Product category:
Bearings
News Release from: Eriks UK | Subject: Coors Brewers
Edited by the Engineeringtalk Editorial
Team on 03 June 2002
Preventive maintenance keeps beer
flowing
A timely repair carried out by Coors Brewers maintenance engineers at their Burton Brewery has demonstrated the benefits of an effective preventive maintenance programme.
A timely repair carried out by Coors Brewers maintenance engineers at their Burton Brewery has demonstrated the benefits of an effective preventive maintenance programme that includes routine condition monitoring from Wyko Industrial Services Fulfilling its purpose of identifying potential problems before an actual breakdown occurs, condition monitoring allowed Wyko Engineers to isolate a potential problem with a large bearing in a critical area of the plant's cooling process
A quick visual inspection led to an immediate replacement, allowing full production to proceed unhindered throughout the process.
Cooling is one of the most important processes in the brewing industry; beer increases in temperature during fermentation and has to be cooled by heat exchanges to avoid spoiling.
During a routine check, it was noted that an 110kW motor was using more power than necessary to drive the main pump in the brine/alcohol heat exchange at Coors Burton plant.
The Wyko team made more detailed checks using an ultrasonic detector and isolated a frequency pattern from the main pump bearing indicative of a bearing in failure mode.
A visual inspection revealed that the bearing in the large multistage pump was in stage-three failure mode and required immediate replacement.
(Stages are measured from one to four - four being a seizure or failure to support the shaft).
Within 15min, the motor was isolated, the backup pump was in operation and the faulty bearing was being replaced.
After completion of the work Wyko engineers made final checks and the system was declared operational without incurring downtime, spoilage or damage to the motor.
It was vital for Coors Brewers that the fault be diagnosed and fixed as quickly as possible, since after only a brief period of refrigeration system downtime, the blending and filtration process at the Burton site has to be halted.
Through foresighted maintenance practices breakdown situations can be largely avoided.
Trevor Hathaway, Site Electrical/Mechanical Manager explained that the company "is very pleased with the Wyko service; our plant runs 24h a day, 7 days a week and condition monitoring allows us to plan shutdowns and maintenance with minimal disruption.
The build up to Christmas is one of our busiest period and any stoppages in production could result in stock loss and failure to complete important orders".
Thanks to the commitment of Coors Brewers to regular condition monitoring, potential problems can be predicted and dealt with immediately, helping the plant to run smoothly and efficiently.
In this instance, the cost of fitting new bearings was minimal in comparison to that of replacing pump shafts and motors or the loss of output due to breaks in production.
Wyko engineers routinely carry out vibration analysis, thermographic surveys, laser alignment and on-site balancing.
Oil sampling, particle discharge, current injection and relay testing are also elements of the service; all ensuring that the most accurate overview of a plants repair status is achieved.
The service also enables plants to reduce costs through system efficiency, energy saving and labour requirements and is available anywhere in the UK, 24h a day. Request a free brochure from Eriks UK ...
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