Page 64 - Energize May 2022

TECHNICAL

Local company specialises

in thermal power station

maintenance

Steinmüller Africa was the successful bidder for Eskom’s four-year maintenance contract

and will provide maintenance and repair services for the Arnot, Camden, Duvha, Kriel, Majuba,
Hendrina, Kendal and Kusile power stations.

ENERGIZE STAFFWRITER

he bulk of the services will by the company. Explosive welding is used to fuse tubes to tube plates or headers in high-
be carried out at the eight pressure heat exchangers. The process involves placing an explosive charge inside the tube
Tpower station sites, with which creates a high temperature and pressure, fusing the tube and the header. While
fabrication of some components at the traditional welding methods are time consuming, explosive welding, reduces welding time,
company’s Pretoria based facility, where plant downtime and relative repair costs. It also achieves a weld that is fused and sound.
comprehensive expertise for boiler There is an increasing demand for explosive welding technology applications during the
pressure parts, high temperature and maintenance of high-pressure heat exchangers at power stations. Ageing coal-fired power
pressure steam pipes, as well as in heat stations use heat exchangers which need to be refurbished or replaced. They have several
exchangers plants, is offered. Services thousand tubes which need to be either plugged during maintenance or totally replaced
include automated welding, pipe during refurbishment.
bending, pipe and tube manipulation, Explosive welding is also suitable for the welding of components of different metals, as
plant lifetime extension plans and project well as for welding dissimilar metals, such as carbon steel to stainless steel and stainless
management services. steel to titanium. Steinmüller can apply the process to manufacturing in workshops, or
The company, established in 1961, in situ at the power stations. The company was the first to manufacture heat exchangers
has a state of the art, 30 000 m factory
2
in Pretoria West, equipped to fabricate
pressure parts, tube bends, high pressure
piping, high- and low-pressure feed
water heaters, HRSGs and condensers for
the power generation industry.
It can also supply pressure vessels,
process columns, shell and tube
heat exchangers, superheaters and
economisers, as well as waste heat
boilers for the process and industrial
equipment industry.
In addition to normal fabrication
work the company offers several unique
processes.

Explosive welding
This is crucial to the quality and integrity
of welding on high-pressure parts and
pipelines, and is a unique service offered Figure 1: Heat exchanger with pre- and post-weld pipes visible (Steinmüller)

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