Equalizer, designers and developers of flange maintenance tools for the energy industry, has introduced a new alignment tool for wind turbine towers.
Equalizer, using their knowledge and expertise in pipework alignment, has developed the tool that can be used to rectify bolt-hole misalignment on flanges inside wind turbine towers during assembly or installation.
The tool was developed as a request made by wind turbine manufacturing firm Siemens Wind Power from Europe to Equalizer’s Danish distributor, Hytor.
Equalizer holds a reputation for development of flange alignment tools and this tool idea was conceived and delivered within ten weeks, the company said.
The pipe sections within the towers consist of internal bolted flange connections and during fabrication they become ovalized, causing misalignment of holes that makes assembling of tower difficult. The new tool will help tackle this problem and make installation more efficient.
Ian McCormick, chairman, managing director, Equalizer, stated, “The expertise which we have developed over the past 20 years is very transferrable to renewables both off and onshore. Both sectors face similar issues in pipework and flange alignment and maintenance. Our tools are already used in the renewable sector but this is the first developed specifically for the Wind Energy industry. We were able to react to meet Siemen’s requirements and we will be equally responsive to other requests from industry.”
Earlier this month, Equalizer won the Energy Innovation of the Year award in the East of England Energy Group’s (EEEGR) Innovation Awards, for pioneering ideas and innovative technology which can benefit the energy industry.