Page 5 - Industrial Technology EXTRA 19th July 2021

Pharic Smith, Head of Engineering,
Parts Retrofit at Sulzer explains how
many areas of a modern chemical
manufacturing plant can benefit from
retrofit projects.

Optimizing uptime
The chemical manufacturing sector
offers many challenges, not least the
operational environment, working with
corrosive materials as well as steam
can increase the pressure on the
maintenance team. Working with equipment that For example, nitric acid, which is an essential
has been in service for many years, especially when raw material for the manufacture of fertilizer, is
there is no support available from the original created using inexpensive components, ammonia,
equipment manufacturer (OEM), means alternative water and atmospheric air. However, the
solutions have to be found when repairs and manufacturing process is very energy and capital
upgrades are required. intensive, using several turbomachines such as
Tight production schedules mean that downtime compressors, pumps, tail gas expansion turbines
has to be minimized so, using a planned and several large motors. It is, therefore, important
maintenance program is always preferred to prevent for manufacturers to maintain a high level of
unexpected failures that can cause lost revenue. efficiency for the process to remain profitable.
While on-site maintenance teams are often well- Rather than replacing complete assets when
versed in the operation of the equipment – expert their productivity starts to drop, it is far more cost-
support can reduce repair times and deliver cost- effective to repair the worn component and even
effective solutions for more complex repairs. improve its design at the same time. Modern
To maximize the original investment in 3-dimensional (3D) laser scanning technology
equipment, the service life needs to be extended as means that the original OEM drawings are not
far as economically possible. Retrofit projects offer required; parts can be created from the original
the opportunity to upgrade or replace components component, even if it has been damaged.
that can increase performance through improved
design or materials. Boiler feed pumps
Many manufacturing plants use steam to generate
Cost-effective solutions their own electricity supply and these systems rely
Large-scale pumps are often cited for retrofit on boiler feed pumps to deliver a consistent water
projects because a life of continuous operation can supply. In many cases these important assets can
lead to wear of the impellers / rotors, which reduces perform reliably for decades, but reduced efficiency
efficiency and increases running costs. Those will take its toll on cost of operation. However, after
operating in the chemical manufacturing industry so many years, the OEM may not be in a position to
may have to endure a challenging working supply new parts, so an alternative solution is
environment. needed.

July 2021 • INDUSTRIAL TECHNOLOGY EXTRA • p5