Lawrence,
How do you like the performance of propylene vs. acetylene for cutting, scarfing and preheating? When you changed over, did you keep any acetylene rigs? I know we need new tips, hoses and regulators. Did you have any issues keeping the propylene equipment from getting intermingled with acetylene equipment? Any issues retraining folks on how to set the flame?
To change our entire fleet of plants over to propylene would be a major undertaking, "if" we decided to go that route. We weathered the last acetylene "shortage" when Katrina hit the Gulf coast fairly well. Any info you could provide on making the transition smooth would be helpful. I'm not convinced the "shortage" is of the magnitude being conveyed by the sales people. I'm thinking there are a number of gas suppliers out there that purchased calcium carbide from the KY plant to make their own using acetylene generators, and those are the ones most affected. There are others that obtain acetylene as a by-product of oil and natural gas refining that will not have their supply affected, but their demand will rise due to the calcium carbide shortage for their competitors that use acetylene generators. Air-plasma is looking better every day.