Thermal Pipe Shields, Inc. believes in the Russian maxim quoted by President Ronald Reagan. “Trust, but verify.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=As6y5eI01XE

We have 12 years of experience using BEC factory produced calsil insulation for our insulated pipe supports and always felt it was the best type I calsil we have ever found. When BEC approached us in late 2017 with an offer to become the exclusive import broker for their high quality calsil pipe and block insulation, we were very excited to bring real competition to the industrial insulation market. BEC provided several third party test reports from China and Italy to prove their product meets the specs, but we, like many others in North America, were skeptical of the validity of foreign lab reports in providing reliable information.

As the exclusive import broker for TPSX-12 water resistant calsil insulation, we feel a great responsibility to ensure that we act as the bridge between the manufacturer and our North American customers. Soon after we launched TPSX-12, we made a significant independent investment ($15k) to test ALL of the physical properties of the product with a well respected and independent third party laboratory called Tutco Scientific located in Fruita, Colorado. Tutco was the principal firm for the testing battery, and they sub-contracted some of the testing through two other independent labs well known for their particular test methods. In addition, TPS paid to test the North American wet molded product in order to directly compare the physical properties of each material. We chose not to pay for full thermal testing of the incumbent because the performance of that product is well established in the market. We chose to invest that money in testing TPSX-12 per the ASTM C518 test method at higher mean temperatures above 700F which was not heretofore available in the market. These additional data points will be valuable to engineers when calculating the insulation thickness requirements per the API 521 report.

Please click on this link to view and download a summation of the third party data:

TPS Technical Bulletin-100

Bottom line: If the project specifications call for calcium silicate insulation per ASTM C533 type I, one can absolutely submit TPSX-12 with fully supported U.S. third party data demonstrating compliance with the material standard specification. In addition, filter pressed TPSX-12 is the strongest 3′ long, water resistant type I calsil insulation available in the market.

We encourage engineers to utilize generic ASTM material standards because they are the best way to ensure REAL COMPETITION for any product and compliance can be independently verified. ASTM material standards are PERFORMANCE based, not ORIGIN based specifications. Any country specific language in engineering specifications should be removed because they will limit competition and deprive the owner of the benefits thereof.

Many people are unaware the historical sole source monopoly calsil supplier in the United States made a formal joint venture (JV) with a Shanghai calsil factory. The name of the Chinese factory at the time of the JV was SEPMW (Shanghai Electric Power Machine Works). This factory produced 3′ long filter pressed calcium silicate insulation and shipped it in cartons with the U.S. brand name artwork to the United States with a “Made in China” label on the bottom edge of the carton (see red circled photo). The JV started in 2004 http://www.bec-industrial.com/history.html and ended at a later unspecified time.

http://www.scoar.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/IIG-Company-Showcase.pdf

In 2014, this same factory (pictured in slide and TPS Crew Photo) was purchased by Zhong Yongbao and renamed BEC Industrial (Shanghai) Co., Ltd. Unlike the previous factory owners, BEC Industrial never entered into a JV with the U.S. monopoly supplier. BEC tried unsuccessfully for several years to gain entry of their filter pressed calsil back into the large North American market. In 2018, BEC formed an exclusive import brokering agreement with Thermal Pipe Shields, Inc. Through the many benefits of competition, BEC calsil is now available for sale under the trade marked brand name TPSX-12. If the calsil from this Chinese factory was good enough for the North American market back then, it is still good enough! Same factory and same high quality product, but the differences now are the BEC product ships in a TPS logo box and TPSX-12 is the only durably water resistant 3′ long Chinese calsil insulation that meets and exceeds all the physical property requirements in accordance with ASTM C533 type I.