PSM R&D and Repair development engineers work together to promote invention that benefits our customers by allowing both new-make design innovations to be applied to repair components and repair ideas to be implemented into new design. Our recent 7FA endcover design exemplifies this benefit. OEM endcovers utilize unreliable braze joints to assemble inserts into the endcover. Cracks in these brazed joints cause problematic NOx excursions that can lead to costly forced outages. In 2014, PSM was first-to-market with a new-make endcover that incorporates superior capability Electron Beam (EB) welded joints instead of brazed joints.
This year, PSM reconditioning engineers developed a patent-pending weld-spatter pocket feature and a unique insert design that enables EB-welded insert replacements during the repair process. This “conversion” or upgrade is expected to eliminate the need for future insert replacements, providing customers life cycle cost reductions and enhanced operating reliability.
