Design for maintainability (also known as serviceability or simply maintainability) is a key concept in engineering and product development. It ensures systems, products and components can easily be maintained without any issues throughout their life cycle.

Many years ago, during an interaction for an incinerator requirement with the Chief of Engineering of the Armed Forces, the importance of “Design for Maintainability” was brought up.

This discussion took place during a workshop focused on designing incinerators for use by the Army, Navy, and Air Force. The users expressed strong dissatisfaction with certain incinerator designs because of the difficulties they faced in maintenance, as some components were extremely hard to access, especially in remote locations, even though field workshops with basic facilities were available.

For instance, disassembling an incinerator component often proved challenging because bolts were inaccessible and sometimes the component itself was difficult to access. This raised concerns about how maintenance tasks could be performed in remote or border areas or on the front lines in the event of incinerator breakdown.

The field staff posed this problem, prompting design engineers to prioritize creating design of incinerators that allowed easy access to all parts for removal and replacement.

Some of the areas which needed to be looked at in this matter were identified as follows.

1. Accessibility: Components should be easily accessible for inspection, testing, replacement and repair. This means designing the incinerator with ample space for tools and technicians. Thanks to 3D software, it is now possible, while the incinerator is in the design stage, to verify the location of components and provide enough room for movement of men and materials, making it easy for accessibility, inspection, repair, replacement.

In our case we implemented this for many incinerator projects especially for components like burners, nozzles, maintenance door, damper, instruments, etc. which enable the client as well as our service engineers to do the maintenance work without any issue of accessibility.

2. Modularity: Designing incineration systems in modules or sections can simplify maintenance. If one part fails, you can replace it, without disturbing the entire system.

Our refractory lined items are designed in such a way that these are made in segments which are easy to apply the refractory, remove or replace it without any problem. It also makes it easy to transport for assembly at site. Similarly, pipelines are designed in many spools for ease of assembly. Modularity helps in replacing a section without disturbing the entire incinerator.

3. Standardization: Using standard parts and interfaces can reduce complexity and simplify the maintenance process. Standard components are usually more readily available and can be replaced quickly. Standardisation is similar to modularity in that each individual piece of the incinerator, when standardised makes it easy to prepare the design drawing and allocate required space for movement and maintenance, without having to physically procure it. This also saves time in procurement and replacement.

4. Control Logic: The incinerator design should incorporate control logic for its operation and maintenance, making it easy to operate the system from a different location in auto mode and maintenance mode thereby eliminating manual operation unless it is absolutely essential.

Control panels are designed in such a way that it eliminates the need for operators to operate different parts of the incinerator. It also ensures that programming the HMI so that it will set off alarm, emergency shut down, etc. in the event of unsafe working conditions such as pressure, temperature, safety, etc.

5. Documentation: Detailed and accurate documentation is critical. Maintenance personnel need clear instructions and information about the incineration system components their functions and interactions. For each and every project, the customer requirement and RFQ are analysed and 3D, GA & P&ID drawings made, get approved by the client. Simultaneously, a complete list of engineering documents is prepared and sent to the client for approval. Once approved these drawings are sent to production and procurement in lots, based on which all activities are initiated. This way, it is made easy for both our team as well as client’s team to follow completion of engineering activities and it facilitates checking the progress of the project with the help of the engineering documents. This also ensures our production staff are taken into confidence as to what is expected by the client thereby ensuring no error in communication or completing the project. All drawings are maintained in soft and hard copies with revision/issue control.

6. Durability and Reliability: Design incinerator components to last longer and resist wear and tear. This reduces the frequency of maintenance interventions.

Calculate refractory and steel thickness, heat transfer, using software and choice of the right materials and fabrication and application, considering the high temperature at which the incinerator systems work continuously ensures durability, performance and reliability of the whole system. For this reason, our incinerator equipment is working in many locations for nearly 20 years where the design life was 10 years.

7. Simplicity: Keep the design as simple as possible. Fewer parts with less complexity generally mean fewer things that can go wrong and easier troubleshooting and repairs.

All design drawings are made in 3D for each and every incinerator component including complex ones. Drawing shown in exploded view makes it easy to understand the parts for assembly. BOM is not manually made. It is generated automatically in the 3D software. It is therefore easy for procurement department to procure the materials straight away without waiting for any further repetition from design or projects.

We are proud and our customers happy with the end results. Customer satisfaction is what is required!