Largest Expansion Joint Ever Shipped by Air Requires Boeing 747

In August 1989, Petronor, the state-owned oil company of Spain, purchased a very large tied universal expansion joint for installation during a February 1990 shutdown. Because of the severe FCC service conditions existing at the refinery, the expansion joint hardware was massive - resulting in a total shipping weight of 55,000 pounds.

The shipping date was impacted by design modifications and approvals, but the installation date for the expansion joint remained February 1990. Airfreight became the only way to transport the expansion joint to Spain in the time required to meet the planned shutdown schedule.

The final assembly was shipped by Lufthansa. The specially configured Boeing 747 Model 200F which took the shipment was capable of a 225,000 pound capacity. Even though the weight was not a problem, the size of the expansion joint offered a special challenge. At 7’6"” high by 9’16"” wide by 37' long, the assembly was one of the largest single shipments (combined weight and size) ever loaded through the nose of the air freighter.

According to Senior Flexonics Pathway’s Metal Expansion Joint Product Manager, “We had our doubts about whether or not this could actually be done. However, close coordination of the manufacturing schedule and the air freight departure schedule resulted in the expansion joint arriving at the refinery in Bilbao Spain on the committed date.