Compressed air is one of the most common shop tools, yet one of the most dangerous. Improper use can maim, blind, or even kill. Always wear eye protection and use face shields when working with air tools.
Danger Point – Accidental Hose Breach
If a compressed air hose is breached, the escaping pressure snaps the hose like a whip, attacking both personnel and equipment. The released air may contain scale from the fixed lines, or stir up loose material which can be driven into the eye like shrapnel. Protect the hose from cuts and blow-outs by protecting it from sharp and burred objects. Make sure there is plenty of slack at the connector — stress at the connector can weaken the hose and cause a blowout. Protect the hose from foot and vehicle traffic. Prevent kinks by coiling the hose when not in use and never hang it over a nail or hook. Use a broad support, preferably a curved surface.
Danger Point – Connectors
A hose is breached each time you disengage the connector. Proper procedure is to bleed out the pressure before disengaging a hose. Shop air outlets should not be “live” but should include a valve before the connector, and a bleed valve between that valve and the connector. If a bleed valve is not available, release hose pressure through an air ratchet or similar tool. Check to see that connectors are fastened securely. As an added safeguard, attach a positive locking device such as a safety clip or retainer at the source and at the attachment. This is especially important when using vibrating attachments such as chisels on a chipping hammer.
Danger Point – Blow Gun Nozzle
The blow gun attachment is a particularly dangerous tool. The air stream can blow an eye from its socket, and/or rupture an eardrum. Air driven beneath the skin can cause internal hemmorage and intense pain. Air that enters a body opening can burst internal organs and cause slow, agonizing death. Air used to clean surfaces can drive particles into the eye. Never use compressed air to clean off your clothes. Keep air pressure below 30 psi when cleaning surfaces or deep holes. Wear cup-type goggles and set up shields to protect passers-by, and others in the area. Never use air to remove dust – it just ends up in your lungs.
Danger Point – Unsafe Hoses
All hoses eventually wear out. Your hose may be ready to fail if you discover:
* cover blisters or lumps.
* cuts or gouges in the hose cover that expose the reinforcement.
* leaks at the coupling ends or anywhere along the length of the hose.
* flattened or kinked areas which have damaged the hose.
* a reduction in flow indicating that the tube is swelling.
When any of these conditions occur, it is good safety sense to immediately remove the hose from service. Once removed, the hose can be carefully inspected and replaced if necessary.
Ask your own safety question by contacting Mr Turbine.
Zero Lost-Time Injuries over the past 3 Years
/in Safety Tips /by kristin.nappiIn July we surpassed 3 years without a lost-time injury. During that time we have logged over 1.85 million hours worked. That is an amazing accomplishment by our project teams, who work in unfamiliar locations as they travel from job to job. The attention to detail and focus on safety must be at the forefront each and every day in order to avoid accidents. Keeping our teams safe has been our priority, and it shows with this accomplishment. Great job to each and every person working in the field – you make this happen!
7EA Combustion Inspections
/in Events /by kristin.nappiWe recently completed back-to-back Combustion Inspections on two Frame 7EA Combustion Turbines for a major U.S. Utility. The crew finished the project with zero safety incidents, no quality issues, on-budget, and ahead of schedule. The customer was extremely satisfied with the results. Great job by the team that was on-site, and everyone who contributed to the project. Nice work everybody!
Summer Projects are Heating Up!
/in Turbine Tips /by kristin.nappiWe’ve been going strong all summer! Hard to believe August is almost here. We’ve had our crews at 32 different customer sites across the U.S. so far this summer… and counting. Typically summertime brings a slow down for maintenance as turbines and generators across the country are in full operation for peak run season. But we’ve had a solid summer, and we’re gearing up for a busy fall outage season. If there are any turbine maintenance inspection or repair projects you’re considering for this fall please give us a call – we’re ready and willing to help however we can!
Compressed Air Danger Points
/in Safety Tips /by psgwebDanger Point – Accidental Hose Breach
If a compressed air hose is breached, the escaping pressure snaps the hose like a whip, attacking both personnel and equipment. The released air may contain scale from the fixed lines, or stir up loose material which can be driven into the eye like shrapnel. Protect the hose from cuts and blow-outs by protecting it from sharp and burred objects. Make sure there is plenty of slack at the connector — stress at the connector can weaken the hose and cause a blowout. Protect the hose from foot and vehicle traffic. Prevent kinks by coiling the hose when not in use and never hang it over a nail or hook. Use a broad support, preferably a curved surface.
Danger Point – Connectors
A hose is breached each time you disengage the connector. Proper procedure is to bleed out the pressure before disengaging a hose. Shop air outlets should not be “live” but should include a valve before the connector, and a bleed valve between that valve and the connector. If a bleed valve is not available, release hose pressure through an air ratchet or similar tool. Check to see that connectors are fastened securely. As an added safeguard, attach a positive locking device such as a safety clip or retainer at the source and at the attachment. This is especially important when using vibrating attachments such as chisels on a chipping hammer.
Danger Point – Blow Gun Nozzle
The blow gun attachment is a particularly dangerous tool. The air stream can blow an eye from its socket, and/or rupture an eardrum. Air driven beneath the skin can cause internal hemmorage and intense pain. Air that enters a body opening can burst internal organs and cause slow, agonizing death. Air used to clean surfaces can drive particles into the eye. Never use compressed air to clean off your clothes. Keep air pressure below 30 psi when cleaning surfaces or deep holes. Wear cup-type goggles and set up shields to protect passers-by, and others in the area. Never use air to remove dust – it just ends up in your lungs.
Danger Point – Unsafe Hoses
All hoses eventually wear out. Your hose may be ready to fail if you discover:
When any of these conditions occur, it is good safety sense to immediately remove the hose from service. Once removed, the hose can be carefully inspected and replaced if necessary.
Ask your own safety question by contacting Mr Turbine.
Paper & Pulp Industry Turbine Experts
/in Steam Turbine Tips, Turbine Tips /by kristin.nappiLooking for a Paper & Pulp Industry Turbine Specialist?
We have 34 years of experience inspecting and repairing turbines for the Paper & Pulp Industry
We are excited to have our recent digital advertisement in the July edition of the TAPPI (Technical Association of the Paper & Pulp Industry) newsletter! If you visit the link below you can view our advertisement and the newsletter in its entirety:
https://multibriefs.com/briefs/tappi/TAPPI070820.php
Customer Satisfaction Survey Result
/in Events /by kristin.nappiReceiving excellent feedback after a completed project is what makes all the effort worthwhile. We work hard and continually interact with new and previous customers at facilities around the globe. The personal aspect of our business is what gives us that determination to make each project a complete success. There’s nothing better than receiving an excellent customer satisfaction survey at the end of a project. Here are the results of a survey we received this month, and it really puts into perspective why we strive to be great. Another excellent job by our project teams!
Quote Responsiveness: Exceeded Expectations
“Responded with pricing and a very qualified crew on short notice”
Job Execution – Safety: Exceeded Expectations
“Crew maintained a safety first culture from start to finish”
Job Execution – Communication: Exceeded Expectations
“Project Lead maintained open and frequent communication throughout”
Job Execution – Schedule: Exceeded Expectations
“Crew finished ahead of schedule while maintaining safe work practices”
Job Execution – Quality: Exceeded Expectations
“Machine came up without issue and has been running perfectly since”
Job Execution – Documentation: Exceeded Expectations
“Reports are always thorough and extensive. More is better in my eyes”
Sales Support: Exceeded Expectations
“Very responsive on short notice. Much appreciated on our end.”
Accounting Support: Exceeded Expectations
Overall Satisfaction: Great – Definitely will consider you for future work
“You have been a top performer for us many times.”
Outage Planning Services
/in Combustion Turbine Tips, Steam Turbine Tips, Turbine Tips /by kristin.nappiPre-Outage Planning
A Customized Plan
Most power producers are short-staffed and do not have the time and sometimes the expertise to prepare a comprehensive outage plan and workscope. That’s why we offers the option of providing our comprehensive Pre-Outage Planning Service independent of the award of the contract for inspection and repairs.
Our field project teams have the breadth of knowledge and experience to produce the highest quality planning product, with a workscope customized to your unit and its specific signature.
One of our qualified Technical Directors will visit your plant and prepare a customized report for your specific unit. The report will contain everything needed to plan your internal preparations for the outage and to prepare a comprehensive Request for Quote for the inspections and repairs.
A Basis For Your RFQ’s
Your customized Pre-Outage Plan will include everything you need to prepare a comprehensive Request for Quote for the necessary inspections and repairs. We will compile a summary of the findings from past inspections and develop a list of recommendations for potential repair work. We will prepare a comprehensive and detailed suggested Statement of Work for the outage, based on these findings and observations from a unit walk-down. Incorporating this information into your Request for Quote packages will yield “apples to apples” cost comparisons and few if any surprises on implementation.
A Task List For Your Facility
We will review your spare parts inventory and compile a list of recommended parts to have on hand prior to the outage. We will recommend disposal of any expired or unusable spare parts.
We will also prepare a Critical Path Method schedule based on the defined workscope. You can use this schedule to plan your expected outage duration and coordinate with any other activities to be conducted during this downtime.
What We Provide
The Pre-Outage Planning Package includes:
In summary, our Pre-Outage Planning deliverables to you will be:
Please CONTACT US today to learn more about how we can help you plan your next turbine outage.
Stud Hole Repair/Restoration
/in News /by kristin.nappiWe were recently contracted by an industrial customer in the Midwest to repair stud holes on a piece of equipment at their facility. This is a common repair we perform, and is executed utilizing our specialty equipment and skilled technicians. The photos below will show the mill that is mounted to the face of the surface that will have the stud hole repaired. The hole is bored and tapped, and a threaded insert is installed. Great work by our team!
Happy Independence Day!
/in Events /by kristin.nappiAllis-Chalmers Industrial Steam Turbine Major Inspection
/in News, Steam Turbine Tips /by kristin.nappiPower Services Group (PSG) was contracted by an industrial customer in the Midwest U.S. to perform a major inspection of their Allis-Chalmers steam turbine generator.
This unit is a non-condensing steam turbine that is directly coupled to an Allis-Chalmers air cooled generator. The turbine and generator set are of a three-bearing
design.
During the project, a Safety Meeting was held prior to the start of any work. The Safety Meeting topics were based on work activities to be performed during the shift. In addition, hazardous observations which could impact the safety of the team were discussed and resolved. Prior to performing work, a Job Safety Analysis (JSA) form was completed by the work team. This project had no accidents and no first aid incidents.
The steam path components, once removed, were dust blasted and received nondestructive examination (NDE). The NDE revealed minor indications on the stationary blading, and no repairs were deemed necessary at this time. The turbine rotor and stationary stage 6 were shipped to our steam path component inspection and repair facility in Pevely, Missouri for replacement of the 7, 8, 9 and 10 rotating blades, and repairs to the #6 stationary stage.
The generator field was removed from the stator and both the generator field and generator stator, received visual inspections and electrical testing. The generator field was shipped out to receive a retaining rings-off inspection. The stator was ice blast cleaned, received a re-wedge of the stator core windings, and final coated with an insulating epoxy. The journal bearings were removed and visually and dimensionally inspected and received dye-penetrant and ultrasonic testing. Inspections revealed that all of the bearings, new and in service, were in excellent condition. The pedestal oil deflectors were removed and visually and dimensionally inspected. All were found to be beyond industry standard clearance tolerances and were replaced.
The inlet control and extraction control valve racks were removed, cleaned and visually and dimensionally inspected. The valve poppets and seats were NDE inspected and found to be in very good condition and were returned to service. Some of the valve linkage bushings and pins were found to be worn and were replaced. The trip throttle valve (TTV) and operator were removed, disassembled, cleaned, and inspected. All inspections were approved and the components were returned to service. The lube oil cooler was removed and replaced by plant personnel. The lube oil system shaft driven main and steam driven auxiliary oil pumps were removed and received inspections. The main oil pump (MOP) and the steam driven auxiliary oil pump, (AOP) were found to be in good condition and were reassembled and returned to service. The lube oil reservoir was opened by PSG and initially cleaned by plant personnel. Some sediment and sludge were found during the initial cleaning of the lube oil main reservoir. PSG performed a final vacuum and hand cleaning of the interior of the reservoir prior to the lube oil system high velocity oil flush (HVOF). A lube oil system HVOF was performed utilizing an external pump and heating/filtering skid. The flush was ran for approximately 72 hours and was completed once system cleanliness was acceptable.
The system trip devices were inspected, cleaned and flushed; all linkages were checked for wear and proper freedom of movement. The mechanical over speed trip test was completed after initial startup and the unit was later tied on-line. PSG personnel demobilized the job site and were released to travel after another successful project startup.
Zero safety incidents, quality work, Nice job team!