Overhaul of a Sampler
Before vs. After or Fit vs. Retro
Whether due to supply shortages or as part of a sustainable maintenance strategy, industrial equipment eventually reaches the end of its service life and can be comprehensively refurbished instead of being replaced with new equipment. In some cases, equipment may no longer be required at one production site but can continue to serve its purpose at another after suitable modifications. This was the case in the project presented here.
In this project, an existing pneumatically actuated screw sampler was adapted to the local conditions at another site and to current quality requirements. The sampler had been dismantled several years earlier and stored ever since. As a first step, it was inspected and refurbished in our workshop. At the same time, the optimum installation arrangement for the sampler was analyzed at the new site. The equipment components required for installation at the new site, as well as the enclosure, were designed and manufactured. The control system was then overhauled and the sampling parameters requested by the customer were defined.
The sampling process now takes place in an air slide conveyor. The rejected material is discharged into a bucket elevator.
The project scope was defined in detail as follows:
- Functional testing of the existing equipment
- Mechanical refurbishment to ensure reliable operation
- Design and manufacture of the required equipment components and enclosure for the sampling system
- Assessment of whether the existing control system could be refurbished or needed to be replaced
- Delivery and installation of the sampling system
- Updating of the existing control system
- Wiring and connection to the existing electrical and control systems
- Commissioning of the sampler
- Technical documentation, including risk assessment and operating instructions
Even “old gems” whose condition may initially seem less than promising can be brought up to the latest state of the art. If our project has reminded you of any decommissioned equipment that you would like to have refurbished as part of a retrofit, we would be pleased to hear from you.
