Mines and oilsands operators depend on electricity that must be distributed through equipment specially designed for the task. Because of the equipment’s unique characteristics, and its vital importance to uptime, operators must be particularly thoughtful in their selection.
Custom electrical distribution systems are exactly that: individually designed and purpose-built equipment to meet the individual requirements of a specific site and operation. As they are not stock products, a “pure” purchasing process based simply on price and promises ignores a host of critical engineering and reliability factors; factors that mean the difference between productive uptime and costly downtime, and between long-term value and gear rusting in a boneyard.
Here are nine questions to ask prospective gear suppliers. The answers will illuminate real and critical differences, and they will be your guides to obtaining the best value and return-on-investment.
1. Does your firm have sufficient engineering expertise?
When selecting a manufacturer, the resumes of its engineers are key. Extensive preliminary engineering is commonly required to create specifications that ensure new equipment will meet load demands and provide seamless integration. Vendors with deep design and application expertise can support this in-house effort and reduce associated engineering costs.
Obviously, an innovative solution to your custom application challenge requires the ability to innovate. Firms which simply “knock off” other supplier’s designs may not have the engineering horsepower to deliver the best full custom solution as promised.
To reduce oversight costs, many companies try to minimize the number of vendors they work with. This strategy makes particular sense for custom equipment vendors because the original supplier will be most familiar with its design and the equipment may be in service for decades. Therefore any vendor worth consideration should have a long track record. Given the monetary and staff commitments inherent in a large project, sufficient resources must be available on demand. Choosing a vendor for a project that may equal their entire annual sales is risky from the get-go. Also check the scope of the vendor’s manufacturing facilities. Some may be little more than a garage, rather than an advanced manufacturing facility
By the way, all equipment should be 100% tested at the factory. Factory acceptance testing assures it is fully assessed and ready for field commissioning. Full service vendors who design, build and test equipment in-house are in the best position to assure safe, reliable operation.
2. Does your firm have experience in designing and building systems for applications like ours?
There is no substitute for experience. In a mine shaft, if haulage is on the left, then equipment must sit on the right, and controls can be located only on one side of the equipment. A minor detail, but one that can render the entire investment lost if missed in design engineering.
What are the actual electrical requirements of the equipment? Typically engineers oversize designs to add margins for safety and performance. But in your actual custom design, is that practical? An oversized transformer will challenge the maximum allowable size for the equipment, for example. An accurate engineering scope is essential.
Each design includes a number of components from various sources. The engineering team should be familiar with a variety of makes and models and how to integrate them. It’s even better if the vendor also manufactures its own component, which gives designers deep insight into their application.
Experienced design engineering and manufacturing reduce the chance – and costs – of equipment failure.
3. Does your proposed solution take into account the realities and restrictions in the system’s working environment?
A mine is a facility in motion, with power distribution equipment moving as the ore face moves. Conditions include dust, moisture, and temperature extremes.
The working environment exerts a major influence on design. For starters, the equipment must be mounted on a sled or a trailer. If the equipment will be positioned sideways to permit delivery down a mineshaft, then special bracing of internal components is required. Likewise, a height restriction in a shaft might prevent access to a transformer from the top, necessitating a side access design. Drives and transformers can be designed to keep particulate-laden mine air segregated from components; this will reduce the need to change the air filter. Such design sophistication should be considered in vendor selection to reduce maintenance costs.
By the way, simplicity of operation is a vital design criterion for both safety and productivity. Operators may not be electricians; workers with limited education and training may operate it day to day.
4. Does your proposed solution adequately account for the transportation of the equipment to the site and installation?
Transportation cannot be an afterthought. Equipment in transport may need to pass under a low-clearance bridge or fit down a shaft and around a corner. It may require a road that is open only seasonally. Recognizing in advance that site access may include limitations can prevent nasty surprises.
Make sure your vendor explains precisely how they manage “the last leg in the journey.” Consider the potash mining company that discovered equipment arrived with power cable couplers mounted precisely where the loader would contact the equipment when it pushed the sled into place. Workers had to drill out, relocate and rewire the couplers. Purchasing lower-cost equipment – only to find it requires days of reworking before use – can incur cascading costs for repair, wasted labor hours, and production delays.
5. Does your firm have expertise in designing equipment and systems compliant with the relevant industry standards and electrical codes?
Never presume that, because the vendor uses quality components, the system as configured will meet government standards, which are numerous. In Canada they include C22.1 Canadian Electrical Code; M421 Use of electricity in mines; C22.2-14 Industrial control equipment; C22.2-31 Switchgear assemblies; SPE-1000 Special inspection; Z462 Workplace electrical safety; and Z463 Maintenance of electrical system.
A low initial cost can be highly counterproductive… as an open pit operation in Western Canada discovered when their equipment from a U.S. vendor arrived with a design, protective relays and transformer all in violation of Canadian electrical codes. The entire purchase ended up sitting unused, except as an expensive storage cabinet.
In addition, custom-engineered electrical systems must be designed with safety as a key consideration. Sturdy structures and bracing to protect components from vibration and impact and prevent arc flash are essential. Equipment can be designed with control panels and operator interfaces physically removed from breakers and hazardous zones. Your vendor should specify advanced safety interlocks on doors and panels, which automatically reset safety setpoints lower to reduce hazards during maintenance.
6. Will you engage the different stakeholders in order to identify requirements based on the location in which the equipment will be used, its operation, and its maintenance?
Just as there is no “one-size-fits-all” solution for custom equipment, there is no substitute for knowledge gained by on-site investigation prior to design engineering. Managers and operators can yield small insights that make big differences in day-to-day efficiencies. In addition, a qualified vendor will be able to make suggestions, based on previous experience that may result in a more appropriate specification and/or solution.
7. Is the proposed solution readily upgradeable/expandable as new requirements evolve over the lifetime of the installation?
Expert design engineering can “build in” capabilities for expansion, modernization and upgrade. Vendors should always design in the latest technology. Microprocessor-based components, for example, are more reliable and require less maintenance than electromechanical components performing the same function. This may offer enormous cost benefits over the life of the equipment.
A qualified vendor will be able to use a lessons-learned approach to incorporate or suggest improvements to the design. A higher initial cost may be more than offset by reduced maintenance through the innovation brought to bear.
8. Can you demonstrate that the specified delivery date is realistic and achievable based on past performance?
Unlike standard electrical gear that is designed and refined over a period of years, custom electrical equipment must be designed and manufactured in 12 to 18 months. As a result, good time management and project management become critical.
Costs associated with missing deadlines for delivery can rapidly escalate. Consider, for example, the North Canada mining operation accessible only by ice road. When the vendor missed his delivery date (which never should have been promised in the first place), the ice road had thawed and delivery by air added $35,000 to the real cost of the custom gear.
A vendor who tells you what you want to hear, instead of what you need to know, is not a good partner. Competent design engineering and manufacturing takes time. Larger projects take more. Given the costs of downtime and lost production, there is no point in accepting a promise that can’t be kept. Evaluate vendors carefully for a proven track record of on-time delivery.
9. Can you describe your ability to deliver customer service over the life of the equipment?
Mines tend to be in remote locations where nothing comes easy. When problems arise, mine operators need answers, replacement parts and engineering expertise immediately. Ask the vendor how they can support you.
• Is engineering capability available on demand, or is the vendor just packaging parts?
• Can the vendor be counted on for upgrades, reprogramming and redesign?
• Will it have resources to deliver training, so equipment is operated most efficiently and safely?
Downtime is costly. Some potash mines value downtime at $1 million per hour. But even at $10 thousand per hour, a shortcut on quality or design will cause the savings on cheap equipment to evaporate in a matter of hours. Lasting value doesn’t derive from low initial cost. It exists in specialized engineering talent and the experience to apply it to your custom electrical equipment long after it is commissioned.
Summary
In contrast to standard products, custom electrical systems must be viewed as engineered solutions. The equipment itself isn’t difficult for your supplier to build. The challenges lie in more complex designs and shorter timeframes. Given the importance of electrical distribution it is important not to be penny wise and pound foolish, and to choose suppliers wisely.
By Rami Hakam, Littelfuse Startco