Support of complex repairs using welding

Finding Solutions for Emergency Welding Repairs of Critical Equipment

When repairing equipment, contracting organizations use welding as the primary method for restoring the functionality of devices and technological products. However, situations often arise when:

• defects identified during repair work exceed the maximum dimensions specified in standard technological instructions;
• welding repair was not planned and delivery of required welding materials is impossible due to the logistical remoteness of the repair location.

The work supervisor has to urgently seek the possibility of equipment replacement, which is often unacceptable, or ways to continue the repair and often, to avoid downtime, work with deviations from the technological repair instruction. This situation usually leads to delays in equipment commissioning, as such repair does not guarantee equipment functionality and leads to failure or repeated repair at the first startup.

To prevent such situations, repair organizations have to quickly find a specialized company capable of:

• developing non-standard technological instructions for repairing equipment with defects exceeding those permissible during repair;
• conducting verification calculations after repair;
• providing a guarantee for functionality during the required period.

All these operations severely deplete the repair budget, however, they must be undertaken, otherwise penalties for equipment commissioning delays will be significantly higher than the repair itself.

Finding a company capable of quickly and qualitatively developing technological instructions for non-standard conditions and guaranteeing performed work under tight deadlines is a common problem. Despite the apparent simplicity of developing technological instructions, few firms understand the breadth and severity of this problem. It may turn out that preliminary heating is impossible due to the absence of heating mats, the width and depth of defect removal is such that it cannot be welded in one shift, the material of welded parts requires special verification calculations for functionality under conditions of increased pressure or temperature. Contacting specialized institutes leads to延长ing work completion deadlines due to the specifics of Russian specialized organizations, as well as to unclear results, since institutes are not directly connected with enterprises performing work, and engineering staff may not have extensive production experience. A service contract could be the solution.

Support Services for Complex Repairs

What a contract for supporting repair companies in complex technological repairs may include:

1. Operational support in complex repairs (writing technological instructions from 24 hours).
2. Mathematical modeling and verification calculations for repaired equipment.
3. Engineering support for complex repair (service welding engineer, service non-destructive testing engineer).
4. Replacement of welding materials and welding methods.
5. Laboratory confirmation of work quality performed.

A service contract allows saving both time and other limited resources of the repair enterprise.