Service – keeping the energy flowing
Like all the Alstom Group's Sectors, Alstom Grid recognises the importance of excellence in customer support and service.
Accounting for 5% of Alstom Grid's sales, the Service business unit provides a range of after-sales operations (repair, refurbishment, spare parts) and consultancy, assessment and training services.
Local expertise
The Pacific Service business unit is based at the Rocklea manufacturing site in Queensland. It provides service and advice for all Alstom and legacy products. In 2009 it opened its on-site Switchgear Maintenance Workshop in addition to its well known Oil Laboratory facilities.
Local service capabilities include:
Transformer Service – all manufacturers
>> Site refurbishment and transformer dryouts
>> Factory repair and rewinds
>> Plant Maintenance and Advice
>> Site and factory investigations of failed plant
>> Installation and Commissioning
>> Upgrading analysis and kits
>> Oil Testing and Analysis
>> Remnant Life assessment & Plant Life Extension Advice
>> Plant Condition Assessment and Monitoring
>> Spare Parts
>> Technical Training
Switchgear Service
>> Site and factory investigations of failed plant
>> Factory repair & refurbishment
>> Upgrading – Ecofit
>> Maintenance and Breakdown spare parts kits
>> Installation and Commissioning
>> On-site Plant Assessment
>> Technical Training
Rocklea: A Dedicated Local Manufacturing Resource
Alstom’s local transformer and switchgear factory in Rocklea, Queensland, has been supplying quality products to customers throughout Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific region for over 60 years.
Transformer factory
Alstom Grid’s transformer factory has a covered manufacturing area of 19,000m2, with over 200 people designing, building, testing and servicing a broad range of distribution, small power and very large power transformers.
Alstom has invested heavily in plant and equipment in the transformer workshops. This has led to a factory capacity increase of 40%. Upgrades to the facility include an epoxy floor coating (required for the new 250-tonne air cushion system) and two new vapour plants.
Specialist equipment includes an impulse generator capable of simulating a two million volt lightning strike and modern partial discharge and sound intensity equipment.
Today more than 200 people design, build, service and test a wide range of power transformers.
Switchgear factory
AREVA’s 4,400m2 switchgear factory is one of the few Australian facilities manufacturing circuit breakers. The medium voltage switchgear workshop produces:
• circuit breaker panels for air-insulated and gas-insulated substations from 11kV up to 52kV
• outdoor circuit breakers to 36kV
• indoor vacuum circuit breakers to 11kv
• outdoor circuit breakers to 36kv
• assembles complete switchboards panels and supplies a full range of customised prefabricated and transportable substations.
Many of the components manufactured in the switchgear workshop are Australian designed to meet the rigours of this country’s conditions.
Service support
The oil laboratory is third party accredited by NATA (National Association of Testing Authorities) ensuring comprehensive, accurate and objective test results.
Specialised equipment includes an impulse generator (capable of simulating a lightning strike of up to two million volt/200kJ), and modern partial discharge and sound intensity measurement equipment.
Duplication of the testing facilities is proposed to allow an even higher throughput. 2009 saw the launch of a brand new on-site Switchgear Maintenance Workshop.
Quality
Activities are carried out within the framework of ISO 9001:2000 and 6 Sigma improvement programs.