Reference
Fintos and Wärtsilä develop unique PLC hydraulic solution for engine alignment in test cells
Hydraulics specialist Fintos and Wärtsilä collaborated to develop a PLC hydraulic machine for the alignment of combustion engines in cells for test driving. The solution is reportedly the only one of its kind in the world and will be used in all test drive areas in Wärtsilä’s new factory. It will significantly reduce engine test lead times, allowing Wärtsilä to increase test volumes and shorten delivery times.
Parallelism of the engine and generator shaft lines is a key requirement for the test run of Wärtsilä engines. The increase in engine power and consequently mass has led to a lengthening of the installation phase prior to the test run, as the truing of the shaft line of heavy engines takes a long time.
In order to reduce engine delivery times and increase delivery volumes, Wärtsilä started to work on reducing test run lead times by improving the efficiency of the truing process. Fintos was selected as the partner for the development project, based on its strong expertise in hydraulics and previous cooperation.
The first sketch of a PLC machine was drawn on paper in 2020, after which Fintos designed and built a prototype. It was controlled by a touch screen and had a pressure rating of 1500 bar. The solution met Wärtsilä’s expectations for the hardware required for the installation of the W31 engines and was taken for testing on a prototype of a larger generator set installation. Once the solution was proven to work, Wärtsilä ordered two PLC hydraulic power units from Fintos with minor customisations.
As the collaboration has progressed, machine tools for larger engines have also been developed. By summer 2023, Fintos will have delivered three PLC hydraulic power units to Wärtsilä’s test rigs for installation on W46 engines. The same concept will also be used for the installation of Wärtsilä’s W3X engines, and the next three modified sets are scheduled for production this year.
”The PLC hydraulic machine, developed jointly by Fintos and Wärtsilä, is unique in the world.
Hannu Saari, Manager Plant & Cells Development, Wärtsilä
– The PLC hydraulic machine, developed jointly by Fintos and Wärtsilä, is unique in the world. PLC-controlled electro-hydraulic equipment is quite difficult to design, so that it is also safe. We have made modifications and one major software update. We have tested and learned, the result is an installer-friendly solution, says Hannu Saari, Manager Plant & Cells Development at Wärtsilä.
Already in use at many Wärtsilä locations, the PLC machine, which will be fully implemented in the new factory, will significantly streamline and shorten the engine installation and test run.
– Previously, manual installation took 4-5 days. With the Fintos PLC machine, we can have the engine ready for start-up in less than a day. As a result, we get much more time for test runs and shorter lead times, says Saari.
Fintos was responsible for the top-level design of the PLC machine, finding a suitable supplier for the high-pressure distributors and iterating the solution according to the dimensional drawings. Wärtsilä also received help from Fintos to understand the overall solution.
”With the Fintos PLC machine, we can have the engine ready for start-up in less than a day.
Hannu Saari, Manager Plant & Cells Development, Wärtsilä
– Recently, I visited Wärtsilä to inspect a ramp installation with a PLC hydraulic machine manufactured by Fintos. Over a cup of coffee, I stated that it was great to be able to develop advanced systems with Wärtsilä,” says Ville Halmesmäki, Technical Manager at Fintos.
The combination of Wärtsilä’s and Fintos’ expertise has often led to good results, and there have been several joint development projects over the years.
– When we brainstorm an idea with Ville Halmesmäki of Fintos today, we often have an idea ready tomorrow. Halmesmäki has strong expertise in hydraulics, while my own strengths are in engine test runs and the electrical side, says Saari.
Other references
Arnon
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Wärtsilä training
Wärtsilä installers improve their hydraulic and pneumatic skills at Fintos training courses.