Momentum Magazine

MOMENTUM FIRST EDITION

CRAM HYDRAULIC SERVICE, REPAIRS AND BESPOKE MANUFACTURING FLUID POWER UPGRADE TO IMPROVE PRODUCTIVITY AND EXTEND EQUIPMENT LIFE MORE THAN JUST BENDING TUBE ENERGY AUDITS: MAXIMISING ENERGY USE AND EFFICIENCY MORE THAN MAINTENANCE

cram.com.au

CRAM IS AN ENGINEERING SOLUTIONS PROVIDER THAT FOCUSES ON PRODUCTS AND SERVICES FOR THE MINING, MANUFACTURING AND CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRIES. CRAM operates in highly specialised fields of fluid power, electro-hydraulic engineering & design, undercarriages and specialised maintenance and engineering services.

CRAM also acts as a full service provider to facilitate maintenance, refurbishment, repairs and overhauls throughout the entire life cycle of industry equipment and machinery.

Our team is compelled to keep machinery moving reliably into the future, fuelled by innovation, dedication and passion for individualised engineering solutions that are driven by customer needs in an ever-changing market.

ACCREDITATIONS CRAM’s management systems are certified to ISO 9001 Quality Management Systems, AS/NZS 4801 Occupational Health and Safety Management Systems and accreditation to AS/NZS ISO/ IEC 17020 general criteria for the operation of various types of bodies performing inspections.

The aim is to provide a comprehensive set of concepts and tools for the leadership and operation of a continuously improving organisation with a major focus on customer needs and the expectations of all stakeholder

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Certification to ISO 9001 & AS/NZS 4801

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Accreditation to ISO/IEC 17020

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Compliance to ISO 14001 Environmental Management

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Zero Harm to the environment

WELCOME TO MOMENTUM We take great pleasure in welcoming you to our first edition of Momentum. We have created this publication with the intention of providing a space to share with you the unique work that CRAM have undertaken in recent times by our industry experts as they strive to provide solutions for their customers and for Australian industry.

Our vison is to create a high-quality quarterly publication that will be relevant and informative, and we will do this with factual case studies of the solutions that we’ve provided for our customers.

CONTENTS

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Hydraulic Service, Repairs & Bespoke Manufacturing

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Fluid Power Upgrade

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Hydraulic Fluid Power Transport System

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Targeted Energy Audit

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Our Satisfied Customers

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Our Suppliers

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GET IN TOUCH

Ô Visit our website cram.com.au ¼ (02) 4272 4092 º sales@cram.com.au 3

CRAM HYDRAULIC SERVICE, REPAIRS AND BESPOKE MANUFACTURING The slogan says ‘keeping machinery moving’. And through a combination of the right people, experience and equipment CRAM has kept machinery moving for more than 20 years – and has been doing it very well.

The essence of CRAM is that the company is more than workshops and operating divisions. It is where businesses with hydraulic problems can go to get the problem solved. It is where hydraulic repairs – either on site or in the workshop – are done. It is a source of engineered solutions, of specialist fabrication, of design, installation and commissioning, of a comprehensively stocked spare parts store.

One of the constants in the repair and servicing of hydraulic equipment is change. As production processes and techniques demand more from the machinery and equipment that is at the core of a production system – machinery and equipment that includes everything from large hydraulic excavators to the smallest hydraulic valve – the demand for consistent and reliable site- and workshop-based repair and maintenance services also increases.

Skilled and experienced people are the bedrock on which quality hydraulic service is built and CRAM is proud of its record of attracting and retaining – and in the case of an active apprenticeship program training – people who share the company’s philosophy.

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From a practical point of view, that skill and experience starts at the assessment phase – when a job comes into the workshop – and finishes with final workshop QA and testing before being returned to site for installation and on-site commissioning.

Every job into the workshop undergoes an acceptance test to determine its condition. If the component is considered repairable, a detailed quote outlining the extent of the repair and cost involved will be prepared; if it’s not economical to repair the recommendation to the customer is to purchase a new unit. This acceptance test program has saved many customers a lot of money and time and significantly reduces impacts on a production line.

Part of this acceptance test is to investigate why the breakdown has occurred. Why has the component failed? A pump could come into the workshop because it failed through cavitation. We can fix the pump - and also fix the reason it failed.

If a damaged component - valves, cylinders, pumps, motors - or piece of equipment is part of a hydraulic system, CRAM can repair it.

Cylinder rebuilds – from small cylinders to large cylinders such as those used on hydraulic excavators - make up the greater part of the work. That’s what the company has been doing for a long time and has a reputation for quality work.

Pumps, motors and valves also figure on the repair schedule.

Access to the right repair equipment is vital to the success of a job. Along with an extensive range of stripping rigs and jigs to cover almost every brand of component that comes in for repair or rebuild, the company has installed a dedicated hydraulic test bench to function test all operating parameters of the hydraulic component and in some cases simulate the working environment.

Abilities extend well beyond component repair. In a sign of the company’s overall capabilities, a project to re-build a roof bolter machine used in underground mining is in its final stages. The job has included stripping down the machine, replacing any unserviceable parts, reassemble, test and commissioning.

The job has highlighted CRAM’s capability of not only repairing and servicing individual components but completing a full machine overhaul from start to finish including all hydraulic, fabrication and electrical components.

Specialist fabrication is also part of the CRAM workshop capability. The workshop specialises in hydraulic pipework design and manufacture and with qualified pressure vessel welders among the tradespeople, and an in-house welding inspector, the CRAM workshop can complete any pipe job – from start to finish including flushing and pressure testing of the finished pipe work.

The workshop can also design and manufacture the required bracketing, accumulator stands and HPU skids to facilitate the installation of hydraulic systems.

Designed from applications precision bent tubing

The level of service and expertise built up over the past twenty years extends well beyond the front gate. Welltrained site service teams, on-call 24/7, take the CRAM philosophy to the customer’s plant.

Responsible for any on-site repairs, the service teams also work with customers during planned shutdowns, changeout any hydraulic components and parts, complete operating audits of hydraulic systems, perform diagnostic analysis of systems and components and identify major repair, upgrade or replacement concerns customers might face.

The CRAM story is evolving and as the demands of production and processes change the company will also change to meet the changes in demand from customers who now know the benefits of working with a hydraulic service supplier with a reputation for quality, reliability, skill and experience.

Tubing with added corrosion preventative sleeve

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FLUID POWER UPGRADE TO IMPROVE PRODUCTIVITY AND EXTEND EQUIPMENT LIFE

From an enquiry about an overheating hydraulic power unit, CRAM has developed a comprehensive upgrade program for one of the country’s leading timber processors.

Along with a tangible reduction in operating expenses, the program will improve plant productivity and extend the service life of installed hydraulically driven process equipment.

Working alongside the mill’s engineering and maintenance teams, CRAM has identified a number of points along the process line where production efficiencies and savings can be achieved.

The project has highlighted the diversity of the worldclass products, services and expertise such a specialist fluid power company can bring to a manufacturing environment.

World-class components The problem of the overheating hydraulic power unit was solved with an upgraded cooling system package, including a new pump and filter matched to a larger capacity oil cooler. The overheating was the result of the installation of an additional hydraulic pump into the line and although the increase in oil temperature created by the additional pump wasn’t an issue in the cooler months, with higher ambient temperatures in summer combining with the hotter oil the system shutoff temperature of 70°C was being reached.

Overheating ranks number two (behind leaks) on the list of most common problems with hydraulic equipment.

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Heating of hydraulic fluid is caused by operational inefficiencies. Inefficiencies result in losses of input power, which manifest as heat. A hydraulic system’s heat load is equal to the total power lost – PL – through inefficiencies and can be expressed as PLtotal = PLpump + PLvalves + PLactuators. Overheating can be overcome increased dissipation (installing a more efficient cooler) and decrease the heat load (by increasing the operating efficiency of the hydraulic system).

The new cooling package eliminated the overheating problem and now this particular system in reportedly the coolest throughout the facility.

Hydraulic valves are at the very heart of fluid power systems and for more than 25 years CRAM’s experience in resolving operating and performance issues around such valves has been a hallmark of the company’s positioning in the hydraulic power sector.

As national distributors for Star servo valves, CRAM can now supply a viable, cost-effective range of valves of equal quality and performance to the more expensive products in the marketplace.

Star valves feature Sapphire Technology to replace the traditional steel ball which has been identified as the source of most servo valve failures. Using sapphire ball technology significantly extends operational life of the valve. This is achieved by extending the time it takes for the feedback wire to wear the main spool feedback groove which causes feedback delay of the valve response (ball glitch). According to reports Star servo valves are performing many millions of cycles without the need for repair.

The timber mill is progressively changing to Star servo valves. Performance and quality have not been compromised and productivity has been maintained.

The mill is also seeing considerable cost savings. In some cases, the Star valves are up to 50% cheaper than the high-end equivalents.

CRAM is also a national distributor for Delta controllers which are specifically designed and manufactured for motion control systems. We have complete in-house facilities and expertise to design, write and commission new motion control systems or modify existing systems and code to improve performance and accuracy. If a problem arises around Delta controllers we have the resources to go to site, troubleshoot and perform any software amendments and replace hardware if necessary.

This combination of Star servo valves and Delta controllers is unique and gives CRAM a formidable presence in the timber processing sector.

The new cylinder replaces a leaking unit on the tilt hoist. We designed and manufactured the applicationspecific replacement cylinder in-house and changed-out the existing damaged unit. The damaged cylinder was repaired and will be used for service exchange by the mill if required.

A well-stocked warehouse gives CRAM customers direct access to an extensive range of new and replacement parts for fluid power systems – a facility the upgrade program at the timber mill is taking advantage of.

The program has called for a new Graco grease manifold and a range of filter elements.

As a national Graco distributor we could supply and install the appropriate grease manifold. Equally, as national distributors for filter manufacturers including Parker, Hydac and Donaldson, we also supplied the particular filters required.

The next stage of the mill upgrade project is a site audit looking at improving the operation, accuracy and efficiency of the fluid power system in use.

Although recognised nationally as a leading supplier of hydraulic power components and system design, the primary focus for CRAM is solutions-focussed problem solving – whether that means supplying off-the-shelf components or a design, manufacture, install and commission package to supply the best solution for our clients.

The company’s inherent skill is finding a workable, efficient and cost-effective solution based on a quarter of a century of product knowledge, expertise and experience.

Exceptional design and manufacturing back-up A strength of CRAM is the workshop, capable of repairing or manufacturing almost all the components that make up a comprehensive fluid power system.

The upgrade project at the timber mill called for a 4-Station Cetop3 manifold along with a new hydraulic cylinder.

Hydraulic cooling system

The design and manufacture of Cetop3 manifold is one of many design and builds regularly done in the workshop.

This particular manifold operates a number of cylinders in the dry mill.

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MORE THAN JUST BENDING TUBE In almost any industrial environment, running pipe from point A to point B means working with a series of obstacles including infrastructure, productivity demands, site practices and access. And occasionally a hard job comes along.

Irrespective of the site and the local conditions, the pipe

although each of the three assets was shut down in turn to be worked on, at the end of each day - even though the machine had been isolated for the CRAM team to work on – it had to be operational if called upon by the operators on afternoon or night shift.

A recent project for a steel products manufacturer is a case in point.

Additionally, an electrical upgrade was underway so the possibility of cable trays had to be factored into CRAM’s system design.

fabrication team at CRAM work to a proven sequential process – a process that has delivered efficient and costeffective design and installation fabricated pipe projects for most of the region’s manufacturing operations.

The contract awarded to CRAM was for the design, fabrication, installation and commissioning of a hydraulic fluid transport system to each of three production assets.

An integral part of the customer’s ongoing automation program, the system would improve safety and deliver greater control to the operation of a high-impact production area.

Each of the three fabricated pipe transport systems was to be installed in a planned shutdown periods. CRAM was given dates when site access was to be available and any and all work needing site access – including scoping and measuring, layout and design and finally installation and commissioning – was to fit with that schedule.

One of the primary considerations for this job was that

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CRAM’s familiarity with the site and the engineering team meant any interference or disruption to the production schedule would be minimal. A communication channel between CRAM and the site’s engineering team, electrical team and lubrication team was established to head-off any unplanned interruptions as the job progressed.

The job would include some 420 metres of tube, around 260 bends and more than 50 leak-proof fittings including seals. All design work - based on the initial site measurements by the CRAM team, pipe fabrication and tube-end preparation by the unique EO2-FORM – would be done in-house.

A faster and ultimately cheaper method of connecting tube and fittings, the EO2-FORM is designed to eliminate leakage in all fluid systems by using elastomeric sealing systems. The cold-forming process gives extreme rigidity and low tightening torques and eliminates any special tube treatment, heating or chemical additives which have been used previously.

Working to the measurements taken at the first site visit the fabrication program in the workshop advanced quickly. The experience of the tradesmen, one of whom has been doing pipework since the mid-80s so his knowledge and experience is very extensive, meant a fast turnaround to get the fabricated pipework ready for installation. The 18M runs of straight pipe were TIG-welded on site as the fabricated sections were fitted in line to, where necessary, go under, over or around any existing infrastructure, cable trays and the like. The system designed by CRAM allowed for minor adjustments in the final path of the pipework but were not needed.

A professional approach Projects such as this hydraulic fluid transport system require a strong professional relationship between client and supplier and this is the type of relationship CRAM fosters with customers.

Although relatively complex the combination of a good working relationship with the client, material fabricated to detail and prepared for installation and a well-trained and experienced team of tradesmen who bring an extensive range of practical skills to the job mean a high level of efficiency as the job progresses.

The extensive in-house resources CRAM brings to a pipe fabrication project – such as design, manufacture and testing – have engendered a strong relationship of trust and competence in the industry. The industry knows that CRAM knows what it is doing and will get the job done – on time and on budget.

Fluid power design solution for oil transfer

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ENERGY AUDITS: MAXIMISING ENERGY USE AND EFFICIENCY

Increasing profit is not just a matter of producing more or selling more. On the other side of the ledger – the expense side – are opportunities for cutting expenses and improving the bottom line. Targeted energy audits will find some of those opportunities.

As the name suggests an energy audit is an analysis of the cost and efficiency of the energy used within a business and takes a three-way approach – energy consumption, energy waste and energy improvements – looking for ways the business can improve operational efficiency and cut costs and increase profit.

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As to the first question. The goals of energy audits in hydraulic systems include being able to run the system with either less pumps or smaller pumps or changing the configuration of the system.

For more than 20 years CRAM has been synonymous with all aspects of hydraulic power. The energy audits undertaken by CMA, the engineering division of CRAM, have extended the company’s reputation for hydraulic excellence and, along the way, delivered thousands of dollars in direct and maintenance cost savings for a range of business customers.

For example, for processes that include short periods of intense demand, the original design of the hydraulic system probably included a large hydraulic power unit capable of meeting the high demand but for much of the time its high capacity is not needed. Adding accumulators into the hydraulic system lets the power unit operate continually at average load maintaining the accumulator fully charged and ready to meet the peak demand times.

Of course, making claims like ‘savings thousands of dollars’ raises questions like ‘how’ and what’s the return on investment (ROI) of the cost of the audit.

A second example could involve changing the control circuit of single rod hydraulic cylinders to consume less oil when extending.

To answer the second question first, the ROI is frequently less than six months as the audit may uncover possible changes in software or operating procedures that don’t cost a lot to implement and can start delivering savings almost immediately. From here, the potential savings keep growing.

In terms of operational savings, the service life of the pump is extended because it’s operating cycle is relatively constant rather than a number of highintensity peak demands, the potential for unplanned shutdowns is significantly reduced due to pump failure and maintenance costs are stabilised as the system is realigned.

Large hydraulic systems offer a number of opportunities for energy and cost savings.

Such large hydraulic systems are generally multi-pump installations where the pumps have been set to run all the time. An energy audit would consider the total amount of hydraulic power being made available against the amount required by the system to perform the tasks for which it was designed and identify where cost and energy savings can be achieved, such as only running as many pumps as are actually required, software tweaks or identifying hydraulic components that are wasting energy and require maintenance.

are cyclical, data logging equipment has to be in-situ long enough capture examples of the cycle across all line configurations.

That’s the first part of the data story. The second chapter is analysis and interpretation of the data and recommendations. And that’s the strength CMA has around energy audits. Finding out how a system is operating, finding out where efficiencies can be achieved and using the collected data to recommend and implement where necessary - positive changes to production processes; changes that will not impact on productivity but reduce operating expenses.

In this case the savings start to add up. For example, in a scenario similar to above, CMA carried out an audit on a hydraulic system which included three x 120kW pumpsets, of which only two were being powered up at any one time. The findings were that, for all operations, excluding a maintenance mode that was only used very occasionally, the power unit was only being utilised a maximum of 32%, indicating that it could be run on a single pump.

Turing off a single pump saved 27.5MWh of power a month. Based on an electricity price of 10c/kWh, this means savings of $2754 per month. These savings could be realised without any additional expenditure; just a small PLC change carried out by onsite staff.

Further to this, our analysis allowed us to estimate that the baseline leakage for the system to be around double what it should be for the number of functions involved.

If valve maintenance was carried out, to cut down on the system leakage, an additional 32.4MWh could be saved per month – which equates to $3240 in additional savings.

Additionally, there is the cost benefit from reducing wear and tear on an additional pump and motor. The examples above are practical, profitable outcomes of energy audits CMA has undertaken. But what does it take to achieve these results? The right data and the right people to analyse and interpret the data to make the right recommendations.

The appropriate data is crucial to the outcome of the audit as it is the basis on which recommendations are based. Any data collected has to reflect the current operating environment and as most production processes

Graph highlighting the expected response of a system if pump capacity was reduced

Graph highlighting the response of a system with additional accumulator capacity added

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MORE THAN MAINTENANCE A planned maintenance program as a contribution to operational efficiency and productivity is one of the services CRAM provides. It’s when accidents interrupt and potentially shutdown production that the additional resources the company can provide become an investment rather than an expense.

Along with planned and emergency response maintenance programs the CRAM service package includes system design, bespoke manufacturing, installation and commissioning. These specialist areas have a seamless interaction to provide the most efficient, productive and profitable hydraulic power solution for a demanding industrial client base.

an EO2-FORM positive connection joint, a product the company has been supplying to the mining industry on a regular basis. A feature of the EO2-FORM joint is that it doesn’t require any sort of compressive force to maintain a seal as seen with compression fittings; it uses an O-ring to form a seal between the fitting and profile formed on the end of the tube.

It’s an interaction that is regularly called on as was the case when an accident exposed structural problems in some of the old fittings on active air and dewatering lines in a power generation facility.

Based on the results of the demonstration and interest by site engineering staff, CRAM Site Services was awarded a contract for the rectification of the damage resulting from the incident. They have now started upgrading the critical pneumatic systems at a number of the generator’s sites.

The incident initiated multi-site review of aging infrastructure and with the input of product specialists a determination to improve site safety and operational procedures.

CRAM Site Services was selected to work with site engineers to develop a replacement and upgrade program.

Given the number of fittings in the lines – and in answer to the generator’s desire to improve the connection joints of those fittings – Site Services set up a demonstration of

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The project has involved three of CRAM’s specialist divisions - maintenance, site services and design - and highlights the resources the company can bring to a project.

Initial investigations and assessments, and ultimately installation, has been the responsibility of the CRAM maintenance team. All pipe fabrication, including the unique EO2-FORM connections, has been done in-house.

Given the age and infrastructure within the generator’s plants, much design work had to be done to ensure the upgrade’s successful completion. That design work was done by CMA, an integral division of CRAM. Established in 1994, the original premise for CMA was to offer professional hydraulic engineering services to companies not in a position to employ their own inhouse specialist engineers. The core members of CMA are professional engineers with many years experience working in heavy industry.

The power station project has progressed and evolved with the sites making extensive use of marinegrade stainless steel to take account of the aqueous

environment where a lot of corrosion is present. An upgrade program for other areas of both plants is utilising more robust materials.

Addressing the immediate and then developing long-term strategies is a hallmark of the overall CRAM concept.

The experience and in-house resources CRAM brings to a project means long term benefits for customer through the investment in specialist products and services. that CRAM knows what it is doing and will get the job done – on time and on budget.

Operating air supply system

Dewatering air supply with 2 compressor and 3 receivers

Replaced water cooling system with all stainless-steel components

New gauges and Grundfos pumps on a general water supply

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OUR SATISFIED CUSTOMERS Over the last 25 years, CRAM have serviced hundreds of customers in various capacities across a wide range of industries. in-house.

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Mining Industrial Manufacturing Agriculture Energy Minerals Transport

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Construction Waste Management Materials Production Infrastructure

OUR SUPPLIERS CRAM has business partnerships with an extensive range of world class suppliers and quality products.

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cram.com.au

LOCATIONS NSW

WA

Unanderra Head Office

Bellevue (CMA)

14 Glastonbury Unanderra, NSW 2526 (02) 4272 4092

Unit 3 156 Kewdale Road Kewdale, WA 6105 (08) 6350 3750

Unanderra

Welshpool

8-12 Glastonbury Avenue Unanderra, NSW 2526 (02) 4271 8066

54 Banksia Road Welshpool, WA 6106

Unanderra 11 Glastonbury Ave Unanderra, NSW 2526 (02) 4260 5842

Unanderra (CMA) 17 Glastonbury Avenue Unanderra, NSW 2526 (02) 4223 7115

Hunter Unit 1 33 Kyle Street Rutherford, NSW 2320 02 4035 3500

QLD Mackay 55-57 Southgate Drive Paget, QLD 4740 (07) 4898 7200

Brisbane 45 Harvey Street North Eagle Farm, QLD 4009

TAS Launceston (Hydraquip) 17-23 Montague Street Invermay,TAS 7248 (03) 6326 6677