Highland Equipment is an industry leader in sanitary process equipment design, fabrication, and installation. For over 45 years, we’ve provided diverse equipment solutions that exceed industry standards. Read on to learn more about our capabilities and services.

Design and Engineering

At Highland Equipment, our engineering department uses state-of-the-art software and in-house calculation templates to design equipment that adheres to all industry-relevant codes and standards. Our full-time licensed engineers perform stamped calculations of pressure vessels per ASME Section VIII Div. 1 Code.

Backed by years of experience, we provide accurate tank calculations to ensure safe and cost-effective design solutions. Our team meets even the most stringent specifications and is experienced with vessels ranging from 18’ to 65’ in diameter. We work primarily with stainless steel or other high alloys.

Fabrications

Using our 47,000 sq. ft. facility we fabricate equipment including tanks and pressure vessels. From design to completion, we manage the entire process to ensure the highest-quality, sanitary stainless steel products — performing absolutely no carbon steel fabrication in our plant. Our large team of expert sanitary stainless steel welders and fabricators are proficient in welding techniques that include:

  • Flux core welding (FCAW)
  • Metal inert gas welding (MIG)
  • Tungsten arc welding (TIG)
  • Orbital welding

Our welders are certified per ASME Section IX and receive safe practices training as well as field training that includes:

  • Confined space
  • Lock-out
  • Tag-out
  • GMP
  • Fall arrest
  • Hazard awareness
  • WHMIS
  • Lift truck, tow motor, and skyjack operation

Highland Equipment is a certified supplier member of ISNetworld, Cognibox, BROWZ, Avetta, and ContractorCheck.

Surface Finishes

At Highland Equipment, we meet the needs of diverse industries by offering several types of cost-effective surface finishes. The dairy, food and beverage, brewery, and pharmaceutical industries all require stainless steel surfaces to comply with specific health and safety regulations. Even the smallest imperfection on a piece of equipment’s surface or edge can harbor bacteria and other contaminants and make thorough cleaning difficult.

To combat this, stainless steel is the preferred material for fabricating smooth-surfaced processing equipment for these industries. We use mechanical and electric polishing methods to achieve roughness averages (RA) in the 5-32 range.

Orbital Welding

Orbital welding is a specialized process where an electric arc rotates, or orbits, around a workpiece in a continuous, uninterrupted flow. For projects in any industry, orbital welding is regarded as the most effective method for connecting joints, tubes, flanges, and other similar components. It not only creates highly repeatable welds efficiently but also creates the smoothest weld bead surfaces available, making it an industry-standard method for applications that demand high-quality, consistent results.

Highland Equipment uses fusion orbital welding (automatic GTAW) as well as wire feed orbital welding (semi-automatic GTAW). We meet a variety of tolerance requirements, including tube sizes from ⅛” to 4”, and pipe sizes from 1” to 6”.

Borescoping

Highland Equipment ensures the integrity of piping system welds using borescope services. A borescope is an optical tool that features an objective lens and an eyepiece connected by an electrical system. Borescopes facilitate the visual inspection of narrow and difficult-to-reach areas. Our borescoping services provide a thorough inspection of weld quality throughout even the most complex systems, ensuring maximum integrity.

Passivation

We offer a comprehensive range of passivation services to remove all traces of exogenous iron or iron compounds from stainless steel surfaces. Passivation is a process that chemically dissolves iron and other impurities from stainless steel, boosting its corrosion resistance and overall durability. This technique corrects naturally occurring errors created during fabrication processes, like machining and stamping. It restores workpieces to their original mill conditions.

The passivation process involves several steps, including cleaning debris and contaminant deposits from a component, submerging it in a passivating bath, and performing surface evaluations. You can learn more about the passivation processes at Highland Equipment by visiting our passivation page for an outline of our techniques, considerations, and processes.

Glass Beading

Glass beading is an aesthetic treatment for stainless steel surfaces that uses tiny lead-free glass beads made from soda-lime glass. Glass is one of the most commonly used blasting media in sandblasting, also called abrasive blasting. During the glass beading process, glass beads are projected at a high velocity using pressured air, removing the top layer of the object’s surface. This process is environmentally friendly and more affordable than other abrasive blasting methods because the beads are reusable. Glass beading from Highland Equipment includes 60-90 sieve glass beads that blast a workpiece, creating a satiny finish.

Installation

Highland Equipment’s engineering team develops cost-effective design solutions that match our customer’s exact requirements. From design to fabrication, installation, and maintenance, we handle everything and ensure all of your process system requirements are met. Since we control the entire process, we ensure you receive equipment that adheres to the most stringent quality control specifications, as well as all maintenance, service, and installation requirements.

Inspections

Nondestructive examination, or nondestructive testing (NDT), is a form of inspection that evaluates equipment without damaging it. We use a range of NDT techniques to test a variety of failure mechanisms, including:

  • Inclusions
  • Cracks
  • Porosity
  • Corrosion

NDT can also evaluate equipment’s material properties. Its primary goal is to economically and securely ensure the long-term functionality of equipment components. Unlike other testing methods, NDT causes no damage to the component and can even be performed on equipment without impeding plant operations. Even equipment that is currently in service can be inspected using non-destructive testing methods, as well as newly manufactured equipment.

Highland Equipment uses a variety of NDT methods, including:

  • Dye penetrant
  • Borescoping
  • Pressure testing
  • Radiography (X-ray)
  • Ultrasonic testing (UT)

System Integration

Sanitary process systems integration is a way of streamlining and simplifying a business’s internal systems in a way that reduces operating costs and improves productivity. In sanitary process systems, integration can improve production capabilities and ensure more efficient and reliable performance. At Highland Equipment, we design, fabricate, and install sanitary stainless steel equipment tailored to the needs of diverse industries. Our service offerings include turnkey system integrations for customers throughout North America.

Reliability and productivity start with intelligent design and engineering.

Highland’s Engineering Department includes CAD Operators and design estimators who work collaboratively to develop cost-effective designs and solutions to meet specific customer requirements. You are assured that any equipment, piping or turnkey system is designed and installed according to the highest Codes and Standards. Quality codes and standards are just the beginning. We control all of our work to the highest standards.

Advantages of Working With Highland Equipment

Working with Highland Equipment ensures your components adhere to the most stringent quality standards. Our team of quality control specialists fully inspect welds and ensure piping systems adhere to CSA-B1 boiler, pressure vessel and pressure piping code, power piping code, ASME B31.3 process piping code, and more.

We offer a full range of stainless steel equipment and handle everything from design to installation to provide you with a solution tailored to your exact needs. Highland Equipment has an international presence and meets the demands of industries that include:

  • Brewing
  • Cannabis
  • Dairy
  • Food and beverage
  • Pharmaceutical
  • Personal care

Stainless Steel Equipment Solutions from Highland Equipment

Highland Equipment is your reliable source for sanitary process equipment that adheres to stringent industry standards. Whether you require equipment design and manufacturing services, installation, or ongoing servicing, we are equipped to meet your needs. Our fabrication processes adhere to Dairy 3A and ASME BPE Bioprocessing Equipment Codes and all equipment operating under pressure conditions are constructed to comply with all relevant laws and regulations. To learn more about the range of solutions we offer, contact us today or request a quote to get started on your next project.