Moventas, one of the world’s leading wind gear manufacturers, is expanding its up-tower service globally after a successful track record in North America. Up-tower repair significantly lowers wind farm O&M costs, hence making wind power even more competitive than before.
Developed by Moventas’ US-based engineers and following a year of successful up-tower full-helical gear repairs in North America, the Moventas up-tower ability is the finest in the industry. Moventas can perform onsite inspections and repairs of high speed, low speed and intermediate assemblies to its own gearboxes as well as competitor models.
“Our goal is to significantly shorten response time, reduce customer cost and to continue to lead the industry in repairs that can be done on-site rather than in a workshop. This is a significant cost-saver for the industry, making it even more competitive compared to traditional energy forms than before” , says Olli Välimäki, Senior Vice President of Service with Moventas.
By utilizing a mobile service unit and a small hydraulic crane, the Moventas up-tower repair eliminates the costs associated with mobilizing large boom and secondary cranes normally required to bring the complete gearbox down from the nacelle. Shipping costs to and from the workshop are also eliminated, as well as the cost of the longer downtime of the turbine.
Every Moventas up-tower repair also contains Moventas CMaS, an industry leading preventative condition management system that raises the turbine’s reliability to the next level. All up-tower repairs are carried out by experienced Moventas field service personnel, all qualified and trained to work safely at heights.
Moventas is currently building multiple self-contained mobile workshops specifically designed to perform this service at the wind site. Five mobile workshops will be strategically located in North America and an additional two units will be located in Germany and Spain before the end of the year.
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Offshore WIND staff, June 20, 2012; Image: Moventas