The Problem
A Northeast cogeneration plant made all the preparations for their valves, actuation, etc. to be serviced during a planned outage scheduled to take place over a weekend. At the last minute, the outage team and plant managers realized there were six critical flowmeters in need of calibration that were not accounted for in the original scope.
The team’s first instinct was to call the instrument manufacturer, but under this time crunch, a 3-4 week turnaround window was not feasible. They reached out to their Eastern Controls representative, aware of our already robust service. They were looking to schedule our mobile calibration trailer to go on-site and calibrate the critical meters, only to learn that the trailer was scheduled for another customer site.
The Solution
While Eastern Controls’ mobile calibration trailer is well-known and relied upon by many, ECI continues to enhance its service capabilities, this time with the addition of a laboratory flow calibration system at our Edgemont, PA headquarters. The ECI representative was able to offer this option to the end-user to help keep their shutdown on schedule.
The laboratory calibration system was added to our arsenal to accommodate flow instruments up to 4” and support fast, or emergency turnaround requests. This calibration system can accommodate any brand of flow instrument, which made it even more convenient for the end-user.
To ensure safe, timely, and efficient delivery of their six Krohne flowmeters, the ECI representative picked up the meters from the plant and brought them to ECI for calibration. Within 48 hours, the plant’s meters were calibrated by factory-trained and certified technicians, loaded back onto the rep’s truck, and safely returned to the customer’s site. The outage team on-site was able to get the meters back in line and working perfectly.
The Takeaway
The combination of on-demand service and delivery, the range of calibration service options provided by Eastern Controls, and the superior customer service of the entire Eastern Controls team, turned what could have been a major problem for the plant into an efficient and successful shutdown and restart.
Without the help of Eastern Controls’ laboratory calibration services, the plant would have been forced to calibrate their process flowmeters with less accurate, more unreliable meters or wait for the 3–4-week calibration turnaround time given by the instrument manufacturer. These alternatives could have meant a higher price tag in the form of unexpected downtime, product loss due to inaccurate equipment, or both!
Let Eastern Controls be your trusted resource for planned and unplanned outages, routine maintenance schedules, and even unexpected needs that may arise. We work tirelessly to ensure we provide a top-tier experience.
About Eastern Controls Laboratory Calibration Services
To learn more about Eastern Controls’ Calibration Services, contact us for further information or submit a service request, please visit our Calibration Services page here!
Calibration ensures the accuracy and reliability of measurement instrumentation which helps reduce overall business costs and help comply with quality and safety standards. Eastern Controls, Inc. is the Mid-Atlantic’s most trusted calibration and metrology resource with its in-depth application knowledge and factory-trained and certified operators and technicians.
