The challenge
As a result of the intense production cycles, the site’s paper machine undergoes regular maintenance, with one NDT survey detecting signs of deterioration in the press frame. As a result, the decision was made to replace the frame.
However, with the machine in near constant use and wear and tear already having been detected, it was imperative that further insight was gained into whether there was any unexpected movement that could indicate further deterioration, with CADXtra contracted to manage this stage of the works. To this end, it was decided that a solution was needed to monitor the entire structure, ensuring that, should there be any indication of potential damage, there was an early warning system in place allowing for a swift reaction.
Our solution
Traditionally supplying our temporary works solutions into the construction and engineering sectors, we were chosen by CADXtra to assist with this project, mounting eight of our high accuracy wireless bi-axial tilt sensors sensors onto the machine. Placed in key locations around the machine, and linked to the Insite web portal, these sensors were calibrated to monitor on the X and Y plane for movement.
Installed in spring 2024, our equipment remained onsite for 12 months until the new frame had been fabricated and replaced the original.
“I have experience in the civils sector, which meant I’d worked with the Mabey Hire team before. I’ve always been impressed with the work they’ve completed. As such, when I was looking for a monitoring provider, I contacted one of my Mabey Hire contacts, who put me in touch with their dedicated monitoring team. After speaking to Connor Tebb, Mabey Hire’s Sales Engineer, I was confident that they could help us with this job, despite it being an alternate sector and application to what they are used to. Following a site visit and conversations around different designs and applications, the team worked quickly to sort out a bespoke solution for us.
“The sensors it supplied were installed around the machine and were linked to its Insite portal, where the client and I could review the live data being captured. This unique web portal was very useful, generating reports which were used to analyse the condition of the frame over the course of the retrofit works. I’ve now worked with Mabey Hire on all sorts of projects, and I can safely say that this was one of the more unusual applications of its equipment that I’ve seen. The whole team was extremely helpful, from the install team who fitted the sensors to Connor in the monitoring team – it’s the exact type of service I’d expect from a supplier.” – Michael Card, Technical Project Manager at CADXtra
