Don't interrupt
September 1st 2008 Wellman Robey R & C has over twenty four disciplines,
but only one objective, to reduce boiler-house running
costs without interrupting production for the end user
Managing director, Taj Heer
comments that, "It is not unusual
for a Wellman Robey Repair or
Conversion to have a payback period of
twelve months or less. In certain instances
we also assist in the financing of these
initiatives. Once payback is achieved the
life cycle returns become Nett positive
savings as operational costs for that
particular boiler-house".
Wellman Robey's first discipline begins
with a site survey. The initial visit is a free
service carried out by one of its senior
engineers, who will provide a report that
indicates possible areas for improvement
with a financial bracket assessment of
conversion costs and resultant savings. If
work progresses from this stage a fixed
cost in-depth survey would be completed
which results in firm prices for work to be
carried out, along with predictions for short
and long term efficiency gains and
savings. The cost of this final phase of the
survey would be reimbursed to the end
user if a contract materialised.
Possibly the most rewarding operation of
the Wellman Robey disciplines is the retrofit
of 'Economisers' to existing boilers. An
example of one recent conversion: At the
Unilever (Best Foods) facility at Burton on
Trent (the home of 'Marmite' and 'Bovril'
production) existing Economisers have
been replaced on fifteen year old Wellman
Robey boilers at a cost of £60,000. The
claw-back came in less than twelve months
through yielded fuel savings, with the client
conservatively estimating £2million across
the life cycle of the boilers.
In addition to retrofits, the company has
seen an increase in activity across
recommissioning economisers that have
fallen into disuse. Loss of production from
repairs and conversions within the boiler
house is always of great concern,
however, in many instances work can be
completed in shut down periods or by
rotating the boilers in use.
In the event of a longer time being
required for work to be carried out,
Wellman Robey as part of their
comprehensive services have a hire fleet
of steam and hot-water boilers, which can
be called for in emergencies or planned
long term contracts. To emphasise
response time, Toyota of Derby called for a
boiler at 3.00 pm which was delivered and
operational by 9.00 pm on the same day.
Wellman Robey predict that the life span of
a well kept boiler exceeds thirty years, but
there are always exceptions to the rule. At
Manchester Children's Hospital, two 'riveted'
(not welded) boilers, supplied by the
Company are being withdrawn from
operation after 71 years service. They are not
being stood down due to age or condition,
but because there is a completely new
hospital coming into operation. And Wellman
Robey are the providers of the new boilers. More articles from Wellman Robey: | 
