04 November 2021
Project Overview:
The project brief was to manufacture a quantity of 5 x 100T Dry Bulk Cement Silos, with a capacity of 80,000L to carry cement powder. For this particular project, customer’s own design & drawings were used. All units were to be supplied with both horizontal lifting slings for Empty Lift Only and vertical lifting slings for Full Lift.
What was the customers end goal?
The customers end goal was to find a reputable fabricator who could build to their design and specification, provide a high-quality product that was fit for use.
In addition to a high-quality finish of the required equipment, the lead-time of the build process was vital to the customers overall project timeline.
What were the challenges?
The main challenge on the project was the timely sourcing of materials and the fabrication of the Cement Silos according to our customer’s tight timeline.
How did Suretank approach the project?
Suretank’s first engagement with the customer on the project was at the initial enquiry stage. At this stage, a number of technical points were discussed and technical documents (from the customer) reviewed by Suretank’s Sales Engineer. This early design engagement by our sales team is a demonstration of Suretank’s consultative approach and good working relationship with our customers – new and existing. Full compliance to the customer’s technical requirements was also a mandatory factor in the overall project.
Once the project was awarded, a Project Manager and Customer Care Representative were assigned to the project. These contacts would manage all aspects of the project and act as main points of contact for the customer throughout the process.
Suretank’s Engineering team, finalised the technical specification with the client and the bill of materials was handed over to Suretank’s Procurement team.
Manufacture began at Suretank’s Dunleer fabrication facility with a team of certified welders, working in shifts to build the 5 x Cement Silos over a number of months – in line with the agreed schedule.
Weekly meetings and updates were held with the customer, giving them full transparency on the status of their order throughout the build process.
Throughout the build, quality was a key factor – with Suretank’s Quality team performing pressure/hydro tests, vertical & horizontal lift test, NDT such as MPI weld inspections on structural welds, pull tests on lifting eyes in our certified test rig and various tests through the painting process.
Once painting was complete and markings applied, the units underwent Factory Acceptance Testing (FAT) at Suretank’s fabrication facility in Co. Louth, Ireland – with the customer’s representative present on-site. Upon customer approval, the units were made available for shipping. Although Suretank can facilitate the shipment/delivery to client’s end destination, the shipping for this project was handled by the customer. Suretank did, however, assist with the preparation of the required shipping documentation.
Finally, the Customer Care Representative provided the supporting documentation – such as Certificate of Conformity, material traceability, weld certificates, test reports, etc. – directly to the client.
What ‘expertise’ did Suretank bring to the project?
- Project & Account Management
- Qualified welders & certified weld procedures
- Knowledge of the required standards to suit customer requirements
- Communication – regular updates on order status
- Fabrication of equipment to required standards
- Documentation review
What was the outcome for the customer?
All equipment was built to a high standard of quality and delivered on-time – to a happy client.