Project Overview

As part of a client’s Rotating Stabiliser project, GE Power Conversion designed one of the largest rotor and core sets ever manufactured in their Rugby facility.

Morson Projects were appointed by GE’s Power Conversion division to deliver the following services:

• Concept tool and fixture design
• Detail tool and fixture design
• Stress analysis
• Manufacture
• Installation and commissioning

To enable them to manufacture the large components, GE engaged Morson Projects to design and supply a suite of assembly and handling tools to allow their engineers to build the components to the tight tolerances required, considering the size and weights involved this was no easy feat.

Throughout the project our tool design engineers worked closely with the team from GE in order to understand the end-to-end process and design the tooling to ease assembly and improve safety for operators.

The suite of tools consisted of welding fixtures, dip tanks, support frames, lifting and handling tools, and the most critical of all; the core build fixture.

Results

Bringing tool design experience from a range of different industries, our design team set about integrating the build control features into an efficient and safe to operate Core Build Fixture. With a diameter of over 5m and assembled mass of over 50,000kg, maintaining the build tolerances and structural integrity of the fixture meant our stress analysis team had a challenge to optimise the structure and minimise deflection.

Once the design was finalised, Morson Projects engaged our manufacture supply chain to fabricate, machine, finish, install and set the fixture by laser tracker on site in Rugby. Even our civil engineering team were involved to assess the factory floor to demonstrate by calculation that it could carry the load from the heavy structure.

The final design is unlike any previous core build fixtures and allows GE to efficiently and safely build the huge stabiliser core.

James Tetley, Tooling Manager at Morson Projects shared:

“For Morson Projects to be involved with a technically advanced project like this which supports renewable energy production in the UK was a fantastic experience, coupled with the enthusiasm and knowledge of the GE team, it was an exciting project to support.

“Our experience in fixture and tool design really showed, introducing easy to use location features, retractable build posts for component removal, and incorporating setting features and adjustment mean that the fixture is well liked by the operators and crucially, it builds the component to within the drawing tolerances, repeatedly.

“It’s a great achievement delivered by Morson Projects and we are proud to be supporting UK manufacturing, it’s always rewarding to engage on projects where our expertise and the clients product knowledge come together to achieve a considered and efficient solution that improves production.”

Thomas Mayer-Maguire, Rotating Stabiliser Lead Engineer from GE Power Conversion commented:

“Working in partnership with Morson Projects’ tooling expertise and our electrical rotating machines experience in the power industry, we have been able to develop specialist fixturing and handling equipment to help us build some of the most advanced rotating machinery available – supporting higher penetration of renewable sources into the energy market and helping the UK to reach its carbon emission reduction goals.

“Quality tooling has helped us to achieve the best quality standards for our customers and we look forward to working with Morson on future projects.”

To find out more about our Tooling capability, visit our Tooling Design & Manufacture webpage here, or contact James Tetley by calling 0161 707 1516.