The turbo workshop in the Dominican Republic provides services and spare parts for any type of Turbocharger, not only for Wärtsilä engines.
Wärtsilä has written quality assurance procedures for all its repair works on turbochargers. As always, upon receipt of the component, first a thorough inspection and evaluation is carried out in order to determine the optimum repair method.
Most of the basic maintenance is the cleaning and balancing of the rotor, including or excluding the maintenance of the housing. Depending on the inspections, various additional repair works can be offered.
The final inspection before balancing is to check the run out of the shaft and the deflection of the compressor wheel in order to make sure these are still within the permitted tolerances. The shaft end dimensions and run outs are calibrated and inspected by certified technicians. UV and penetrating tests are also incorporated into this procedure to further ensure the integrity of the repair. If these measurements are satisfactory, or after remedial work, the rotor is pre-balanced on a microprocessor controlled test bench, according to the ISO 1940 and VDI 2060 standards.
Blade Repair
Damaged rotor blades can cause imbalance while the rotor is spinning. Imbalance causes wear at the bearings and can, in the long term, cause major damage to the entire turbocharger. Costly repairs and excessive downtime occur at that moment.
Usually, external objects are the main cause for needing blade repairs, but long-term erosion by exhaust gases may also create the need. Wärtsilä is often able to repair damaged rotor blades, a specialized procedure carried out by highly qualified technicians, in the Dominican Republic Wärtsilä is able to repair damaged turbine blades if the condition is within the OEM specified permissible NO-GO criteria. The blade repairs are carried out under certain strictly controlled conditions by means of TIG (Tungsten Inert Gas) welding. The operation is performed in a closed welding chamber, free from dirt particles and air turbulence. After repair, the blades are machined and ground back to their original shape and inspected for cracks, using UV/penetrating inspections.
Rotor shaft on balancing machine
The complete rotor is placed on the balancing machine. Even though imbalance may not have been evident before overhaul and calibration, it is possible that it could be introduced during dismantling and repair procedures, and it is therefore paramount that dynamic balancing is carried out before the rotor is returned to service. Accurate balancing is of the utmost importance for component functioning and lifetime. No single rotor will leave our workshop without having been inspected, cleaned and balanced within OEM specifications and our Turbo Shop carries NAPIER certification.
