packages is on the rise due to their numerous advantages across various industries. Let’s discuss some of the key benefits:

• Reduced Construction Time: Compared to traditional on-site construction, which can be time-consuming and subject to weather-related delays. In contrast, skids are fabricated in a controlled environment, significantly reducing construction time.
• Enhanced Quality and Reliability: The skids are constructed in a controlled environment while ensuring consistent quality and adherence to industry standards. Applying rigorous testing and quality control procedures helps minimize the risk of defects or operational issues.
• Faster Project Execution: Time is often of the essence in industrial projects. Skid packages can be fabricated concurrently with site preparation, reducing project timelines. And this acceleration translates into quicker returns on investment.
• Cost Efficiency: Traditional on-site construction of process systems can be expensive, often requiring custom design, extended labor hours, and potential rework. Modular skid packages, on the other hand, leverage standardized designs, reducing engineering costs and the risk of costly errors.
• Quality Assurance: Skid packages are typically fabricated in controlled environments, ensuring consistent quality and adherence to industry standards. This reduces the risk of defects and improves system reliability.
• Reduced Site Disruption: Traditional on-site construction can disrupt ongoing operations. With skid packages, much of the work is done off-site, minimizing disruptions and ensuring the safety of on-site personnel.
• Enhanced Safety: Safety is a top priority in industrial settings. Skid packages are designed with safety in mind, incorporating containment systems, emergency shutdowns, and safety interlocks.

At Rishabh Engineering Services, we offer focused skid engineering services for modular process skid design and related 3D modeling solutions to organizations across leading sectors like Oil & Gas (Upstream, Midstream & Downstream), Chemicals, FPSO to suit their equipment skid design requirements. Our team ensures that the system is optimally designed to fit the required space and allow enough access for maintenance. We develop the connections to enable simple and easy plug-and-play into the plant process.

Listed below are some of the examples of modular skid design from our experience:

• Oil and Gas: Skid packages are essential for metering, wellhead control, and natural gas processing, improving operational efficiency in the oil and gas sector. Learn how we helped an Australia-based manufacturer of custom-engineered process equipment, modular skids, and turnkey plants by conducting pipe stress analysis of Ethane Vaporizer Skid to ensure the system is safe per the code requirements and suitable locations and types of support.
• Water and Wastewater Treatment: These packages are used to dose chemicals, filter water, and manage wastewater, enhancing water treatment processes and environmental compliance. Learn how we helped a US-based company with Glycol Circulation Skid’s detailed engineering and design.

Modular process skid packages are a transformative approach to industrial processes, offering significant advantages in terms of efficiency, quality, cost savings, and safety. And, whether you are from the chemical, oil and gas, water treatment, HVAC, or power generation industries, the versatility and adaptability of skids make them an asset for streamlined and future-proofed operations. And with their ability to accelerate project timelines, enhance quality, and reduce environmental impact, these packages are poised to continue shaping the future of industrial operations. As industries evolve and demand greater adaptability and efficiency, modular skid packages are expected to rise, unlocking new possibilities and opportunities for innovation.

Explore our comprehensive skid design services that can help you optimize and transform operations today.