Quality Second to None!
FOREWORD:
ESL believes in doing the job right first time, every time. For us “Safety is first even if the business is hurt“. At the same time “Quality is second to none through relentless improvement” Our “Quality Communique” is presented below for better understanding of our commitment towards Quality. It is then followed by a list of brilliant, TRAILBLAZING ideas to align our service quality with customers’ expectations.
OUR QUALITY COMMUNIQUE:
- Whether we sell an equipment or simply install
We will do the job right and spare no effort at all. - We will do what we say and vice versa
Making sure, we neither falter nor fall. - Quality will be built in our services, at every step
Be it a big step or very small. - We will train our people continuously
Our aim is to meet all challenges and avoid any pitfall. - We will accept our mistakes and learn from them
Doing so, our progress will never stall. - Plan-Do-Act and Check
This is a quality tool often discussed in our conference hall. - The rule of Pareto is our guiding principle
We will focus on critical mass first and then what is small. - We will use Poka Yoke systems
Our target is no mistakes at all. - Benchmark against best-in-class amongst all
We will learn from best practices of others to stand equally tall. - Zero defect is our ultimate goal
Success will depend on this over the long haul. - Our product may fail and service fall short
We will fix it and allow no shortfall. - Talking to the parts and condition based maintenance
This is our genset service strategy for every Mill or Shopping Mall. - Parts we sell may cost more
We’ll make sure your plants run and not just crawl. - ESL strives to raise quality and lower life cycle cost
Be it a power plant or just a major overhaul. - Any lapse in our quality is not acceptable
If you see one just give us a call. - Neglecting quality is a dangerous thing
It is like playing with a fireball. - The race to quality has no finish line
Continuous improvement is the only cure-all.
1. MOTHER OF ALL EVILS! – فساد کی جڑ
16,000 gallons! Yes! Indeed! 16,000 gallons of water!
A typical heavy duty cooling system will circulate a 16,000 gallon swimming pool worth of coolant every hour.
The general function of coolant is simple, to transfer heat from the engine. This is done by removing heat from engine components, circulating the heat through the cooling system and dissipating the heat through the radiator. The thermostat allows the cooling system to control the temperature of the system.
However as simple as this sounds coolant technology and maintenance is extremely important to the function of the engine.
The generator cooling system in Pakistan is the mother of all evils because of very high temperatures in summer.
A coolant must protect the whole system in order to properly remove heat from the engine. The coolant interfaces with many metallic and non-metallic surfaces and is also used to manage the temperature of other engine fluids.
To properly transfer heat the coolant must protect the system components from corrosion, cavitation and scale.
More than 40% of engine problems originate in the cooling system. This makes selecting and maintaining your coolant key to protecting and ensuring the longevity of your equipment.
Aksa generators with truly 50 degree radiators provide a very good solution to the customers.
These radiators are believed to be larger in size (perhaps because of larger diameter, more tubes) with larger radiator fans sweeping large volumes of air.
Cooling system is covered in our “Meet & Treat” sessions.
2. WHEN THE SKY WILL FALL, WE SHALL CATCH THE LARKS – 
نہ نو من تیل ہوگا نہ رادھا ناچے گی
The amount of oil that Radha needs, proverbially, to perform her dance is incidentally the same as required by a one-megawatt gas generator. Whether she dances or not, is not important for an engineer. Important is that the engine will not work if not properly lubricated. In fact, it will seize.
Make no compromise on lubrication. It is the key to long life and good performance. See more details in our article “Ten commandments of maintenance”. This topic is also covered in our “Meet & Treat” sessions.
3. A PEBBLE IN THE SHOE – زرا سا کنکر، چلنا دوبھر
Boxer Muhammad Ali once said, “It isn’t the mountains ahead to climb that wear you out but it’s the pebble in your shoe”.
Would you believe, a lot of generator failures occur not because some component has broken down; they occur because of there being no fuel in the tank or fuel quality being poor. Fuel often becomes a pebble in the shoe.
Fuel is the fodder for the generator. Solution to fuel problems is not found as shown above. A lot of customer complaints are addressed simply by refueling or using better quality fuel or adding a water separator in the fuel line or simply cleaning of the fuel tank. The customers should also ensure regular calibration of engine pumps and injectors, which can easily save 3-4% on fuel consumption.
This is all the more important because fuel cost in Pakistan is more than 80% of total cost of generating electricity from a diesel generator. Yet customers become complacent and have to cut a sorry figure. Theft of fuel, in many cases, adds insult to the injury.
Importance of fuel system and its calibration is covered in our “Meet & Treat” sessions.
Fuel pump and injector calibration facility is available in ESL Karachi for Cummins as well as non-Cummins engines.
4. THORN IN THE FLESH
Root cause of most generators’ problems is lack of attention to daily maintenance and the fact that it is entrusted in the hands of untrained or poorly trained people. It is really a thorn in the flesh. For details, see our article:
Battery maintenance is also a constant pain in the neck. A very large percentage of generator failures is caused by as insignificant a thing as a poorly maintained battery. Alas!
5. A SPANNER IN THE WHEELS
It is seen that often security guards, peons, gardeners, etc., are entrusted with the job of looking after generators. This is very common in banking sector, telecommunication sites, etc. They often lack training and knowledge of the machine. Very expensive equipment is simply left at the mercy of untrained person just to save some Rupees.
Please note that an untrained operator is dangerous. He can mess up with basic maintenance and throw spanners in the wheels. Customer’s production, banking operations, telecommunication coverage worth hundreds of thousands Rupees can be disrupted. If you want training for your staff, please ask ESL. It will deliver it at your doorstep free of cost as part of its obligation towards the society.
6. COMING EVENTS CAST THEIR SHADOWS BEFOREHAND
Before an engine overhaul becomes mandatory, it shows the following signs:
These symptoms are a “tip of an iceberg”. The little signs that you can see are in fact part of a much larger problem.
For more details please read ESL article “Engine Overhauls – the curtain rises”.
7. ENGINE OVERHAUL – BORN AGAIN – نیا جیون
When will my engine receive a new lease of life? When will it go for an overhaul? Is there a Relationship between Overhaul Intervals and Generator ratings?
How much will it last after an overhaul? What tests should it go through before it is certified “born again” or “fit again”?
Generator set life depends upon engine load factors, fuel and lube oil quality, ambient conditions, operating load, installation quality, and the maintenance program.
Generator overhaul also depends upon whether the engine is compression ignited or spark ignited; what is the compression ratio; break mean effective pressure, etc. Please note that spark ignited engines usually go for overhaul after substantially longer time than compression ignited engines.
ESL sheds light on these in its training book, various articles, and “Meet & Treat” sessions. It is also your perfect choice for overhauls on Cummins and Perkins engines (especially high horsepower machines):
8. TAKE THE BULL BY THE HORN – مشکلات کے ساتھ، دو دو ہاتھ
To do the job right, one must follow a step by step procedure. Allow no short cuts. Do what you say and say what you do. This is the spirit of ISO certification also.
Nothing gets done properly without following a method. An engine overhaul can turn out to be a futile exercise if it not performed systematically, according to the manufacturers’ recommendations as per the laid down SOP. ESL prides itself in performing overhauls on Cummins diesel and gas engines. It assures that when done properly, it can revive engines’ performance and life expectancy to its original values. Please go through the following article in ESL training book:
9. SLOW AND STEADY WINS THE RACE
ENGINE RUNNING IN
Years ago, after a machine was overhauled and put into operation, it was recommended to apply load in a slow and steady manner. This gave a chance to the newly assembled parts to become compatible with each other. The process is known as breaking – in or running – in.
However, nowadays, for diesel and gas engines, the time it takes to complete break-in procedures has decreased significantly from a number of days to a few hours (even none), for several reasons.
The main reason is that the factories in which the parts are produced are now capable of better machining and assembly. For example, it is easier to hold tighter tolerances now, and the average surface finish of a new part has improved. Manufacturers, decades ago, were capable of such accuracy and precision, but not with as low a unit cost or with as much ease. Therefore, the average engine made today resembles, in some technical respects, the top-end work back then. Break-in is now done at the factory, obviating end-user break-in. This is advantageous for several reasons. It is a selling point with customers who don’t want to have to worry about break-in and want full performance “right at the outset”. And it also aligns with the fact that compliance rates are always uncertain in the hands of end users.
But there is a growing tendency in power generation industry of not using genuine parts. Even if the parts are genuine, the tools used may not be as per manufacturer recommendations. Even if both parts and tools meet the desired criterion, people doing the overhaul may not be well trained or in right frame of mind.
Hence, it is still advisable to allow engine parts to undergo a certain running – in or breaking – in period. This will cause no harm but maximize the equipment’s working lifespan. Learn more about engine running-in in our “Meet & Treat” sessions.
10. SITTING ON THE FENCE – جائیں تو جائیں کہاں
How to test a new generator at 100% load with resistive load only. This is a hard nut to crack. If we draw full kva from the alternator, engine is over stressed by 25%. If we apply 100% kilowatts on engine,
alternator is only tested to the extent of 80%. The best thing is to test them with inductive loads where possible. For more details, ask for coverage in our “Meet & Treat” sessions.
11. PREVENTION IS BETTER THAN CURE – احتیاط علاج سے بہتر ہے
It has been proven time and again that:
- Dollars spent on breakdown maintenance are far in excess of dollars spent on preventive maintenance.
- Preventive maintenance is advantageous because:
- engine remains fit and healthy
- small problems are rectified before they convert into big issues.
- life span of generator is extended.
- engineers are better trained while performing maintenance in a planned way instead of performing maintenance in a panicky way resulting from a breakdown.
- parts inventory can be more effectively planned.
- Preventive maintenance is safer
- Conditioned based preventive maintenance is even superior because instead of repairing the engine or its part, the root cause of problem is identified and then subsequently rectified.
12. WHAT CANNOT BE CURED MUST BE ENDURED – ۤقہر درویش برجانِ درویش
In telecom industry, BTS sites have varying load demands. There are a number of batteries which need recharging every now and then. Then there is the load of air conditioners also to keep the shelters cool. As a result, the load on gensets is constantly fluctuating. The generators are often operated at less than 30% load. This results in glazing of the liners and consequently leaking of combustion gases past the piston rings into the crankcase of the engine.
Not only this, the load is also not evenly distributed on all the three phases. Furthermore, the sites are located in far flung areas and are usually unmanned. Generators do not receive maintenance for weeks, even months. Daily maintenance, which is so critical, is unimaginable. As a result, these generators are often maintenance deprived. This is perhaps a necessary evil and cannot be cured; therefore, has to be endured.
The best thing under these circumstances is that as and when the maintenance is performed on these generators, extreme caution should be exercised to execute all activities properly. Even better thing is to use Aksa hybrid generators, which are ideal for telecommunication sites, banks, etc.
13. MANY A LITTLE, MAKE A MICKLE
Small negligence in Operation & Maintenance can result in catastrophic failures. Often generators fail because of dripping water hoses or leaking exhaust pipes or fuel pipes or even worse no electrolyte in the battery. Many a times, simple and small negligence of adding untreated water in the radiator can prematurely spoil your engine. Hence, small problems should never be neglected as “many a little can make a mickle”. Learn more about cooling water treatment in our “Meet & Treat” sessions.
14. READY, STEADY, GO – ایک، دو، تین
GENERATOR EXERCISING!
It is common knowledge: We all need exercise to stay healthy. But did you know your generator needs regular exercise too? Exercising your generator by running it on a regular basis – even when you don’t need it – helps prolong engine life and can also enable you to identify and even diagnose little problems before they have a chance to grow into major headaches. Even short periods of time without use can result in fuel-related problems and allow moisture to build up in generator components.
Here’s how to exercise your generator and keep it ready, steady & go:
- First, make sure your generator’s intake and exhaust are clear.
- Next, connect your generator so it has at least a 50 percent load. Turning it on without having it power anything is only partially helpful, because it doesn’t allow you to identify any issues that might occur once power is actually being drawn from the unit. Plus, your generator was designed to work with an electrical load being drawn. Operating it without that load doesn’t enable it to work quite as effectively so you won’t get the full benefits. Your generator manual will tell you what the unit’s maximum load is; aim for at least about half of that during exercise.
- Make sure the generator has fuel and check connections as you normally would before starting it. Then, power it up and let it run for at least two hours. A two-hour period allows the unit to lubricate itself and also ensures any moisture will be completely burned off. While it’s running, listen for any unusual sounds or check for other issues that could indicate a potential problem. And that’s it. Simple, right?
Your generator was built to work and allowing it to remain unused for long periods can result in its operating less efficiently or even refusing to work at all. Exercising your generator (say once a month) is a simple way to make sure it continues to work its best.
15. RAIN OR SHINE – بارش ہو یا برسات
Allow the generator cooling system take away all the heat after you stop the engine. Make no compromise on this!
At the end of operations when all the load has been taken off from the generator, always end with a three to five minutes cooling run, come what may! Rain or shine! It drives away excessive heat from sensitive engine parts (especially turbochargers) and prevents expensive repairs later on due to carbon deposits resulting from degradation of oil at high temperatures.
16. GAME OVER – کھیل ختم، پیسہ ہضم
CAUSES OF ENGINE WEAR WHICH “PUTS THE BRAKES ON PERFORMANCE”
Engine wear is caused by:
Contact between parts
Pressure (BMEP)
Relative Motion
There are two types of wear i.e. “Normal wear and Abnormal wear”.
The major wear items are:
Cylinder liners
Seals & gaskets
Piston rings
Turbo bearings and seals
Valves, guides, and seats
Main and rod bearings
Abnormal wear is caused by the following:
1. Incorrect installation
• Insufficient fresh air for engine aspiration
• Improper, free flowing exhaust away from incoming air for induction.
2. Incorrect maintenance or operating techniques
3. Lack of cleanliness
4. Using the wrong oil,
5. Extending oil changes interval,
6. Not maintaining the coolant concentration, (results in liner pitting & cavitation)
7. Inadequate machine warm-up,
8. No cooling run,
9. Poor daily maintenance (weakest link)
10. Poor attention to Maintenance Commandments – Ten Commandments
11. Bypassing safeties – Protective cover
12. Low load operation
13. Unbalanced operation, etc.
14. Engine exercising during storage / idle periods
The parts which may fail prematurely are cylinder block, crankshaft, cylinder heads, connecting rods, pistons, etc.
17. NO NEED TO CUT CORNERS IN GENERATOR MAINTENANCE – RECOGNIZE THE PRINCIPLE OF VITAL FEW VS TRIVIAL MANY – پریٹو کا اصول
Most customers spend a fortune in buying generators. But close their fists when it comes to spending
money on maintenance, parts and training. Little do they realize that جہاں لاکھ وہاں سوا لاکھ will not make
much of a difference. If they take maintenance seriously, they will realize that there is not much to worry. They need not to run from pillar to post, from one vendor to another to find solutions of their generator problems. Their problems are caused by mainly six reasons.
More than a century ago, an Italian scientist Pareto discovered that approximately 80% outcomes are caused by approximately 20% reasons. This is true for any population and is exemplified by the following picture:
In generators also the same rule is applicable. 80% generator issues are caused by 20% factors. There are six main reasons which cause generator failures or lack of performance. Take care of these six and you will be on the course to receive maximum benefits from your machine.
The six major issues and their remedies are as under:
18. PREVENT YOUR ENGINE FROM GOING TO DOGS – انجن کا دھڑن تختہ ہونے سے بچائیں
Don’t let your engine go to dogs. Never disable the safeties of your machine. Learn more about engine safeties in our “Meet & Treat” sessions.
19. BETTER WEAR OUT THAN RUST OUT – بے کار سے بیگار بھلی
The doctor told the patient “it’s not that diabetes, hypertension, heart diseases or obesity which runs into your family. It’s that no one runs in the family”.
Similarly, it’s not the high load running on your generator which destroys it. It is the lack of load on the generator which plays havoc with it.
Though low load on generators may appear to be beneficial, in reality it is not so. It results in premature failure of the generator. Recommended values are as follows:
- Diesel generator – not less than 35 – 40%
- Gas generator – not less than 65 – 70% (why higher? – Contact ESL)
20. CATCH 22 SITUATION – نہ جاۓ رفتن، نہ پاۓ ماندن
We often use capacitors banks in our factories to improve power factor, increase power utilization and reduce current flowing through the cables. These power factor correcting devices, if used excessively with our generators, do help to a certain extent by keeping the current flowing through the windings down. However, their excessive use can result in exciter losing control of the voltages and hence premature failure of the whole alternator.
Too little correction results in overheating of windings. Too much may result in alternator damages. This is a CATCH 22 situation or a “caught between two stools” type situation. Learn more about it in our “Meet & Treat” sessions.
You will find the following article very useful in our training book.
21. A CHAIN IS ONLY AS STRONG AS ITS WEAKEST LINK – زنجیر کی مظبوطی اس کی کمزور ترین کڑی کے مساوی ہوتی ہے
Daily maintenance is highly neglected by lot of customers operating and maintaining generating sets. This is often the weakest link and it makes whole operation and maintenance exercise highly susceptible to uncalled for problems. Please read ESL article:
22. SMALL LEAKAGES, BIG CONSEQUENCES
SMALL LEAKS CAN SINK BIG SHIPS – چھوٹا سا سوراخ بڑے جہاز کو ڈبونے کا کارن بن سکتا ہے
Beware of leaks in engine cooling system; lube oil system, exhaust system and air intake system. Engines may seize because of leaking water hoses and leaks in exhaust system can quickly turn it into ash. Because of the risks associated with these leakages, they are part and parcel of daily check activities.
23. RED RAG TO THE BULL – آ بیل مجھے مار
Generators with low and unbalanced load on three phases may soon find themselves in hot waters. The rule is that loads should not be more than 10% off balance from each other. Please see more details in our Training Book article:
24. PUT YOUR MONEY WHERE THE MOUTH IS
Do you know that almost 80-90% of the cost of generating electricity from diesel generators in Pakistan is made up of fuel cost? Hence, maximum attention should be given to proper operation, fuel system maintenance and calibration and quality of fuel injected into the engine.
Please read an excerpt from ESL Training book to further understand the importance of fuel system.
25. STRAIGHT FROM THE HORSE’S MOUTH – احوالِ خلق بزبانِ خلق
Talk to the parts; listen to their voice and perform maintenance based upon this conversation. This is called condition based maintenance. For more details, please read ESL training book article:
26. FIND X! CAKE WALK – سیدھا سادھا کام
Customers are fully aware that fuel cost is almost 80 ~ 90% of the total cost of electricity generation from a diesel engine.
Saving large sums of money on fuel consumption is now very simple. Please visit ESL fully air conditioned, dust free and well-equipped fuel system calibration facility.
ESL has the capability to calibrate almost all types of fuel pumps and injectors at nominal cost and allows customers to receive huge benefits by reducing fuel consumption. This is now very simple. It is as easy as a cakewalk. Yet not as straightforward as the following response by an innocent student!
27. MOUNTAIN OF A MOLEHILL – رائی کا پہاڑ
Generator problems are mostly very small. Inattention to them converts these mole hills into mountains. For example
- Inattention to battery maintenance often leads to weakening of the batteries and starting problems
- Small leaks in the cooling system can lead to burnt out head gaskets and seizure of the engine
- Poor coolant quality can result in holes in the liners and may lead to mixing of water with oil
- Poor lubrication can result in poor engine cooling, poor sealing between piston rings and liners, etc., leading to loss of engine power
- Leaks in air intake system can result in ingression of sand and dust in the cylinders leading to premature failure of engine liners and piston rings
- Small leaks in the exhaust system can completely burn down the engines specially when it is housed in a canopy
We must not let any of these mole hills become a mountain through good and timely maintenance.
28. BUNDLE OF STICKS – اتحاد میں برکت ہے
Remember the story narrated by a dying father to his four sons using a bundle of sticks and demonstrating how all four of them acting together are stronger than each one acting singly.
Similarly generators paralleled together are better than one generator acting singly.
Parallel your generators to act like one. Seek help from ESL which can easily parallel generators of any make, model and manufacturer with hundred percent in-house resources.
Try to understand it from another perspective as under:
Is it possible that sum of parts be greater than the whole? Is it possible that five Rs. 1000 currency notes be more valuable than one Rs. 5000 currency note? Not at all! But strangely five 1000 kva generator sets are more valuable than one 5000 kva generating set. This is because of generators paralleling. By so doing you avoid “putting all your eggs in one basket”. For more detail, please read the ESL article:
For more details, find information in the following manual.
29. ROCK AND A HARD PLACE
Whether to switch on power factor correction devices or abstain is a tricky question. You are between a rock and a hard place. If you don’t switch them ON, too much current passes through the generators’ alternator windings at peak loads causing them to heat up in peak summers. When you switch them ON, you take the risk of exciter losing control of the voltages and consequently causing damage to the alternator which amounts to ِدھر کنواں، اُدھرکھائی
Please contact ESL for further details in its “Meet & Treat” sessions.
30. HIGH & DRY – بے یارو مددگار
Many of us have experienced difficulties in breathing at hilltops and mountainous areas. Similarly, we run out of breath easily in hot conditions.
We have also experienced that our food is not easily cooked when we are picnicking on hilly areas. This is all because of air being less dense and air pressure being less than standard 14.7 psi. Lower air pressure and less dense air means there are fewer oxygen molecules available.
Air which is short on oxygen molecules at elevated temperatures or elevated altitudes leaves our generators also high and dry. It reduces the power they can produce and this reduction is generally termed as engine deration.
Engine deration, however, is not caused only by high temperatures and high altitudes.
- It is also caused by whether we are operating our generators on island mode or grid parallel mode (for more clarification, please discuss).
- It is also caused by quality of gas for gas generators. Lower methane number results in engine deration.
- It is also caused by what is the LT return temperature of your gas generator. Generators with higher LT return temperature are less prone to engine deration than those with lower LT return temperature.
For more details on engine deration, please contact ESL.
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