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News Release from: Rockwell Automation Entek
Edited by the Manufacturingtalk Editorial
Team on 18 January 2002
Turbine balancing machine is
transportable
Rockwell Automation has supplied a $500,000 IRD Model B140 Transportable Balancing Machine System with Light Machining Attachmen, to the Israel Electric Corporation.
Rockwell Automation has supplied a $500,000 (GBP 360,000) IRD Model B140 Transportable Balancing Machine System with Light Machining Attachment (LMA), to the Israel Electric Corporation (IEC), for balancing and machining critical, power generation turbines on site This is the first machine system of its type in the Middle East
This article was originally published on Manufacturingtalk on 10 May 2001 at 8.00am (UK)
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In recent years, the IEC has hired an IRD transportable balancing machine, when available, flying it from the UK to Israel.
With the cost of each hiring being more than half the purchase price of the new machine, this acquisition will have a payback period of less than two years.
The primary benefit of this new facility is that all service and repairs to critical power generation turbines can now be completed on site, under the direct control of IEC engineers, and at a time that best suits them.
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The work can also be completed in a fraction of the time it would take if turbine rotors had to be transported across Israel and overseas for machining and balancing, significantly cutting costs by reducing power generator downtime.
The high costs, logistics problems and risks involved with having to transport large, high value turbine rotors are also eliminated.
The recent commissioning of the new IRD Model B140 at the Rutenberg Power Station in Israel, near the town of Ashkelon, was the culmination of a four-year association between the Turbine Maintenance Division of the IEC, and IRD balancing experts at Rockwell Automation in Chester.
"This association identified an urgent need for a fully transportable maintenance facility to provide IEC with the means to service and overhaul turbine machinery on site, without the need to ship large rotors across Israel or overseas for balancing and machining," says Rockwell Automation Global Balancing Product Specialist, Vic Ryan.
"This led to an IRD Model B140 being hired three times, with successful results, and eventually to the IEC purchasing its own machine." The IEC's Model B140 system is designed to handle all types of rotors weighing up to 100 tonnes.
No special foundations are required, and precise balance tolerances can be achieved, even at speeds as low as 150 rpm.
The machine can be set up very quickly on site, by bolting it to any standard workshop floor, or to the standard rail tracks available in most power stations.
It can be readily transported by truck to all IEC's power stations, or in a container to any other location worldwide.
Since commissioning, the IEC engineer in charge has written a letter of commendation to IRD, saying: "As anticipated, the machine has shown excellent performance during its operation." This machine system is one of approximately 35 IRD high capacity, transportable balancing machines that Rockwell Automation has supplied to utilities, turbine manufacturers and specialist balancing contractors and service companies around the world.
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