Higher throughput and better safety, modern PLC systems, even completely new functions. Pesmel Service is more than maintenance; it also delivers upgrades for existing systems.
Pesmel offers upgrade options for all its storage and wrapping systems. New control logic or variable-frequency drives can speed up operations substantially, and more powerful crane motors and other machine components enhance operations further. A new generation of equipment with state-of-the-art features often means a new level of profitability. Systems can be adjusted to serve changing needs, and software can also be upgraded to improve functionality and optimize operating processes.
“Replacing the PLC or frequency converter is a typical example of an upgrade project. New regulations may also require more advanced safety features,” says Tiina Hämäläinen Technology Expert, Service Operations at Pesmel. “We can recommend just the right upgrade to fit your systems and meet your needs.”
When should you upgrade?
All mill systems eventually come to the end of their feasible service life. Technological improvements bring new, more advanced products to the market, and older models become obsolete. Spare parts may become difficult to find, and old equipment may require more frequent maintenance. There comes a point when the cost of upgrading is actually lower than the not doing so.
In a typical Pesmel upgrade project, the customer is a long-time partner with a service agreement. Pesmel’s maintenance crew knows the customer’s systems inside and out, and stays tuned to potential ways of improving them. When upgrade needs are identified, you can count on Pesmel’s ability to offer the best solution. Upgrades can even be provided for other manufacturers’ systems if they are compatible with Pesmel components.
Speed, reliability and economy
New components can enhance the operation of your storage and wrapping systems in many ways. They also often bring cost savings. A new piece of equipment not only works faster than the old one, but also needs less maintenance work, and the improved reliability keeps unplanned outages in check.
Sometimes, the degree of automation of the system can be boosted and operating personnel freed up for other tasks. Spare part optimization is another way of accumulating savings: the upgrade can be designed to use the same spare parts as the customer’s other systems, reducing the number of different parts that need to be kept available.
Modern variable-frequency drives can also save you money. The drive’s regenerative braking function feeds power back into the grid. With powerful motors that lift extremely heavy rolls, substantial savings will accumulate, and the upgrade’s payback time may be just a couple of years.
Swift delivery with careful planning
Each upgrade project is planned to cause minimum disruption to the customer’s operations. Any planned outages are used to maximum benefit, and more extensive projects can be divided into several parts if there are only very brief outages available. Christmas, Easter, and other holidays when mills may be closed can be busy times for Pesmel’s upgrade crew.
An interim storage facility is often used to bypass the systems that are to be upgraded if no suitable outages are planned or can be arranged. Full production operations can then be kept running while Pesmel’s specialists swiftly install new components in accordance with detailed installation plans.
Upgrade projects typically only take four to six months to complete, and they involve people from the Service Unit as well as Pesmel’s technical design team. The Service Unit’s sales specialist prepares the offer and defines the project scope and the specifications with the customer. A project manager then leads the execution, and a team is put together based on the needs of the project. Electrical and mechanical design is carried out by Pesmel’s experienced design professionals, field personnel install the components, and programmers see to any software that may be required.
The programmer often stays behind for a few days when the installation crew finishes work to make sure that all the systems are running smoothly. Nothing is left to chance at Pesmel, and upgrades and new projects alike are performed with an unwavering focus on bringing benefit to the customer.