Product category:
Energy management; Boiler control
News Release from: Fulton Boiler Works | Subject: Fulton Boiler Works
Edited by the Processingtalk Editorial
Team on 29 April 2003
Fulton eases pain from rogue
reconditioned boilers
Fulton Boiler Works has come to the rescue of Friction Dynamics, formerly Ferodo Limited, following the installation of an energy management system that included six reconditioned steam boilers
In early 2000, Friction Dynamics, a manufacturer of friction materials for a wide range of industries, decided to upgrade its boiler plant as the four existing 12,000 lb/h horizontal boilers were proving too uneconomical Following the successful installation of a heating decentralisation project at sister company TBA Textiles in Rochdale, Friction Dynamics realised that a decentralised steam system would also be the best solution
This article was originally published on Processingtalk on 22 Apr 2004 at 8.00am (UK)
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The project included the installation of thirty-six radiant heaters for factory space heating, gas boilers for office heating and six Fulton 60E boilers for process steam raising.
The total cost of the project was GBP320,000.
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A significant element of the cost involved the purchase of six reconditioned gas-fired vertical steam boilers from the 'unscrupulous dealer', which were delivered to site looking superficially new.
However, when they were installed the problems started.
Within weeks, one of the boilers overheated due to a heavy scale inside the boiler.
This overheating caused the failure of the boiler.
Although the energy management system design has proved satisfactory, the shortcomings were with the condition of the second hand boilers that were supposedly refurbished by the dealer.
As these six boilers were originally manufactured by Fulton Boiler Works, the Friction Dynamics project engineering manager David Williams decided to call Fulton to investigate the equipment he had bought, and seek advice.
"From the start Fulton's help and advice were excellent, even though the boilers were reconditioned and bought from a third party".
He added: "One of their service engineers visited the site to service the five remaining boilers to ensure they remained operational.
On inspection, it was realised that in fact the boilers were far from being reconditioned.
The Fulton engineer advised us that the only signs of reconditioning were the addition of a re-sprayed metal case and other cosmetic features".
Friction Dynamics were so pleased with the Fulton response that they ordered a new boiler that would cope with the demands of a press used for curing cooling fan cones, used on trucks for the US market.
Fulton recommended the installation of a high-pressure, gas-fired 10J vertical steam boiler running at pressures of 12 bar and achieving temperatures of 195C.
Soon after the new 10J boiler was delivered, the reconditioned boilers were stripped down for their annual insurance inspection and it was discovered that they were in such poor condition that all five were condemned by the Insurance Company surveyor.
Whilst the rogue dealer claimed this was due to a build up of scale caused by Friction Dynamics not performing the required number of blow-downs, tests later confirmed that the boilers were in fact delivered to site with scale in them.
At this point Friction Dynamics placed an order with Fulton for five replacement 60J gas-fired boilers and hired a diesel-fired, skid mounted boiler system while the new boilers were being built.
Says David Williams: "Fulton gave us a very good price and responded very quickly to manufacture the replacement boilers.
Within nine weeks of the five boilers being condemned, Fulton had manufactured, delivered and commissioned the new boilers, which are proving very reliable and burning 10% less gas than the previously installed system".
The one boiler remaining from the original installation is still working, but has a very limited life.
However, the five new boilers are so efficient that when it ultimately fails, a replacement will not be required.
"Considering that the problems were not Fulton's fault, we were very pleasantly surprised with the help we have received from them" says David Williams, adding that he estimates that operational, maintenance and energy savings will save the company around GBP200,000 a year.
"I will never specify reconditioned or second-hand boilers again, and will only use Fulton to service the new boilers".
Commenting for Fulton Boiler Works, sales and marketing director Gordon Bareham added: "Our after sales department is often called out to look at unserviceable and unsafe 'reconditioned' boilers, bought from a variety of sources at high prices.
Second hand boilers are like second hand cars - there are an awful lot around and many of them are awful.
Not to mention also inefficient, unsafe and unlikely to last too long".
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