Frequently Asked Questions

INCALCA repairs, retubes and maintains boilers, heat exchangers and industrial furnaces throughout Venezuela. With 36 years of experience, ASME "U" and "R" stamps, and operations from two locations: Los Puertos de Altagracia (Zulia) and Puerto Píritu (Anzoátegui).

INCALCA's main office is at Avenida Principal Nº 5 de Julio, Sector Curva del Pato, vía El Tablazo, Edificio INCALCA, Los Puertos de Altagracia, Municipio Miranda, Estado Zulia (postal code 4036). The eastern branch is in Puerto Píritu, Anzoátegui state. INCALCA serves clients throughout Venezuela.

INCALCA holds ASME certification under the "U" stamp (pressure vessel fabrication) and "R" stamp (repair). It works under the guidelines of ISO 9001:2015, and its welders are qualified under ASME Section IX.

INCALCA has 36 years of continuous experience since its founding in 1990, serving the oil, petrochemical, metallurgical and energy sectors of Venezuela.

Yes. INCALCA operates 24/7 during plant shutdowns and operational emergencies, with continuous shifts to meet client maintenance windows. It has executed critical repairs such as the leak correction on SuperMetanol's Boiler 720-B-6 with immediate response.

You can request a quote through the contact form at https://www.incalca.com/contacto, by emailing contacto@incalca.com or incalcaoriente@gmail.com, or by calling +58 414 6164177, +58 414 3617301 or +58 414 3617300. For an accurate quote it helps to share drawings, isometrics or technical equipment specifications.

INCALCA works with major industries in Venezuela, including Chevron, Maurel & Prom, Fertilizantes de Oriente, Metor, Super Octanos, Polar, Pepsi Co, Central Azucarero CAPCA, Polinter, Propilven, PDVSA VASSA, CloroSoda, Pralca, Sinovensa, SuperMetanol, PDVSA and companies of the Ana María Campos Petrochemical Complex and the José Antonio Anzoátegui (Jose) Petrochemical Complex, among others.

Yes. INCALCA's structure allows it to execute everything from specific maintenance tasks to large-scale multidisciplinary projects, with a permanent core that scales to more than 300 simultaneous professionals as each contract requires.

Yes. INCALCA maintains strict Ethics Policies, Anti-Corruption Standards and International Sanctions Compliance Policies. These measures allow us to meet the requirements of U.S. companies and their procurement and Know Your Customer (KYC) processes.

Retubing is the major maintenance process of extracting deteriorated tubes from a boiler or heat exchanger and replacing them with new ASTM certified tubes. It restores the mechanical integrity of the equipment, recovers thermal efficiency, and allows continued operation under ASME Code requirements. INCALCA has been retubing boilers and heat exchangers in Venezuela for 36 years.

Retubing is necessary when ultrasound inspection (UT) detects tube wall thickness below the design minimum, when repetitive tube leaks occur, when there is widespread bundle corrosion, when the boiler loses significant thermal efficiency despite cleaning, or when perforations or cracks are detected by non-destructive testing (LP, UT). It can also be scheduled preventively based on estimated material service life.

In total retubing, all tubes in the bundle are replaced regardless of their condition. This is done when most tubes are deteriorated or when the boiler has reached end of life. In partial retubing, only damaged tubes are replaced, keeping those in good condition. The decision is based on the integrity inspection: number of damaged tubes, tubesheet condition and cost-benefit analysis.

The ASME Stamp is a certification issued by the American Society of Mechanical Engineers that authorizes a company to fabricate (U Stamp) or repair (R Stamp) boilers and pressure vessels in compliance with the ASME Code. Its importance lies in guaranteeing that the equipment meets international safety standards, that welding procedures are qualified, that materials are certified, and that an independent Authorized Inspector supervises each job. INCALCA holds both U and R stamps.

A floating head heat exchanger has a bundle design where one end (the floating head) is not fixed to the shell, but can move axially to absorb differential thermal expansion between the tubes and the shell. It is used when there are large temperature differences between the fluids. The advantage is that it facilitates bundle extraction for cleaning and retubing without cutting welds.

In a fire-tube boiler, the hot combustion gases flow inside the tubes, while the water that converts to steam surrounds them on the outside. They are the most common boilers for low and medium pressure (up to 20 bar). In a water-tube boiler, water and the water-steam mixture flow inside the tubes, while the combustion gases flow on the outside. They can generate steam at much higher pressures and temperatures. Retubing is more frequent in fire-tube boilers.

INCALCA supplies and installs ASTM A-179 and SA-179 (seamless carbon steel for heat exchangers), SA-192 and SA-210 (carbon steel for medium and high pressure boilers), A-214 (electric-welded for utility services), A-312 TP 316L (stainless steel for corrosive services), and special alloys such as 90/10 Cu-Ni, Admiralty Metal and Titanium Grade 2 for seawater or highly aggressive fluid services.

INCALCA works primarily on-site at the client's plant. We have all the necessary portable equipment: hydrojet units, mechanical expansion tools (rolling motors), TIG/MIG/SMAW welding equipment, cranes up to 80 tons and scaffolding. For projects that allow it, the tube bundle can be taken to INCALCA's shop for more controlled intervention, but most retubings are performed in the field during the client's plant shutdowns.

A partial heat exchanger retubing (replacement of some tubes) can be completed in 2 to 5 days. A total retubing of a heat exchanger with 200 to 500 tubes takes 5 to 10 days of continuous operation. Large projects with more than 1,000 tubes can take 15 to 30 days. Retubing a medium-sized fire-tube boiler takes 10 to 21 days. INCALCA operates in 12 or 24-hour shifts to minimize downtime.

INCALCA has nationwide coverage. Its main office is in Los Puertos de Altagracia, Zulia State (Ana María Campos Petrochemical Complex), and its eastern branch in Puerto Píritu, Anzoátegui State (José Antonio Anzoátegui Petrochemical Complex). It has executed projects in Zulia, Anzoátegui, Carabobo, Aragua, Bolívar, Lara, Barinas and other states. Its teams can be mobilized to any state in Venezuela.

Rolling is the tube-to-tubesheet joining process that consists of radially expanding the tube end against the tubesheet hole using a rotating roller tool (rolling motor or tube expander). The expansion creates a hermetic mechanical joint that supports the equipment's design pressure. INCALCA controls the expansion depth and rolling motor torque to ensure a uniform joint without over-expansion, which would damage the tubesheet.

It includes ASME code repairs with "U" and "R" stamps, specialized TIG/MIG/SMAW welding, hydrojet cleaning up to 20,000 PSI, valve and piping maintenance, sand-blasting, industrial painting and lifting with cranes up to 80 tons.

INCALCA applies ASME Section IX for welding qualification, ASME Section VIII for pressure vessels, and performs non-destructive examination (PT, UT, RT) to certify the structural integrity of every intervention.

Yes. INCALCA offers 24/7 emergency response. One example is the critical repair of SuperMetanol's Boiler 720-B-6 in 2025, with successful leak correction and safe reintroduction to the production process.

Yes. INCALCA performs hydrostatic testing per ASME/TEMA, fully documented and certified, to validate the leak-tightness and strength of repaired vessels, boilers and heat exchangers.

Yes. INCALCA holds the ASME "R" stamp authorization for industrial boiler and pressure vessel repair. Every boiler repair includes qualified welding procedures (WPS/PQR), non-destructive examination (PT, UT, RT) and certification hydrostatic testing, with full documentation delivered to the client.

Yes. INCALCA fabricates pressure vessels under ASME Section VIII Division 1 with the "U" stamp, including design, calculation, fabrication, hydrostatic testing and full ASME documentation.

INCALCA works with certified materials such as ASTM A-516, A-106 and A-312, in addition to stainless steels and special alloys suitable for high temperature and pressure services.

Yes. INCALCA produces piping isometric drawings, calculation reports, technical specifications, welding procedures (WPS/PQR) and AS-BUILT quality dossiers for its projects.

Yes. INCALCA performs foundations for static and rotating equipment, pedestals, concrete bases, anchoring and leveling as a complement to its industrial assemblies.

The process includes tube bundle extraction with an Aquadyne hydroextractor, inspection and repair of tubesheets, installation of certified ASTM tubes (A-214, A-179, SA-179), precision mechanical expansion (rolling) and tube-to-tubesheet seal welding under ASME Section IX, followed by a hydrostatic integrity test.

INCALCA has executed projects with more than 3,000 tubes per exchanger, operating in 24-hour continuous shifts to meet the client's plant shutdown windows.

INCALCA services shell-and-tube heat exchangers, plate heat exchangers, fire-tube and water-tube boilers, superheaters, economizers and industrial process furnaces.

Yes. INCALCA offers chemical cleaning with certified inhibitors and mechanical cleaning with hydrojet up to 20,000 PSI, measuring thermal efficiency before and after service to document the recovery.

Yes. INCALCA performs repair of all types of industrial boilers: fire-tube, water-tube and recovery boilers. Work includes leak repair in tube bundles and shells, steam drum repair, replacement of broken or deteriorated tubes, burner repair and refractory rehabilitation. All work is carried out under ASME "R" stamp code with certification hydrostatic testing.

Yes. INCALCA executes comprehensive heat exchanger repair: tube-to-tubesheet leak repair (plugging or tube replacement), tubesheet repair and refacing, deteriorated baffle replacement, nozzle and flange repair, shell repair with patches or welding, partial or full retubing, and chemical cleaning to recover thermal efficiency. All interventions follow ASME and TEMA standards with NDE and hydrostatic verification.

Boiler repair time depends on the type and extent of damage. An emergency leak repair can be completed in 3 to 10 continuous days. A major rehabilitation or full retubing may take 21 to 45 days. INCALCA operates 24/7 shifts to minimize downtime during plant shutdowns.

INCALCA's hydrojet operates up to 20,000 PSI working pressure, with gauges calibrated up to 40,000 PSI and equipment from the world's leading brands: Gardner Denver and Aquadyne.

INCALCA has a fleet of 9 complete Gardner Denver and Aquadyne units, one of the most robust in the Venezuelan market for industrial cleaning services.

INCALCA's hydrojet cleans tube bundles of heat exchangers and boilers, process, steam and utility lines, storage tanks, separators, filters and prepares metal surfaces (hydroblasting) without generating dust or abrasive residue.

Yes. INCALCA works with personnel certified in high pressure operations, a pre-job risk analysis (JSA), specialized PPE for mists and chemicals, confined space protocols and compliance with OSHA and local regulations.

INCALCA supplies tubing in ASTM A-214, A-179, SA-179 (carbon steel), A-312 and A-269 (stainless steel) and special alloys such as Titanium, Admiralty and 90/10 Cu-Ni, all with quality certificates (MTR) and full traceability.

Yes. INCALCA manages imports and customs procedures, with a global supplier network and quality inspection at origin or at receiving for every material acquired.

INCALCA supplies tubesheets (A-516 Gr 70, A-283 Gr C), baffles, industrial valves (Masoneilan, Fisher, Biffi, Rotork), industrial instrumentation, Plastron and Castable refractories and welding consumables for high temperature service.

Yes. INCALCA guarantees 100% traceability through MTR certificates, technical data sheets and complete documentation for every material delivered on site.