Equipment Purchase / Run trials 4

[pso311]

We have purchased some machinery from an overseas manufacturer, and in the next few weeks they will assemble it for run trials prior to placing it into shipping containers. We will be sending an engineer and a member of QA to observe the trials.

Given that we have already selected the given machinery/configuration, what exactly is the trial for?
Is this common practice?

What recommendations or advice can any of you give for these trials?

To me, it seems as if we've bought the car, now we'll take it for a test drive.........

 

[sms]

It really depends on what the equipment is. What is it? We commonly do shop acceptance tests on turbines and compressors...

-The future's so bright I gotta wear shades!

 

[mizzoueng]

This is common. I have a friend who routinly goes over to China and Japan when they are getting new casting equipment to do a test run before shipping. This is mainly to make sure there are no major parts missing and that nothing is wrong with it before making a long trip here.

What would you do if it got here and a hydraulic solonoid was defective? The time to diagnose the problem, call Japan, bicker about the part and whose fault it was, wait for delivery, etc. is the main reason you check it out before shipping. And if you are shipping within the next 6 months, make sure that ALL the water is drained out of the machine and tubing is blown out with air.

 

[JJPellin]

I have seen a definite benefit in these witnessed tests. Especially with large gas compressors or special purpose steam turbines, there can be good opportunity to identify and correct serious performance issues. With these large machines, they tend to be one of a kind, specially engineered. They have calculated various performance parameters, but until the machine is test run, they are only theoretical. For compressors, it is common to find problems with performance, rotor stability, critical speeds, seal and bearing systems on the test stand. The stability of the lube system when starting, stopping pumps, switching filters or coolers should be determined before it is shipped. I have a few recommendations: Get a copy of the full test plan and acceptance criteria before you go. Make sure that they are testing everything that is likely to cause you problems. Performance curves are a minimum. Perhaps you need to know surge characteristics, or rotor critical speed if you think you could be running close to a surge or critical. For a big pump, testing NPSH is not always automatic. I have found large pumps that did not meet the rated performance for flow and pressure on the test stand. We still had time to make changes to impeller diameter. If you have a hard minimum for performance, set that as a required guarantee point. Make them guarantee that they will meet that point on the test stand even if it looks like the expected performance will be much better. I have found governor stability problems on the test stand for large turbines. If I had not been there, they were prepared to declare the instability as "normal" for an unloaded turbine. They were wrong. There was a linkage assembly error that would have delayed the start-up of our plant. Don't let them lure you away from the test stand for long lunches with many drinks. Shop guys usually don't like a customer watching them work. Engineers or sales people will try to get you out of the shop to go for a long lunch or to see the local sights. You are there to witness the test, first and foremost. Go be a tourist after the test is done. Talk to any experts at your company that know the most about that equipment type and ask them what you need to look for.

 

[MikeHalloran]

Take a LOT of photos, e.g. hundreds, e.g. of the assembly process and any special tooling, of the test rig, of the tests underway, of the apparatus as assembled, as it is disassembled, as the pieces go into the shipping container(s), etc. Include the tradesmen, to give a sense of scale and to keep their pride engaged.







Mike Halloran
Pembroke Pines, FL, USA

 

[MintJulep]

As already asked, what is the equipment?

Will it need to be broken down to ship? Who will put it back together once you get it, you or the manufacturer? In either case, don't bother sending the QA guy over. Have him brief the engineer on what QA aspects to look for. Send the foreman of the maintenance department, or whatever department will be responsible for installing the equipment and keeping it healthy in the future. Much more knowledge will come home that way.

Who, specifically, are you sending? An engineer who is familiar with the project and the equiupment, or just some guy? It is imparative that your test witness knows his stuff; the fundamentals of the equipment, and how it will actually be used once you get it.

As JJ stated, get a copy of the test plan and acceptance critera now. Make sure you - and the guy going over - understands it. The chances are high that the test plan will be inadequate. Make sure the the full performance range is tested. Make sure that safety equipment is tested. Make sure that abnormal situations are tested, and that the equipment's response to them is as desired.

Make sure that you have a copy of the test schedule. Understand that testing rarely goes according to schedule. Make sure that the guy going over understands this. Make sure that the guy going over gets paid for all of his working hours over there, many of which will be standing around complaining about why the manufacturer can't follow his own test schedule.

Take copies of whatever English language manuals the manufacturer has already provided. They are crap. Copiously mark them up with what really needs to be done.

If this is a machine that produces a physical end product, does the manufacturer have a supply of YOUR raw materials to use for testing? If no, get it sent.

Does the equipment need to interface with anything that is already existing in your facility? The guy going over needs to know the interface details intimately.

Like Mike said, takes lots of photos. Of everything. Really, everything, not just the outside. Annotate them shortly after taking them, so you will remember what they are later. The GGO will need a good digital camera with a big memory stick, and a suitable laptop.

 

[IRstuff]

I've seen how skimpy supplier acceptance testing can be.

One shipped 2 dozen units with a completely defective heater control before someone doing something completely unrelated found that the heater was shorted out.

So every feature, every function should and must be exercised, particularly if the supplier is that far away from you.

TTFN

 

[Ashereng]

As others have posted, the primary reason seems to be to make sure the equipment at least starts up and runs (once anywhays).

If you have taken delivery of a new car at your local dealership recently, do you recall that they drove it to the front doors (outside of where you inked the deal)? This shows that at least your car can go 100 yards from the back parking lot to the front - I guess.

"Do not worry about your problems with mathematics, I assure you mine are far greater."
Albert Einstein
Have you read FAQ731-376 to make the best use of Eng-Tips Forums?

 

[sms]

The main thing is that the contracts are usually written such that you have not bought the car until it passes its test drive. If you ordered a new Corvette, and the one they delivered was red with cloth seats, and you ordered yellow with leather seats, and then to top it off the engine only made about 100 HP, you would not buy it.

The same is true with a factory acceptance test, if what is delivered does not meet the terms of the contract, either from a quality or from a performance stand point, you don't pay until it does.

When we do such tests, we have detailed performance requirements, along with a long, long QA check list. I disagree with MintJulep, send the QA guy, and make sure he is picky about details, everything from the color of paint, to the wiring to the packageing should be QA checked. I have worked with a few QA guys over the years that amazed me in their attention to detail. I was ready to accept based on performance, they were rejecting based on failure to meet the contract specification on shade of blue of the paint on the casing.

-The future's so bright I gotta wear shades!

 

[pso311]

Thanks guys. To appease your interest (or possibly disappoint) the equipment is a wide belt sanding line. QA will be there to judge final sanded appearance, as well as evaluate the entire machine/parameters.

Engineering and science blend with aesthetics in the furniture biz. Kinda neat, but not much to work with in terms of benchmarking.

The recurring theme seems to bring a camera and photograph everything.

 

[tripleZ]

When we purchase equipment, it's generally for specific parts or a family of parts. We ask the manufacturer to quote a run rate with the machine and specified purchased tooling. When the machine is ready, not only do we test out the machining capabilities, but we also test its ability to run at the manufacturer's quoted rate. If it doesn't, the manufacturer either betters the machine or re-negotiates the price. It helps you to get them to do some of the engineering work on the job as well, which, if you aren't an expert in the field, enables you to learn more about the process.

What kind of sanding are you doing? I'm looking for a small manufacturing cell capable of sanding stainless steel forms to a specific surface appearance.