Repairing up to 40 tons in four weeks! Our new service workshop enables cost-effective and fast overhauls of industrial fans.

Sustainability is becoming increasingly important for industrial ventilation systems. Significantly fewer new investments are being made in this area and old systems are used and maintained for as long as possible instead. In order to support its customers, TLT-Turbo GmbH, one of the world’s largest fan manufacturers, commissioned a new service workshop in Bad Hersfeld at the beginning of November 2017. In this workshop, all types of large industrial fans – both radial and axial –with weights of up to 40 ton will be overhauled and repaired in the future. In addition, the production area was expanded by 1500m² and the production and assembly areas were updated to meet new requirements.

“With regard to revisions, our customers increasingly make their decisions based on price and leadtime, which can be explained by growing cost pressure,” explains Matthias Adamy, Sales Director for After Sales Services at TLT-Turbo GmbH. “This increases the need for cost-effective and fast revisions. This is why we have decided to set up a service workshop that supports our customers with fast, flexible and uncomplicated service. Rapid processing in particular is an essential requirement here as the rapid replacement of defective or maintenance-needy rotors is crucial. Downtime can be shortened and system availability increased thanks to a short throughput time. For this reason, three types of revisions will be offered in the service workshop in future, which are characterized by a standardized procedure for diagnosis and repair. In addition to the standard and findings-oriented overhauls, there is now also a so-called rapid overhaul. This only takes four to six weeks, which means a time saving of about six months compared to conventional maintenance and repair. The reduction in processing time is also accompanied by a reduction in costs.”

Despite the short duration, TLT Turbo can guarantee the highest quality with the aid of component tests, functional tests for rotors, quality and surface crack tests. For this purpose, the specialist workshop has qualified personnel, all the necessary machinery and testing equipment for disassembly, cleaning, diagnosis, repair and assembly, as well as close links to the specialist departments, such as design and quality assurance. “In contrast to a repair on site, it is more advantageous to have a diagnostic report made in the service workshop, as the equipment, workshop and personnel support at the location where the fans are used are often not ideal,” Adamy explains. “An inspection directly at the customer should therefore always be an exception due in special circumstances”.

Process optimisation for smooth handling

In order to ensure that orders can be processed smoothly in the workshop even at full capacity, separate sections for dismantling and final assembly were set up and route and transport optimisation was implemented. “Due to the greatly reduced processing time, the new concept requires continuous improvement of internal processes and external communication. Through efficient cooperation and communication with subcontractors, for example, spare parts can be delivered and installed more quickly,” Adamy confirms. Especially for components with comparatively long delivery times, TLT-Turbo offers its customers consulting appointments with regard to spare parts stocking, so that revisions can be carried out as quickly as possible. The spatial extension also allows significantly more flexibility and space for handling workpieces of all kinds. For this purpose, several storage racks were installed in which up to 450 pallets can be accommodated. TLT-Turbo attaches particular importance to the transparency and traceability of the orders: This means that the status of the revision can be queried online at any time.

The new service workshop was presented to selected business partners at a Customer Day on 8 November 2017. “We want to signal to the industry that our focus is on service. To this end, we deploy highly qualified personnel who are familiar with diagnostic findings, repairs and the replacement of parts,” concludes Adamy.