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The Finish Line Vol. 27 • August 2022 [Q2 2022]

JULY 2022: RMS announces acquisition of Breaux Machine Works

This acquisition brings the people, skills, and infrastructure of Breaux Machine Works’ industry-leading machining capabilities into the RMS portfolio of aftermarket upgrades, repair, maintenance, and rebuilding/overhaul services for large, highly engineered rotating equipment. RMS and Breaux Machine Works have worked together for several years, which will lead to the seamless integration of these two organizations. Both companies are committed to delivering the best in service and quality-driven solutions to their customers.

“This acquisition expands RMS’ capabilities and capacity in the Houston area,”

according to John Bartos, CEO of RMS. “While we value our partners throughout our supply chain, having the ability to perform more in-house offers our customers time-efficiency and security by not having to ship their critical equipment over long distances. This move complements the RMS vision of being a one-stop-shop for all rotating equipment needs.”

Gary Breaux, President of Breaux Machine Works, and other key members of the Breaux-family management team will remain in leadership roles in the combined RMS-Breaux Machine Works organization. Gary Breaux said, “I have enjoyed getting to know the RMS team throughout the acquisition process. It was very important to the Breaux family to choose a successor who could ensure continuity of the excellent service Breaux customers have come to rely upon while expanding our business into new areas.”

The addition of Breaux Machine Works to the RMS portfolio means customers now have two Houston-based ISO 9001:2015 certified manufacturing centers to rely on for high-quality service and support.

Dirk Paraschos, Vice President of Operations, goes on to explain, “Our vision for Breaux Machine Works is to invest in what already is an industry-leading machine shop, continue to serve their well-established customer base, and introduce new customers – both through RMS as well as through Breaux, to the capabilities of the operation.”

About Breaux Machine Works

Breaux Machine Works, LP began operations in 1976 in Tomball, TX, as a small manual machine shop with only one employee. They have grown to be one of the leading machine shops in the industry, with a 100,000-square-foot facility. Breaux Machine Works has earned a reputation for providing quality products and services that exceed recognized industry and quality standards.

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Breaux Machine Works Capabilities

This edition of 'The Finish Line' includes:

  • Breaux Machine Works + Machining Capabilities Flipbook
  • SMMART Turbomachinery Engineering — Farzam Mortazavi
  • Expedited OFS Overhaul — John Korevec, Russ Aerts, and Bill Egan
  • The RMS Sales Team Grows + New Hires
  • Turbo Toons

SMMART Turbomachinery Engineering

Farzam Mortazavi, Senior Engineer

With the advent of digital technology and moving forward toward virtual engineering, it is more critical than ever to marry the concepts of inspection, design engineering, and analysis. The multi-function approach is an enabling technology to design engineering, above all other benefits, such as engineering economics. Virtual inspection, free-form design, and ad-hoc structural analysis are a few examples that allow the engineer to take the design to the next level.

As the saying goes, a picture is worth a thousand words. We'll immediately delve into some examples to show how RMS leverages technology and the SMMART (Scanning, Measuring, Modeling, Analyzing, Redesigning, and Testing) approach in its turbomachinery engineered products...

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3D Scan and Virtual Inspection

Manufacturing and assembly tolerances often present challenges in inspecting all the required dimensions. By a 3D scan, a multi-part assembly can be virtually inspected by creating dozens of reference planes for standardized measurements. Here is an example of an entire lower half casing, seal and bearing housings, and pedestals of a steam turbine, coordinated for all connection locations. Note the best-fit flanges and bolt circles.

Virtual Testing

Engineers can do a quick fit-for-purpose analysis on reused parts without jeopardizing the part's structural integrity. Here is an example of a “Virtual Hydrotest” directly created from scanned casings. The customer requested to verify a slightly higher MAWP for the exhaust casing. Cast casings are converted into “as-cast” 3D models using organic best-fit surfaces and passed to structural modeling for a quick hydro load case.

Fit Analysis

Frequently it is desired to rework and reclaim specific interference fits between new and existing mating parts without removing too much material. The figure below shows an instance where a fit analysis of a scanned existing bearing housing and an “as-designed” new journal defines the minimum material removal. The green areas show interference fits within tolerance, and the red color shows excessive shrink.

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Virtual Assembly and Clearance Inspection

Accessing and measuring tight radial and axial clearances is always time-consuming and—in some cases—simply not possible. In many cases, the machine is already disassembled when the inspection team arrives. RMS adjusted blade tip clearance design by virtual assembly and inspection of tip clearances from the overhauled rotor and casing scan models.

Uprate Potential

A popular technique in uprating steam turbines involves axially cutting back the nozzles to open the throats. The amount of cutback is usually limited to 1/16”-1/18”. New throats are obtained from the nozzle block scan in the feasibility study phase as input to the performance model. Below we see a roughly 5% increase in flow path area for this particular nozzle.

Scan to 3D CAD

Occasionally a single blade or two needs replacement. Since the blade profile is highly twisted and the airfoil profile varies from root to tip, conventional measurement techniques cannot be used to obtain the blade geometry. However, the blade geometry can be closely constructed with advanced 3D modeling capabilities and knowledge of how various surfaces are designed. The figures below show a blade for a power turbine with a surface deviation of less than 0.005” except at the squealer ring trailing edge where the blade was rubbed. The process was entirely done under an integrated 3D platform.

Future opportunities are arising from the ever-increasing computer memory and processing speeds and advancements in virtual tools' accuracy and technology. In the near future, it will be possible and economical to perform micrometer-level inspections in a digital environment. Virtual inspection, where applicable, is less prone to human error and yields more repeatable measurements by unifying multiple instruments into one tool. RMS continues to invest and expand its inspection and design tools to offer modern, high-quality solutions to the turbomachinery industry.

Expedited Overhaul of AC Compressor 165S4UUA Gets Customer's Site Back Online

John Korevec, Senior Project MangerRuss Aerts, Product Director - OFS, Oil Free Screw• Bill Egan, Technical Director - OFS, Engineering

RMS was recently contacted by an FPSO vessel off the coast of Africa for support overhauling their spare 165S4UUA AC Compressor oil-free screw (OFS) compressor. Early in the overhaul of their spare compressor, the compressor unexpectedly shut down, which meant the overhaul of the spare compressor at RMS became a top priority. The shortened turnaround of this 165S4UUA spare required precise coordination by project management, engineering support, expedited supplier timelines, and expedited compressor testing to meet the customer’s new requirements successfully.

Thanks to the diligent work of RMS project management, and the project stakeholders' commitment, the team cut the project lead-time down significantly, thus enabling the expeditious replacement of the compressor on site and minimizing the costly consequences of a unit shutdown on their FPSO.

RMS project management worked with RMS’s vendors and in-house OFS experts to repair the 165S4UUA OFS according to the accelerated project plan. The inspection revealed that the unit required repair work on each of the dry gas seals and each of the journal and thrust bearings, as well as new timing gears and complete cleaning. This required clear, concise, and consistent communication by project management to succeed.

The project manager facilitated daily calls and updates with the customer to keep all stakeholders informed on the progress of this project. The OFS Engineering team was also on call to answer any technical questions. After the dry gas seals, bearings, and new timing gears arrived, the RMS team immediately got to work on the reassembly of this OFS compressor. With guidance and oversight from RMS’s OFS engineering team and project manager, the reassembly was completed within the ambitious timeline.

The 165S4UUA AC Compressor oil-free screw compressor was shipped to the Notre Dame Turbomachinery Laboratory (NDTL), where it was set up for its mechanical run test. This mechanical run test also allowed RMS to commission its new dry gas seal panel used at NDTL for all future testing of machines with dry gas seals.

After completing the mechanical run test at the Notre Dame Turbomachinery Laboratory, the overhauled 165S4UUA AC Compressor was air freighted back to the customer in a custom nitrogen purge container provided by RMS.

The RMS Field Services team was on-site at the customer's FPSO, ready to oversee the installation and commissioning of the overhauled AC Compressor 165S4UUA OFS. Before the unit installation, the Field Service team had to meet vaccine requirements, travel visas, and COVID-19 quarantine guidelines.

This expedited overhaul was successful thanks to customer commitment and the engagement of the entire RMS organization that worked together to meet customer requirements and exceed expectations.

The RMS Sales Team Grows

Keith Glenn joins RMS as West Coast Sales Rep

RMS is pleased to welcome Keith Glenn as RMS’s new West Coast sales representative. Keith joins RMS with over 25 years of rotating machinery experience and a Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering from the University of Illinois. Keith’s addition to the RMS sales team will allow RMS to continue to support customers on the West Coast of the United States. Keith started his career at AC Compressor, so this career transition is a homecoming for Keith as he joins many of his colleagues from the beginning of his rotating equipment career.

Keith’s career in rotating machinery started at AC Compressor as an Applications Engineering Intern in the Centrifugal Compressor Group, working under RMS’s CEO John Bartos, Keith’s internship manager at AC Compressor. After a successful internship started working at AC Compressor full-time as an Application Engineer in 1998. His first day and orientation were shared with Ryan Rottier, RMS’s Product Director of AC Compressor Centrifugal Compressors.

Keith transitioned to a Technical Sales role within AC Compressor, where he continued to work in the group after GE Oil and Gas acquired AC Compressor. At this time, GE Oil and Gas also acquired CONMEC, another OEM owned by RMS. Keith worked in a sales role at GE Oil and Gas for six years, relocating from Appleton, WI to Houston, TX.

After spending the start of his career with AC Compressor and GE Oil and Gas, Keith was approached by Man Diesel & Turbo to work as a Key Account Manager for the Houston, TX area. During this time, Keith gained tremendous experience supporting Axial Compressors. After three years as a Key Account Manager, Keith was promoted to Regional Sales Manager for Man Diesel and Turbo’s PrimeServ aftermarket services division.

Keith moved on to work at Dresser-Rand as the Regional Sales Manager for North America. After managing the North American region, Keith was promoted to Director of Upstream Offshore Sales for the Americas, a role Keith held through the acquisition of Dresser-Rand by Siemens. Keith was promoted to Director of Sales for Upstream Offshore for the Americas and Global lead for FPSOs.

The move to RMS is both; a homecoming for Keith and an opportunity to work within a global leader of turbomachinery competency. Keith’s decades of experience with different rotating equipment OEMs and knowledge of supporting customers in the aftermarket space make him a critical resource for RMS’s customers.

Keith looks forward to working with RMS’s customers and wants them to know, “I really am looking forward to working together with you to support your growing turbomachinery needs. The attraction that brought me to RMS is the laser focus on supporting the industry with turbomachinery expertise, solving problems together, and improving everyday operations. As an agile and growing company, we can move faster and offer more flexible solutions to the market compared to OEM companies while being supported by some of the most experienced engineers in the industry.”

Tim Schaper joins RMS Sales Team

RMS welcomes Tim Schaper as the newest member of RMS’s Houston, TX sales team. Tim Schaper joins RMS with more than 30 years of experience supporting customers in the aftermarket turbomachinery industry. Tim’s unique career path blends both sales and operations experience, which gives Tim a unique perspective on customer-focused solutions.

Tim graduated from California State University-San Bernardino, where he studied Environmental Science. Tim continued his education and received an MBA focusing on marketing and support services from the University of La Verna.

A role as a Branch Manager at Kaman Distribution in the greater Los Angeles Area kicked off Tim’s career in the rotating equipment industry. Tim moved on to work at Falk Corporation, where he started his career in sales as a Sales Engineer. At Falk Corporation, Tim serviced power transmission customers in the California industrial market, offering solutions to their parts, repair, field service, and equipment upgrade requirements.

Tim moved on to work at Philadelphia Gear as a Customer Service Manager, where he led the customer support team for the western united states. At Philadelphia Gear, Tim transitioned into his first operational role, supporting customers by leading the customer service, application engineering, and supply chain teams in the Philly Gear Southern California Service Center.

After spending time at Philadelphia Gear, Tim moved on to work as the Operations Manager of ITT Goulds Pump in Houston, TX. Tim managed the shop operations and a team of over 30 shop employees to execute critical rotating machinery repairs and aftermarket support.

Tim moved on to work at Elliott as a Sales Service Engineer supporting the Houston, TX region for aftermarket rotating equipment sales and support. After four years in the Sales Engineer role, Tim was promoted to Regional Sales Manager of the Houston, TX region.

Tim’s wealth of experience supporting customers in the aftermarket rotating equipment space will be an exciting addition to the RMS sales team. RMS looks forward to having Tim on board to work with our customers in the Houston, TX region.

Tim is excited to join the RMS team and shared,

“Understanding equipment reliability and predictability is a major focus of modern turbomachinery users in the marketplace today. Whether servicing customers in a direct sales role or by leading operational teams in pursuit of meeting customer requirements. I’ve always strived to become a “trusted advisor,” integrated into the end-users reliability team.

RMS understands these requirements and has assembled a team of industry experts to address these needs. This focus on problem-solving, rapid response, and highly engineered quality attracted me to join the RMS team. It is refreshing to have all the expertise of an OEM without the limitations and arrogance often exhibited by new equipment-focused manufacturers.

This customer-centric aftermarket emphasis allows RMS and me, by extension, to be a rotating machinery consultive resource for our customers. I’m excited to be part of the RMS team and can’t wait to share these resources with our clients.”

Turbo Toons

Marc Rubino, Quality Manager

New Hires

Adebola Adenola, Master Scheduler — Adebola joins RMS with more than seven years of manufacturing scheduling experience. Adebola started his career in the healthcare industry before moving on to work at Google to help manage their scheduling of the Google Fiber project in San Antonio, TX. Adebola moved on to work at Pratt and Whitney as a master scheduler, where he gained experience managing the production schedule for highly engineered products. RMS is pleased to have Adebola as part of the team to help support the creation of critical customer schedules.

Howard Brewer, Rotating Equipment Planner — RMS is excited to welcome Howard brewer to the RMS team as a rotating equipment planner. A veteran of the United States Army, Howard started his career as an Industrial Maintenance Technician for ADM. After spending more than ten years at ADM, Howard went to work in the oil refining industry and was most recently the lead mechanical technician for a Texas-based refinery. Howard’s wealth of knowledge will make him a critical member of the RMS team.

Joshua Conley, Mechanic — Joshua joins RMS with more than 15 years of rotating machinery experience. His experience includes maintaining and repairing rotating equipment and managing critical job documentation. Joshua is also a proud mentor who has experience training new mechanics to properly use equipment and document completed work.

Randy Davis, Lead NDT Technician — RMS is excited to welcome Randy as our newest lead NDT Technician. Randy offers more than 20 years of specialized training in multi-disciplined Quality Inspection fields. And capable of providing total coverage of all inspection facets from Basic dimensional inspection through Automated Ultrasonic Inspection and Vendor Witness function FAT and SIT Sessions. Randy’s NDT capabilities are a welcomed addition to the RMS team to help better serve our customers with industry-leading NDT inspections.

Phillip Frable, Mechanic — Philip joins RMS with more than 36 years of manufacturing experience. Philips's background includes working closely with the engineering team to manufacture and develop products. With experience in everything from prototyping to quality inspections, Philip’s extensive experience is a welcome addition to the RMS team.

Keith Glenn, Account Manager — RMS is pleased to welcome Keith Glenn as RMS’s new West Coast sales representative. Keith joins RMS with more than 25 years of rotating machinery experience and a Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering from the University of Illinois. Keith’s addition to the RMS sales team will allow RMS to continue to support customers on the West Coast of the United States. Keith started his career at AC Compressor, so this career transition is a homecoming for Keith as he joins many of his colleagues from the beginning of his rotating equipment career.

Cordero Hudson, HR Manager — RMS is excited to welcome Cordero to the Human Resources team. Cordero has more than eight years of HR experience. Before joining RMS, Cordero worked at Keurig Dr. Pepper Inc., where he was an HR contact for more than 300 employees. Cordero’s unique experience in establishing effective communication and his ability to successfully multitask in a dynamic, fast-paced environment make him an excellent fit for the RMS HR team.

Kevin Jordan, Mechanic — Kevin has more than 20 years of experience in the repair of engineered centrifugal compressors, steam turbines, blowers, and pumps. Michael has a wealth of knowledge in the repair and overhaul of rotating machinery, and we look forward to having him here at RMS.

Jeffrey Klotz, Senior CAD Designer — RMS is excited to welcome Jeff to the RMS drafting team. Jeff offers more than 20 years of Solid Works experience and ten years of Auto CAD experience. With experience in sheet metal design—including NC programming and metal casting—Jeff is a perfect fit for the RMS team.

Matthew Kohler, Design Engineer II — Matt joins RMS with more than eight years of experience in the Development, Testing, and Deployment of aircraft generator systems. After graduating from NJIT with a BSME, Matt started his career in rotating machinery as an intern for IPS. After completing his internship, Matt worked at IPS as a full-time engineer, where he designed and tested rotating machinery. RMS is excited to welcome Matt to our growing engineering team.

Matthew Owens, Welder — RMS is excited to welcome Matt to the RMS welding team. Matt graduated from the Welder Training and Testing Institute and started his career in the construction and excavating industry. Matt has extensive experience completing weld repair work on large-scale construction equipment. He possesses AWS Welding Certifications in D1.5 All positions SMAW (Carbon Steel), D1.1 All Positions SMAW (Carbon Steel), Vertical, Horizontal, and Flat welding Flux Core on carbon steel (D1.1), Vertical, Horizontal, and Flat welding MIG on carbon steel (D1.1). Matt is also a Volunteer Firefighter of Liberty Fire Company No. 2, where he holds the title of Assistant Secretary.

Hugo Sanchez, Logistics Associate - Shipping and Receiving — Hugo joins the RMS Shipping and Receiving team with more than ten years of logistics management. Hugo is experienced in the organization and management of large equipment in manufacturing settings. RMS is excited to welcome Hugo to the team, where he will support the flow of critical rotating machinery components.

Timothy Schaper, Account Manager — RMS is pleased to welcome Tim as the newest RMS Houston, TX sales team member. Tim joins RMS with more than 30 years of experience supporting customers in the aftermarket turbomachinery industry. Tim’s unique career path blends sales and operations experience, which gives him a unique perspective on customer-focused solutions.

Nathaniel Simpson, Mechanic — Nathaniel is an experienced mechanic who started his career in the rotating machinery industry. In addition to experience in the field, Nathaniel has worked in the building of custom cars with bespoke interior and exterior modifications.

Patrick Snoke, Welder — RMS is excited to welcome Patrick to the RMS shop team. Patrick graduated from Bethlehem Area Vo-Tech’s Welding Program and is pursuing his Bachelor’s Degree in Welding and Metal Fabrication Engineering Technology at Pennsylvania College of Technology. Patrick has experience in SMAW Welding, Mig Welding, Flux-Core Welding, Oxy-Fuel Cutting, and Plasma-Arc Cutting.

Jeffrey Steele, Rotor Balance Assembly — Jeffrey joins RMS with more than 25 years of manufacturing experience. Jeffery started his career at Follett, working on the manufacture of commercial refrigeration equipment. During his time at Follett, Jeffery continued to develop in his career and take on new, more complicated manufacturing responsibilities. Most recently, Jeffrey worked in the model shop, where he supported the engineering team in developing and testing prototype machinery. Jeffery’s unique experience supporting engineered products makes him an excellent fit for the RMS team.

Donald W. Troupe, Facilities Manager — RMS is excited to welcome Donald as our new Facilities Manager in Houston, TX. Donald started his career as an NDT technician for Cooper Cameron. After working in NDT, Donald’s career took him into the facilities management space, where he now possesses more than 15 years of experience. Donald’s experience managing the facilities of manufacturing centers makes him an excellent fit for the RMS team.

Jeff Wheeler, 2nd Shift Mechanic — Jeff joins RMS with over 15 years of combined experience as a millwright and logistics manager. Jeff’s experience working during critical machinery turnarounds in the oil and gas industry makes Jeff an excellent fit for the RMS team. RMS looks forward to having Jeff as part of our experienced shop team.

Casey Woron, NDT Technician — RMS is excited to welcome Casey to the ship team as our newest NDT Technician. Casey has more than five years of NDT experience and is a certified welder. Casey’s certifications include AWS CWI, PT Level II, MT Level II, RT Level II, UT Level II, IRRSP State Card, and ACI Concrete Testing Level I. RMS is excited to add Casey’s skills to our experienced NDT team to serve our customers' NDT inspection needs.

Brennon Young, Repair Engineer — Brennon graduated from Louisiana State University with a BSME and a minor in Business Administration. During his studies, Brennon interned at the United States Air Force Civilian Service, where he Reverses engineered aircraft-tooling fixtures into 3D computer models using SOLIDWORKS. Brennon started his career at a Houston-based oil refinery, where he served as the production area focal point for equipment repairs and maintenance practices. Brennon worked to manage rotating equipment turnaround and plan machinery maintenance based on condition monitoring. RMS is excited to welcome Brennon to the engineering team, where his experience will significantly benefit to the team.

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