New lathe expands Sulzer’s facility capability

Since industrial gas turbines are increasing in size, repair facilities that overhaul and restore these machines must also keep pace. A key tool is a large lathe.

A leading industrial gas turbine and rotor repair provider, Sulzer, has recently upgraded its largest rotating equipment service centre in La Porte, Houston, by installing a state-of-the-art, large and versatile lathe. The addition of this modern equipment ensures that the La Porte service centre now offers complete repair and balancing services for industrial gas turbines.

The new lathe was based on current designs of large gas turbine rotors. Specifically designed for versatility and to accommodate modern turbine rotors, the lathe has a 200 000 lbs capacity, with a 76 ft (23 m) over bedway and 14 ft (4.25 m) swing.

The lathe complements many other state-of-the-art machines, including a large low-speed dynamic balancing machine with a 200 000 lbs capacity and a vertical stacking system. The combination and arrangement of this equipment will make efficient use of the workshop space and speeds up workflow by reducing the time required to repair a rotor.

Billy Bottera, Manager of Gas Turbine Rotor Repairs commented: “This large lathe significantly improves the workflow in our turbine rotor repair bay, allowing us to streamline work on larger turbines. Its versatile design will ensure that the final machining operations are completed more efficiently by alleviating previous bottle-necks in the system.”

Adapted from press release by Anna Nicklin

Read the article online at: https://www.worldpipelines.com/equipment-and-safety/17082016/new-lathe-expands-sulzers-facility-capability/