Getting hot on PHE maintenance

PHEs are often the unsung heroes of industrial processes because of their reliability and stalwart reputation, but hero status counts for little when zero production is the result of a failure. Our PHE Service Manager Stuart Farman, and Business Development Lead, Rory MacKenzie discuss why operators need to get to grips with PHE maintenance and how OSSO can take the heat off of those responsible for it.

A vital part of industrial processes everywhere

PHEs and other heat transfer equipment are ubiquitous in various industries, including manufacturing, oil and gas, marine operations and food and drink processing. There’s probably even one in your home if you have a combination boiler. They’re well known for reliability, with a typical operational lifespan of around 10 years. This status as a familiar part of industrial operations, with a reputation for solid performance, perhaps goes some way to explaining why preventative PHE maintenance can sometimes be overlooked.

PHE maintenance matters But as with any system, failures can, and do, occur. At best this may lead to a decrease in process efficiency - we receive numerous calls from operators who have seen production affected following a drop in the efficiency of a specific unit. At worst the urgency of the problem can be several times greater. When a PHE fails completely, it can result in production coming to a standstill. A recent example of this is when a major whisky distillery contacted us after a production-critical PHE at one of their Scottish sites experienced a plate failure.

Rapid response and practical solutions

In these worst-case scenarios, thousands of pounds in lost production output can be on the line every hour and a timely fix is essential. From our specialist PHE service centre in Aberdeen, we were able to get right on to it, devising and executing a practical solution. We worked through a weekend to have the operation back up and running within just three days. The customer’s alternative options for achieving a solution would almost certainly have involved a much longer timeframe and tens of thousands of pounds in lost production.

Following this, we have worked closely with the customer to roll out a preventative plan to avoid this sort of emergency situation in future.

A cradle to grave PHE maintenance offering

While we’re always on hand to react to these emergencies, this preventative approach can avoid unwelcome losses to production altogether.

What does a preventative package look like?

1) An initial site survey resulting in a bespoke maintenance plan and pre-scheduled inspection schedule tailored to the operator’s needs.

2) Embracing technology-led solutions such as thermographic inspections– enabling PHE defects can be pinpointed early, but also with minimal disruption to production.

3) Compiling an online database of individual PHEs to inform inspection and maintenance schedules.

4) A rapid repair and replacement service for minimal downtime.

5) Holding spare plate and gasket packs for individual units, greatly expediting the replacement process.

6) Ongoing technical consultation and support between inspection and maintenance visits.

This approach forms the basis of our PHE maintenance proposition at OSSO. From our base in Aberdeen, we’ve built up a portfolio of customers across the oil and gas and food and drink sectors but this model could be applied in any sector where PHEs are deployed.

A dedicated service centre for PHE maintenance

By establishing a dedicated PHE service centre, we can manage the entire inspection, tracking, planning and intervention process. This is coupled with our expert and fully OEM trained team which delivers a first-class service offering and can provide customers with best-in class support and consultation on an ongoing basis to ensure peak PHE performance.

It’s a cradle-to-grave solution for operators at a time when cost pressures are driving a need to avoid emergency call-outs and optimise production performance.

Click here to learn how we can support with your PHE needs.