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When talking about demister rebuilds one specific case comes to mind. In this case we had a client with very specific needs. The client wanted us to remove an existing demister from a tower, exchange the old mesh with new mesh and reinstall the demister into the tower.
Various challenges were identified when this project was considered:
- The first challenge was the constricted timeline since we were only allocated 3 days to complete the project.
- Other challenges were the amount, dimensions and weight. The demister which needed replacing was made up of 41 sections of which each section weighed 45kg. These sections needed to be lifted 6 meters from within the tower and then lowered 16 meters from the top of the tower to the ground.
- Keep in mind that this process should be done as cautious as possible since we needed to reuse the frames for the demister and thus could not afford any damages.
- Once the sections made it to the ground, they had to be cut open for the old mesh to be removed and new mesh to be placed and welded. These steps were especially challenging due to lack of resources. The only aids available in this process were two 20-meter elongated cords.
- The remanufactured sections should then be hoisted 16 meters to the top of the tower and lowered 6 meters into the tower in the correct sequence since each section has a unique place where it fits.
Preparation:
SMI decided the solution to the range of challenges was to manufacture the new mesh sections in Pretoria and then transport these sections to the site where they would be installed into the frames.
On the road:
The process started with the manufacturing of temporary frames for the transporting of the mesh since it was important for the mesh section to keep their unique shape. After welding the mesh sections into the temporary frames, they were transported via the road to the site.
On site:
On site, a platform was build with scaffolding to reach the top of the tower at 16 meters. The next step in the process was to unscrew the demister sections. This was done by approaching the demister from the bottom of the tower. A team of rope workers climbed the scaffolding to reach the top from where they were lowered the 6 metres into the tower to remove one section at a time. Once the sections arrived on the ground they were cut open to remove the old mesh. The new mesh was removed from the temporary frames and then placed in the existing frames to be welded.
The lowering, removing, replacing and layout of the demister section had to be well planned since the sections had to be returned to their exact places. This was established by removing the sections in the order they would have to be replaced. The system worked like a well-oiled machine resulting in being able to reinstall the first sections directly after the last sections were removed. To complete the project the new demister sections were bolted to the tower once again.
A job well done:
This is just one of the fascinating projects journeys we have embarked on. Why not contact us today so that your projects can become one of our success stories.
