Compressor Casing Crack and Leak Repair

The challenge

A compressor casing cracked and began weeping along a split line. A crack in a casting tends to run further under load and vibration, and the weep means the casing is no longer holding contents the way it should. The usual fix is to weld the crack or replace the casing, but welding a thin or aged casting risks driving the crack deeper or distorting the housing, and a new casing carries a long lead time. The owner needed the crack stopped and the section made sound without putting heat into the casting.

The Belzona approach

Work starts by finding where the crack runs and stop-drilling the ends so it cannot keep traveling. The active weep is sealed, the cracked area is prepared back to clean metal, and the section is rebuilt cold with Belzona 1000 Series composites. The whole repair is cold-applied, so the casting never sees the heat that welding would put into it. The surface comes back to profile across the split line and over the bolt faces so the casing seals and carries load again, then cures and is inspected before the unit goes back together.

1. Assess and mapThe crack is traced along the split line to find its ends, and the casting condition is confirmed before anything is touched.
2. Stop-drill and sealThe crack ends are stop-drilled so it cannot run further and the active weep is sealed so the area can be prepared.
3. Surface preparationThe cracked section is cleaned and profiled back to sound metal so the composite bonds to the casting.
4. Rebuild the section coldBelzona 1000 Series composites rebuild the cracked section, worked cold so the casting takes no welding heat.
5. Reform and return to serviceThe surface is brought back to profile across the split line, cured and inspected, and the casing goes back for reassembly.