POWER February 2022 - 31

OPERATIONS & MAINTENANCE
the vendor might revolve around how to
make that happen. In such situations,
it's important to bring the vendor into
the planning process early, so that their
product can be worked into the design.
To get that kind of outcome, you need to
know your vendors, and who to talk with
about detailed questions.
Twenty years ago, it was easier to find
vendor personnel with the ability to help
design a solution. It was possible to call
them and ask for help on, for example, a
boiler (Figure 2), and they would respond
with something like, " I know that boiler,
and I'm familiar with that issue. I've got
access to the drawings, and I can tell you
the parts and subassemblies you need. "
We find that as with powerhouses,
many vendors these days are short on
experienced staff. This means that the
person you talk with may not have a
high degree of knowledge about power
plant operation, but will be fully capable
of taking your order and having the
product shipped.
When you find out what product you
need, the vendor may well insist that
you use only their approved products
and have them installed by their staff,
but, in fact, you may be able to get help
closer to home. Our experience is that
while vendors may want you to use their
parts, many of those parts are made by
third parties. They're made to the vendor's
requirements and standards, but in
many cases, simple products are made
to widely accepted standards.
The part may just be, for example,
ASTM A106 Grade B pipe of a specified
length and diameter with a flange
at both ends. Any competent fabricator
can produce that part, and perhaps
have it to you faster and at a lower price
than the vendor could provide. Code
pipe is code pipe, no matter who supplies
it. Be sure that the shop you work
with has adequate skills in reverse engineering
to prepare parts that are of
the right dimensions and materials to
work in your application.
Three trends we've seen are making it
easier to get the parts and supplies you
need. They are:
■ More
Helpful
Online
Information.
Take advantage of the increase in the
amount of detailed, helpful information
available online. Some of this is on
the websites of equipment vendors or
of industry associations. It may be in
text form, diagrams, or videos. Just
check to see that the information is
from a credible source and is current.
February 2022 | POWER
■ Easier Availability from Third Parties.
Along with more information available
online, it's increasingly easy to
access online warehouses of highly
specific parts. These may be overseas,
but any reliable provider will
be meeting the required standards
from the American Society of Mechanical
Engineers (ASME) and other
authoritative sources.
■ Additive Manufacturing. The explosive
growth of 3D printing is making it
possible to keep outdated equipment
alive and functioning, in that, it's possible
to build replacement parts from
scratch. Again, it's important that the
work be done by people with the
needed skills at reverse engineering
and producing products that meet
the relevant standards.
Selecting the Right Contractor for
Each Job
In the same way vendors have specific
areas of strength and limitation, contractors
aren't all the same. Some can be
eliminated from consideration if they're
not able to do the work you need done.
Maybe they've bid particularly high because
they really don't want the work,
perhaps because they feel it's too small
for them.
In selecting a contractor, it's important
to note the relative strengths of each,
perhaps around mechanical, electrical, or
civil engineering. Then, pick the best one
for the job, depending on the needs of
the project.
How Third-party Engineering Firms
Pull It All Together
Third party engineering firms can help
make sure all the entities involved in
your project will work together to produce
the result you want. Here's part of
how that happens:
■ Vendor and Contractor Evaluation.
Vendors and contractors may have
wildly differing quotes on what seems
to be the same project. It takes someone
with experience to untangle the
differences in what each proposal is
offering, and third-party engineering
firms have the knowledge and the
independence to help you make the
best selection.
■ Incorporating Components into Your
System. Many vendors will want to do
their own installation on the principle
that they know their products best.
But an engineering firm can often do
the job as good or better at a lower
www.powermag.com
2. Many experienced power industry experts
have retired over the past decade, meaning
vendors don't always have the same familiarity
they once did with older equipment. That's
why tapping into other engineering resources
can be important. Courtesy: Encorus Group
cost, partly because the firm is more
aware of the larger context into which
the component will fit.
■ Making Connections. Engineering
firms can present vendors, contractors,
and other participants with the
needs of the powerhouse. Then, the
firm can manage the project, taking
responsibility for the work so you get
the result you want. A firm can also
work with the fact that various vendors
may be supplying key components
of the project such as boilers,
turbines, and heat exchangers, and
make them all work together.
■ Turnkey Solutions. Some firms are
willing and able to take the whole
project off your desk so you can focus
on day-to-day matters. The firm takes
the project from concept through construction,
and on to commissioning.
Working with the company's own
employees, vendors, contractors, and
engineering firms can be challenging,
but by understanding the role of each,
powerhouses can keep the lights on for
their customers. ■
-Steven Rakvica leads the Project
Management Office for Encorus Group,
a multi-disciplinary firm and ServiceDisabled
Veteran-Owned Small Business
(SDVOSB), based in the Buffalo, New
York, area (www.encorus.com).
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https://www.encorus.com http://www.powermag.com
POWER February 2022

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