Arrival
A governor sent by one of our customers is delivered by a courier, booked in by the Stores Department who forwards all details to the Administration Department. A Sales Order Number and Job Reference Number are issued and tied to the governor for identification during its entire time at our works in addition to a document detailing all the information necessary for completion of the job.
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EGS have completed a number of large retrofit projects for customers enabling them to make the most of their governing equipment and maximising profitability. This is how we go about the process:
Site survey and customer meeting
Firstly one of our Retrofit Engineers will attend the customer site in order to list the equipment and discuss how it works in detail. We will then collect as much information as possible on the customer’s current issues with existing equipment, the intended future lifetime use in addition to potential future gain.
This stage also consists of a discussion with the customer to determine what they want to gain from the retrofit in terms of added reliability, efficiency and functionality.
Why might a retrofit be advisable?
• To improve efficiency of processes and equipment thereby maximising profitability and getting the most of the technology in place
• Obsolete equipment – whilst we will try our hardest to repair this for you, in the event that this is no longer cost effective, we can quote for modern replacement
• Change of requirements for equipment function
• Synchronisation – with modern synchronising equipment this can be automatic with voltage and frequency matching
• Power management – generator protection including reverse power, overload, overcurrent – voltage, undercurrent-voltage, over-under frequency etc
• System monitoring – HMI displays DCS interfacing
• Healthy and safety – to implement new regulations
Proposal
Having compiled all the necessary information, we will present the customer with a proposal entailing all equipment that we recommend in line with their expectations for the retrofit. Depending on the application, we will include a separate section within the proposal listing the optional equipment that will significantly improve the desired outcome. Costing will also be advised, along with anticipated time frame which can be coordinated with forecasted shut down periods of the customer equipment.
Acceptance
Providing the customer approves the proposal, an order will be made following which we will order in all the necessary equipment and materials to complete the job.
In-house preparation
Our retrofitting department will then carry out all the necessary preparation including building the panels. Throughout this stage the customer is most welcome to witness what we do. Upon completion of the panel, all equipment will be wired and prepared for testing.
FAT testing
The customer is invited to attend our works to witness the testing of equipment. This is an essential stage of the process and is an opportunity for the customer to ensure the equipment fulfils all of their expectations as laid out in the proposal. Any necessary changes can be made until the customer is fully satisfied. The design will be signed-off by the customer.
Site installation and commission
The equipment will be delivered to the customer’s site along with written method statements and a risk assessment for the installation, submitted to the customer for approval. The equipment can be stored by the customer until a period in which it is convenient to have it installed and commissioned, in line with shutdown periods. The old equipment is disconnected, removed and can be recycled in a number of ways.
Final completion
Upon commission, the turbine or prime mover is handed back to the customer for their acceptance. The equipment will be warranted for 12 months.
After the equipment has been received and booked in, a job process document is produced containing all the relevant information, including specific customer instructions that our engineers need to complete their work. For overhauls the unit will be stripped, cleaned and assessed for repair. Once the customer has approved costings and confirmed the order, the unit will be re-assembled using new parts where necessary, inspected and tested to manufacturer or bespoke customer specifications. For more information on our Mechanical Overhaul Department, please see our overhaul page.
Electronic controls are pre-tested and their original settings and any faults documented. A physical inspection of circuit boards and components is made looking for localised heat or other damage and soldered track and conformal coating condition is checked. Once the customer has approved costings and confirmed the order, any necessary repairs are carried out followed by final performance testing where dynamic settings are adjusted to manufacturer’s default settings, and speed settings are set to the pre-test figures. Tested units are then packed in antistatic bags where required prior to the normal packaging and dispatch requirements.
Dismantling
The governor and all sub-assemblies are then carefully dismantled into individual parts. We use our BIN system to separate the main castings from components with fine tolerance levels to avoid damage during the storage process.
We have a workshop based facility to overhaul steam valves. We have developed this part of the business due to the requirement of more modern controls, requiring more precise control from the steam throttle valves.
We have recently carried out a major repair to a 10 inch trip and test valve on a critical set in a UK refinery.
Our machine shop can re-manufacture obsolete parts, reface surfaces and seats and repair steam cuts. A final pressure test for customer acceptance can also be carried out.
Please refer to one of our case studies for information.
Cleaning
The main castings are cleaned via a number of chemical processes to remove all oil, paint, rust, and residue. The internal components are hand cleaned in a separate process with separate chemicals to avoid contamination.
All chemicals are water-based in line with our commitment to health and safety and minimising harmful impact to the environment; they are also filtered to ensure any contaminants are removed. The components are then repositioned within the BIN system and transported to a clean environment.
Whether it’s fitting and commissioning equipment or simple fault-finding and repair, assisting customers on-site is one of the services we have offered since day one of the business. We are readily available to support you in whatever way we can, whenever you require and wherever you are. These visits can be booked in advance to avoid disturbance to your operations, or for emergencies we will make every effort to get an engineer to you as soon as possible.
Our engineers have a wealth of experience servicing equipment large or small; from small diesel engines found as a standby set outside a supermarket, to a critical steam turbines in a petrochemical refinery.
For marine based sets, basin and sea trials can be attended to ensure all functions and settings are to the customer’s requirement.
The process
Following the evaluation of symptoms from information provided, an engineer will select all the spares that will be needed from our stores including measuring and testing equipment to check for any faulty items.
We will provide a full report on the condition of the equipment, any problems that occurred, and any replacements that were made. We can also advise you of future actions which may be necessary.
If the problem is only minor, we are happy to provide technical support by phone to guide you through any necessary action to overcome the problem.