Case Study
Pump powertrain project for a wastewater treatment plant
The electromechanical solution only Timken Power Systems (TPS) could deliver. Located on a vital waterway in the Northeast, this plant serves a major metropolitan area, treating 125 million gallons of wastewater daily. It’s where you can find the entire TPS portfolio at work as part of a multi-year, multi-million-dollar project to upgrade the facility.
Since winning the project in 2017, the TPS team has supported its large-scale upgrade from diesel-powered direct-drive pumps to methane-powered engines that drive generators and support the electrification of the plant. According to Mike D’Angelo, Timken Power Systems National Sales Manager for the US, “Five refurbished drivetrains will utilize a complete set of power system solutions, including AC motors, motor starter controllers, gearboxes and floor bearings.”
All of these components represent an integrated electromechanical solution from Timken Power Systems:
- Philadelphia Gear: Gearboxes
- Timken: Tapered roller bearings
- Schulz Group: Electric motors, controller systems for wound-rotor motors
- Smith Services: Engineering calculations for system design support
Bill McCloy, territory account specialist for the project, explained the advantage of a holistic solution: “As the OEM for the existing installation, we knew we could handle the gearbox part of the solution,” he says. “But it was the TPS dynamic that made the difference.”
That dynamic includes the 600 pages of electrical specifications in the request for proposal that Schulz Group and Smith Services handled flawlessly — along with the unique contribution of Timken, the world’s leading authority on tapered roller bearings.
The clear difference in a competitive bidding process
While they faced competitive pressure from industry giants, both D’Angelo and McCloy believe that TPS rose to the top of list due to outstanding service and attentiveness throughout the bidding process. “We were in constant contact with the project’s civil engineers and decision makers right up until the end,” says Rich Chrzanowski, general manager at TPS — Northeast region. “This was the largest electromechanical project we’d ever bid on, and we wanted to make sure everything was quoted to the exact specifications of the bid package.”
“Providing both electrical and mechanical capabilities, TPS can build an engineered solution for customers from any of our gear/motor/bearing and crane facilities.”
Vigilance beyond the installation
As each refurbished drivetrain is delivered to the wastewater treatment plant, there is equal importance placed on frequent consultation during installation, and the availability of training for ongoing maintenance of each system. That’s what it means for any mission-critical application that benefits from Timken Power Systems.
