Q&A: Steve Casey - Wind Systems Magazine

Moventas is launching its new up-tower repair service, what is this?
This is a global initiative that began last year when we performed the first full helical up-tower gearbox repair in N.A. This service consists of replacing the high speed, intermediate and low speed assemblies on site, eliminating the need to ship the gearbox to our facility for repair. We have since performed numerous full helical repairs, including one in Germany. In addition to the shipping time to and from our factory, we also eliminate some of the disassembly and assemby time associated with a complete gearbox tear down at our facility.

Is this available only to Moventas customers?
We have recently expanded into non-Moventas models and will continue to do so to provide this service to multiple turbine types on a global basis.

What is the benefit of this new repair?
This service eliminates the need for the large boom and secondary cranes normally required to take the entire gearbox down tower. This is a significant cost savings for our customers.

What other types of repairs or inspections will you perform?
Along with the full helical repair, we offer to our customers end of warranty inspections, CMaS monitoring, standard high speed pinion and bearing change-outs and pitch tube repairs.

Please explain the CMaS portion of the service.
CMaS is the name of our conditioning monitoring unit which is unique in that it was designed specifically for wind gears. It monitors the condition of the oil in addition to providing 24 / 7 vibration feedback. Since we cannot dyno-test our up-tower helical repairs, we install our CMaS system on each repair to ensure that the gearbox is operating to the same standards as it would if it were repaired in our facility.

I understand you are building mobile workshops. Please explain.
We started with one mobile workshop that we deployed to the site where we would perform the full helical repair. We built a second unit that was recently on display at the AWEA show in Atlanta and we are in the process of building three more units for North America.

Where will the mobile units be located?
Each unit will be strategically located throughout North America to provide our customers with immediate response time and reduced travel costs. The same is happening this year in Europe and will be expanded into India, Australia, Brazil and China after that.

When Jonathan Collings forwarded your contact information he said you were the real “Father” of the method. What does that mean?
I helped facilitate. The real credit goes to our Field Service Manager, James Macik and his team of technicians for making the concept a reality.

Please tell us more about Moventas.
Moventas has based its expertise on bringing together decades of experience and leading-edge technologies derived from our long history in gear manufacturing. The uncompromising reliability of our mechanical power transmission equipment is the ultimate requirement. Competent engineering, the latest technology production processes and constant testing guarantee the quality of our products.

Our gear units are specifically designed to withstand the most extreme conditions in the world from the arctic tundra to deserts and offshore installations. As the world’s leading wind turbine manufacturers know, the Moventas brand stands for reliability, responsiveness and assurance as a dependable partner. Moventas is well known for reliable power-transmission solutions in the wind power industry and our wind turbine gear units are in use all over the world, wherever wind is farmed. We have significantly increased our North American capacity to meet our customers’ demand from both a service and production perspective.

To learn more:

Please Contact Steve Casey at Moventas, Inc. at (503) 247-6107 or email steve.casey@moventas.com.