Mass Technology Corp. (MTC) has been in business since 1994, providing patented precision storage tank leak-detection services.

The company’s quantitative leak detection method will not miss a leak within its threshold of detection and has been proven to be the safest, most economical and precise method of tank testing in the world.

After 13 years of tremendous success testing tanks for the U.S. Department of Defense, refineries and liquid storage terminals, MTC recognized the need for a safer and more cost-effective method for cutting tank bottoms and tank roofs that have leaked hydrocarbons or other explosive liquids, and have saturated the soil beneath the tank floor. In 2007, MTC obtained the U.S. patent for the “Ragworm” water-cutting technology from the Netherlands, naming the service “Safe-Cut.”

Safe-Cut is a unique, patented, ultra-high-pressure, on-site water-cutting service for safely cutting steel, concrete, fiberglass, asphalt and almost any other material. MTC has successfully completed over 1,600 cutting jobs at 83 refineries, 37 liquid storage facilities, 28 chemical plants and for 22 other types of industries in 33 states across the U.S. The company has accomplished this while achieving and maintaining an excellent safety record.

BIC Magazine recently spoke with Carl Bracken, vice president of business development for MTC (Safe-Cut), about the benefits of utilizing its unique service for cutting aboveground tanks, as well as the advantage of using the dual cutter-head attachment and minimizing LELs when Corp. cutting tanks that have leaked and have a “hot bottom.”

BIC: Why do companies need Safe-Cut?

BRACKEN: Safe-Cut provides a safe, flame-free water-cutting method used in paper mills, printing operations, refineries, chemical plants and liquid storage terminals. It is safe, fast and can be used to perform difficult cutting applications. Other “so called” water-cutters are hydro-blasters designed for water blasting, not cutting. Hydro-blasters can water-cut, but they use more than 10 times the water — 10-50 gallons per minute (gpm), depending on the cutting nozzle — and cut at a much lower pressure. Safe-Cut uses less than 1 gpm of water and 20-25 percent more cutting pressure, resulting in much faster cutting speeds.

BIC: How does Safe-Cut lower LELs in leaking tanks?

BRACKEN: The unique Safe-Cut system has the ability to inject a 3-5-percent solution of a hydrocarbon mitigation agent in the holding tank that allows us to reduce LELs by as much as 50 percent during the cutting operation. On many occasions, Safe-Cut has donned the proper PPE and performed bottom-cutting in tanks with over 25-percent LELs.

BIC: How has Safe-Cut helped MTC?

BRACKEN: Obtaining the Safe-Cut pat- ent and having very knowledgeable and experienced management in place as well as highly trained field personnel has made Safe-Cut the “go-to” company for mobile, ultra-high-pressure water-cutting. Our client retention rate is over 90 percent, and most of our established clients don’t even look elsewhere. Through years of experience, they just know to go with us and if we win the project, we win it together as a team.

BIC: What is the dual cutter-head attachment?

BRACKEN: The Safe-Cut dual cutter-head is an attachment designed and built by Safe-Cut to enable cutting the shell of an aboveground tank at the corner weld or providing a slot to enhance plate installation during a bottom replacement.

With this special dual cutter-head, we can safely cut a slot at a specified width in one pass around the circumference of the tank in a very time-efficient manner. This makes Safe-Cut faster, safer and provides a precision cut.

BIC: How successful has MTC been?

BRACKEN: MTC is simply the safest and most cost-effective industrial service company, utilizing two patented services for tank testing and water-cutting. Since developing and implementing a strategic sales and marketing plan in 2013, our Safe-Cut service has experienced a growth of over 340 percent.

For more information, contact Carl Bracken cbracken@safe-cut.com or call (713) 725-6939.

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