LORC Nacelle Testing

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Items used to test wind turbines require spikes of excellence

For a number of years, RIVAL has been a regular supplier to the demanding wind and oil and gas industries and has excellent ongoing collaboration with the engineering firm R&D.

Right now, RIVAL is busy processing some large steel plates to be used in the foundation for a nacelle test bench at the LORC Nacelle Testing project at Lindoe Offshore Renewables Centre. The test centre is being constructed at the former shipyard, now Lindoe Industripark. Here, some of the world’s most advanced facilities will be available for testing wind turbine nacelles of up to 10 MW. The test centre is expected to be ready in 2014.

Valuable supplier
RIVAL is part of the project as a sub-supplier to the engineering firm R&D. R&D is producing the nacelle test bench in collaboration with the GE consortium partner in the LORC project. “I need a business partner who can take full responsibility for the items to be produced,” says Senior Project Manager Kent Frank Pedersen from R&D. “In this regard, I have found a good match in RIVAL, who not only has solid skills in the processing of items for e.g. the offshore industry but also assumes full
project responsibility for aspects such as welding, annealing and surface treatment carried out by their sub-suppliers.”

Mutual benefit
R&D is a project management and consulting engineering firm specialising in mechanical and software solutions for the industry. R&D offers everything from the development of production of test equipment and system commissioning to employee training and straight-forward advice and consultancy services. In the case of R&D and RIVAL, this collaboration benefits both parties. R&D typically uses RIVAL as a sub-supplier in connection with offshore industry jobs, and RIVAL uses R&D’s engineering skills in connection with specialised tasks requiring development of specific machinery, software or other types of equipment. RIVAL has thus recently chosen to involve R&D in a job for the wind turbine industry, where there was a special need for R&D’s engineering skills as an excellent adjunct to RIVAL’s own skills.

Lives up to expectations
Kent Frank Pedersen has now collaborated with RIVAL for just over four years, and he is very satisfied with the collaboration.
“RIVAL lives up to all the expectations I had from the beginning,” says Kent. “The company has a good reputation for solid processing skills, especially for large items. In addition, they take full project responsibility for the individual items, which fits in really well with the kind of jobs we have.”

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Grundfos, Serbia

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Close Partnership with Grundfos

RIVAL’s competencies in processing aluminium materials, creative mind-set, honest manner and practical experience have been major factors for the development, product maturing and introduction of Grundfos’ new pump production in Serbia.

The employees of RIVAL have worked closely together with Grundfos’ technology centre for a long period of time. The work concerns development and product maturing of a new pump house, which is going to be produced in Grundfos’ factory in Serbia and sold globally, particularly in USA. RIVAL has the responsibility for educating staff in Serbia and implementing the production. “We have decided to collaborate with RIVAL about this task because the company possess certain competencies, which we don’t do ourselves at Grundfos,” says technology expert Erik Jæger Thomsen from Grundfos.

“We have built a very close partnership in which both parts have listened to and learned from each other, which has been very valuable for the result.”

Complete trust
Grundfos trusted RIVAL during the working process and has known for certain that the job would be solved. “We knew from the start that RIVAL was in possession of the competencies, which we were looking for,” says Erik Jæger Thomsen.

“Their processing experience combined with their desire to enter into a joined development project are very unique factors. The foreman Glenn Scharling, in particular, has offered alternative ways to handle things, which has been valuable for the process. Glenn says things straight, which works very well in the daily collaboration.”

Furthermore, RIVAL generally works with the same programs and measuring equipment (the Zeiss measurement machine) as they do at Grundfos, which makes it easier to transfer things between the two companies. i

Passing on knowledge and competencies
RIVAL has the full responsibility for introducing the machines, tools and programmes, which will be used in the Serbian production. During the process, the Serbs, who will be in charge of the pump production, have payed RIVAL a visit.

RIVAL’s employees have passed on knowledge to the Serbian staff. “In Serbia they are rather green in terms of this kind of production. Therefore, the knowledge transfer from employee to employee is important for their future work,” says Erik.

RIVAL’s staff participates at the actual introduction of the machines and production in Serbia. In September, the machine worker Frederik Petersen and either Glenn or sales director Christian Aarup travel to the factory outside Beograd and they stay for a couple of weeks.

Great satisfaction
“In every sense, we are very happy about the collaboration with RIVAL regarding this job. The company has been the partner and competency supplier, which we were looking for. In many ways, it has felt like, we have been a part of the same company,” says Erik. “The fact that RIVAL does not compromise on quality has been very important to us. We will definitely benefit from continuing the partnership with RIVAL in the future.”

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Components with Complete Documentation to NOV

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Components with Complete Documentation to National Oilwell Varco

 

Close collaboration regarding the production, quality control tests and documentation are crucial elements of RIVAL’s successful multi-year partnership with National Oilwell Varco’s (NOV) Norwegian division.

During the last couple of months, RIVAL has produced top-site equipment to pipe management on oil drilling rigs, completed function and pressure tests of all components before shipment to Norway and devised complete documentation.

Close collaboration with the quality responsible
The work has been accomplished in collaboration with NOV’s quality responsible, who has paid RIVAL several visits. “NOV’s demands on quality and documentation are severe,” says production manager Søren Djursland, who has been in charge of the daily communication with NOV. “When we handle components, which are critical and costly, and which are going to be mounted onto the oil drilling rigs, there is no room for mistakes. When the components are delivered, everything must be in perfect order.”

Complete documentation
The demands on documentation are severe, for which reason every component to the oil drilling rig includes 500 pages of documentation. “Contrary to expectations, if a mistake occurs, it is crucial that the people in charge of the rig can find details on the produced component quickly,” says Søren. For that matter, Søren Djursland has devised and prepared 500 pages to each of the 10 components.

“The job has been very interesting, but demanding,” says Søren. “I have made more than one version to every component as a result of some very specific detail demands to the material from NOV, which were not fulfilled at first. However, at this moment we have lots of experience with meeting these demands, for which reason we are very suited for the following jobs.”

”Det har været et meget interessant og krævende arbejde,” siger Søren. ”Jeg har lavet mere end én version til hvert emne, da der i første omgang var nogle helt specifikke detailkrav til materialet fra NOV, som ikke var opfyldt. Vi har nu fået opbygget rigtig gode erfaringer med netop at følge disse og er klædt rigtigt godt på til de kommende opgaver.”

Onsite test
Som en del af aftalen med NOV har RIVAL også gennemført onsite test af alle emnerne inden afsendelsen til Norge. ”For at kunne gennemføre både funktions- og tryktest opbyggede vi en specifik testinstallation til netop disse emner,” siger Søren. ”Det krævede eksempelvis, at vi måtte leje en generator, da vi ikke have strøm nok på fabrikken til at kunne gennemføre testene.”

NOV’s kvalitetsansvarlige var med til alle test og kunne derefter sige ok til, at emnerne kunne sendes til Norge. ”Det giver stor tryghed for begge parter, at vi sammen har gennemført testene,” siger Søren. ”Dermed har vi også en fælles forståelse at bygge videre på.”

Klar til næste projekt
Hos RIVAL har man nu gennem flere år udviklet og udbygget samarbejdet med NOV. ”Vi har gennem årene bevist, at vi kan håndtere de ordrer, de kommer med,” siger salgschef Christian Aarup fra RIVAL. ”Det betyder også, at vi nu får lov til at byde ind på mere krævende opgaver. Vi ser frem til kommende udfordrende projekter både for dem og andre kunder i olie- og gasindustrien.”

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RIVAL Collaborates with Wärtsilä all over The World

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Whether it is in Australia, northern Norway, USA, Turkey or Hirtshals, RIVAL is always ready to help, when Wärtsilä needs quick assistance with the production of a spare part.

Through the years, RIVAL has been a regular sub-supplier to Wärtsilä’s after sales, who are responsible for delivering spare parts in case of defective gearboxes, transition flanges or sleeves, which result in a docked ship.

Time costs money
“It costs a lot of money when a cruise ship, a supply ship to an oil drilling rig or a Norwegian fjord ferry is not moving,” according to sales director of RIVAL Christian Aarup. “Therefore, it is crucial to Wärtsilä that we are ready to help, when an urgent situation occurs.”

So far, RIVAL has solved jobs for Wärtsilä in USA, France, Denmark, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Turkey, Estonia and Australia.

Solid competencies in after sales
RIVAL has great expertise in after sales jobs and knows what it takes, when the customer is in need of critical and costly components within short notice. This kind of expertise is also essential in the remaining part of RIVAL’s business, for instance when it comes to serial production of small or large series. “Our customers appreciate our employees’ competencies and experiences. These qualities are valuable to the customer when we produce one-off components, like those to Wärtsilä, but also when we serial-produce components, which would typically demand more craftsman processing,” says Christian Aarup.

Meet high demands
There are high demands on the components, which RIVAL produces to Wärtsilä. “The components are critical and costly to the customer, for which reason everything must succeed the first time round,” continues Christian Aarup. “Therefore, it is crucial that the customer knows, we can solve the task the first time round. In order to do so, the majority of the elements in the RIVAL package come into play. These elements are quality, reliability of delivery, certificate management, welding procedures, documentation and measurement reports.”

Trust is important
“The collaboration between RIVAL and Wärtsilä is built through many years and it’s very valuable to both parties. The close collaboration causes a trust between the two companies and Wärtsilä appreciates the good chemistry and the high quality,” says Christian. “Our skilled employees know exactly which demands and expectations, Wärtsilä has, and they meet them every time. That provides the customer with a trust in the daily work no matter whereabouts in the world it takes place.”

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