On-site Services

We bring support to your doorstep.

We travel the world to support our clients in all aspects of babbit bearing challenges. From “bearing doctoring” and inspection to in-person training, we bring support when you need it, where you need it.

Spring-bed thrust bearings

We have provided site inspections to support the conversion from split-plates to our proprietary segmented custom designs. In collaboration with the customer on-site, we have planned the conversion process in many spring-bed upgrades to retain the advantages of the original design and to save the customer the cost of a full change-out with a new thrust bearing assembly.

Pioneer spring-bed thrust bearings
Pioneer vertical thrust bearings

Vertical thrust bearings

As part of our projects to add hydrostatic lift to vertical thrust bearings, our support has included our on-site inspection of existing configurations and face-to-face discussions with customers to agree upon the location for the supporting lift-oil skids and the preferred locations for the lift-oil, distribution manifolds incorporated in our solutions.

Journal measurements

During hydro refurbishments, work on the thrust block often results in the need to know the shaft fit diameter. Many of our customers have preferred Pioneer to be responsible for obtaining this measurement. For example, Lynn Boone and other technical team members have traveled to sites with appropriate calipers and micrometers to obtain these diameters. The same can be requested of fit diameters.

Pioneer engineer measuring the shaft fit diameter of a thrust block
Pioneer runner being inspected

Runner inspection

Though we are capable of inspecting the runner, our ability to do so on site is often limited as a practical matter to a surface finish and visual inspection, particularly if the runner is only accessible through a maintenance window. If the runner is out of the unit, we recommend it be shipped to our plant, which is the usual preference of customers.

Bearing temperature and vibration data

Though discussion of bearing temperatures and vibration data is commonly accomplished in e-mails with plant personnel, it is very useful to talk about these issues on site in person with customers, especially where the intent is to understand and plan for a modification to a bearing or supporting structure.

Screen of bearing temperature and vibration data by Pioneer
Pioneer team members disucssing rotordynamics

Rotordynamics

For a customer in Central America, a site visit was required for a discussion of the rotordynamics of an existing but relatively new turbine to overcome the “language barrier”.  The language barrier can be literal (as it was there: Chinese, English, and Spanish) or technical, in cases where there is limited ability of plant staff to provide necessary technical information. A site visit can also overcome the information not available in typical plant manuals but might be available from maintenance records, operators, visual observations, and direct measurements.

Learn more about our consulting services and training

Pioneer member on a computer working on troubleshooting bearing solutions

“Bearing Doctoring” – trouble-shooting bearing problems to develop proposed solutions to end users or OEMs assisting them.

Pioneer engineer inspecting bearing and performing "bearing doctoring"

Technical engineering and inspection services on site at power plants in North and South America and Europe, assisting OEM and power plant maintenance personnel.

Pioneer mechanical engineering training lecture

Training of operations and maintenance personnel and advanced training for mechanical engineers in rotordynamics, bearing theory, operation and maintenance at power companies world-wide.

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