Rotor Shaft Manufacturing

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We recently completed a Major Inspection on an industrial steam turbine which required a de-stack of the rotor, the manufacture of a new rotor shaft, and re-stacking of components.  We also changed multiple rows of blades, and balanced the rotor upon completion.  One plant employee commented: “I have been here for 20 years and 3 complete overhauls of this unit.  This was by far the best from a standpoint of quality and workmanship”.  This project was a great team effort from start to finish that resulted in another very satisfied customer.

Kelly Harris – Recognition for Excellence in Machine Design

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Kelly Harris has been awarded a custom trophy for excellence in machine design.

In 1976 Kelly enlisted in the Navy where he would start his machining career. In 1975, 4 days after high school, he began 4 years of service. Since then, Kelly has worked in many areas of machining and has learned many lessons that he now teaches all of us here at OES. During his time here with OES he has led designing and innovation on several machines and applications. To mention one example… we had a customer that had a very difficult and precise valve lapping job. Kelly built a tool that traces the valve seat and it proved to shorten the job duration significantly.

Kelly has designed many other pieces of equipment over the years to assist customers in completing custom repairs on their turbine components.

We at OES wish to recognize him for his efforts and innovation. He has been an excellent resource of knowledge that can only be replaced with personal experience and time. Though the trophy is unique in appearance, it is certainly earnest and sincere from all of us who have worked with Kelly over the years.

NAES Plant Managers Conference

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Power Services Group will be exhibiting at the NAES Operations & Maintenance Conference in Charlotte, North Carolina the week of September 18th, 2023.  We perform steam and gas turbine inspection and repairs for various NAES facilities, and are looking forward to sharing our experiences with the conference attendees.  We will be in the exhibit hall the evening of September 19th  If you’re in attendance please stop by booth 35 and talk to our VP of Sales and Marketing Mike Lake and our Regional Account Manager Gary Beck..  Travel safe everybody!

 

Charlotte North Carolina NC Drone Skyline Aerial Charlotte North Carolina NC Drone Skyline Aerial. charlotte nc stock pictures, royalty-free photos & images

 

Heavy Lifting

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PSG’s turbine services personnel perform various types of work on steam and gas turbines all over the World.  In the photo below our personnel are coordinating the lift of a 100+ Ton HP Turbine Shell.  There are a lot of small details that go into successfully accomplishing such a lift, and the attention to detail and safety must be paramount when lifting any piece of equipment.  Nice work team!

Spring Outage Season is here!

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It’s mid-February and our Steam Path Repair facility is filling up.  It’s great to see so much work going on this spring, looks like it will be a very busy outage season.  Please contact us today if you have any projects coming up that we can help with.  Below is a photo of diaphragms that just arrived – looking forward to making the necessary repairs and getting them back to the customer on budget and on schedule!

Safety Bulletin – Chainfalls and Come-Alongs

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by Shannon Scruggs, PSG Safety Director

The chainfall and come-along are two very common manual mechanical lifting devices. Both are designed to provide safety to those using them. But they must be used properly if they are to function safely. Remember the following precautions:

1.   Always use the proper capacity hoist for the job you are about to do, remembering that two people pulling on the hand chain will increase the amount you can physically lift but will not increase the capacity of the hoist you are using.

2.   Inspect the hoist before you begin to lift any load. Check the upper and lower hooks to see that they swivel properly and are in good shape. Check the inspection date on the hoist housing to ensure it has been inspected within the last 12 months.

3.   Inspect the full length of chain as much as possible, look for badly gouged, worn or defective links. Make a load test by lifting and lowering a load slightly. This will tell the operator if the unit is functioning properly.

4.   Stand completely clear of the load at all times. Allow no portion of your body or a fellow worker’s body under the load.

5.   Center the load under the hoist.

6.   Always properly seat the load in the hook.

7.   Proper care and handling make a safe hoist. Remember the hoist was designed to ease our burden, and carelessness not only endangers the operator, but in many cases, a valuable load. Keep the chain hoists free of dirt and foreign material. Store all hand chain hoists in a hanging position in a clean area.

8.   Do not attempt to “fix” a defective chainfall or come-along. Tag it as “defective” and have it returned to the toolroom for repair or disposal.

Treat the hoist properly, respect its limitations and it will work safely for a long time to come.

Remember: Hazard Awareness + Hazard Mitigation + Focus = Zero Injuries

Steam Turbine Low-Speed Balance

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Our Steam Path Repair facility in Pevely, Missouri has many steam turbine rotors that come through each and every year.  One of the services we offer to our customers after repairs have been performed is a low speed balance.  You can see the process in action here on a 3-bearing steam turbine rotor for a turbine that is rated at approximately 80MWs.

D-11 Turbine Inspections

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We are seeing many inspections scheduled on the D-11 fleet of steam turbines all across the United States.  This fleet has very specific needs when it comes to maintaining and repairing them, and we have solutions for many of the common repairs needed.  From the diaphragms to the packing boxes, and every other component on this machine, we offer repair solutions that will provide you with an efficient and reliable turbine for the foreseeable future.  We will execute a turnkey field service inspection at your site with our qualified Technical Field Advisors and turbine execution teams, perform any of the steam path repairs (rotor, diaphragms, etc.) at our Midwest Steam Path Repair Facility, as well as inspect, repair, and manufacture new components for the associated steam valves at our Southeast Valve Repair Facility.  If you have any inspections scheduled on your D-11 steam turbines please contact us today to learn more about what we can offer.

Emergency Stop Valve Inspection

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We recently received a call from a paper & pulp producer in the Southern U.S. to assist them with an emergency stop valve they were having issues with.  Obviously an important safety component to any turbine, we immediately mobilized a Technical Field Advisor to assist in identifying the root cause and developing a path forward.  The inspection revealed a broken retaining ring inside the stop valve.  We had a new retaining ring manufactured, stop valve re-assembled, and assisted with unit start-up all in just over 24 hours, allowing the plant to get back online as soon as possible.  This was another example of our quick emergency response times when there is a customer in need.