PTW Energy Services assists in upgrades to OSB plant

PTW Energy Services assisted a forestry client in upgrading their Oriented Strand Board (OSB) plant. OSB is a wood product used in roofs, walls, and floors.

PTW provided electrical design and installation support for a new MCC building including the installation of cable tray and pull cables. This was a complex project as the design of the MCC building required that the cable trays be installed on their side, to prevent fires and excessive build-up of sawdust. Installing cable trays in this fashion was a highly labour-intensive process that required our team to take innovative approaches to not only fight gravity but we also designed custom structures to keep the cable trays in the intended position. Approximately 14,000 meters of cable was pulled throughout this project including a substantial amount of VFD rated specialty cable.

In addition to installing the new equipment, a Factory Assistance Test (FAT Test) was completed to ensure correct operation and function prior to install. PTW had a 14-day window to set-up temporary cables, tray, MCC bucket rewiring, disconnects, etc. and we worked alongside two external companies to complete.

The plant was fully-operational during the upgrades, and as such, access to certain areas was limited. Our work rotations needed to be highly flexible to accommodate down days and to gain access to restricted areas. The plant also came with some environmental challenges, as temperatures inside the mill exceeded 40̊ C at ground level, and full respirators had to be worn by the workers, and crews had to be swapped out at set intervals, to ensure heat fatigue had not set in while ensuring everyone remained hydrated.  

PTW completed this project to schedule and was fully committed to safety. Our team had no lost time incidences and we successfully adapted to all challenges we were faced with.

For further information please contact:
Laryssa Yakiwchuk, Marketing and Communications Manager, PTW Energy Services
Tel: +1 403.247.5766; lyakiwchuk@ptwenergy.com