Axzion service worldwide
Preventing downtime on onshore and offshore construction sites
The Axzion service team carries out maintenance and repair work on lifting equipment worldwide. Downtime on wind turbine construction sites is extremely expensive.
“The call comes suddenly, a day later you’re somewhere in the Far East.” – Heiko Ockenga’s story sounds a bit like the beginning of an adventure novel. In fact, the head of the Axzion service team is describing a realistic situation. Rotor blades are to be assembled somewhere in the world and all the equipment is already on site. Then it turns out that the maintenance interval for a traverse has expired. In the past year, it has changed construction sites several times and nobody had the routine check on their radar. Now the lifting beam cannot be used without a new inspection certificate.
“Downtime on the construction site in the onshore sector can quickly cost 20,000 euros per day,” says Ockenga. “Offshore, you can easily add another zero to the figure.” – There is therefore only one thing Axzion Service can do: get on the aircraft as quickly as possible so that the fitters can continue working without long downtimes.
Of course, it is best if there are no breakdowns or downtime in the first place. That’s what the Axzion service is for.
Commissioning, inspection, repair
Axzion Service specializes in in-house load handling equipment. Lifting beams, grabs, tongs and the like. The range of services includes initial commissioning and recommissioning, annual inspections, repairs, testing services in our own factory and after installation at the customer’s premises. Hydraulics, electrics and control technology are permanently on the program. Occasionally and under defined conditions, the team also takes on products from other manufacturers.
The locations are spread across the globe: Axzion technicians are in demand wherever wind turbines are built or dismantled for power generation. In cooperation with the parent company SpanSet, they also test lifting gear (e.g. lifting slings), personal fall protection equipment (PPE) and load securing equipment. A 600-tonne load test stand is to be built at the Großefehn service location; the project is currently being examined by the management.
Electronics as a neuralgic point
A lot can happen in the rough and tumble of the lifting industry – whether onshore or offshore. For example: the electrical system of an installation fails and the user cannot find the fault. This could be due to switches, cables or pressure sensors. Or something completely different. “We clarify a lot of things using remote diagnostics,” says Ockenga. “But sometimes it has to be an on-site appointment.”
Like a year ago, when the tilting traverse on an offshore ship stopped working. Nothing worked any more. The reason was that so many radio frequencies were being used on the ship that the Axzion system was repeatedly disrupted. The customer was unable to fix the problem with his own staff. So off they went! With a frequency scanner in his luggage.
“There were over twenty wireless signals buzzing around the ship,” recalls Ockenga. “Everything was in use: crane, GPS coordinator, radios, survey system and much more.” You first must find your way around. But that’s exactly what the Axzion people specialize in. Three hours after arriving, the traverse had its optimally measured channel and was ready for use again. The three hours also included the safety briefing and registration on the installation ship.
GWO and SGU certificates
Axzion service technicians have all the training required by the Global Wind Organization (GWO) for offshore operations. This ranges from GWO Sea Survival and GWO Working at Heights to GWO Helicopter Underwater Escape Training (including CA EBS). In addition, the operational managers and employees have passed the required SHE examinations (health, safety and environmental protection).
Always on the move
Fortunately, most jobs are not extremely urgent, as in the cases described above. But there is rarely much time. In order to be mobile worldwide, Axzion employs six highly qualified service technicians from its own ranks. They usually work in teams of two and are well networked with each other for spontaneous support. Some, such as Heiko Ockenga, have years of experience in servicing Bundeswehr equipment.
Heiko Ockenga and a colleague recently returned from a two-week deployment in Japan. He is not revealing where the next service trip for load handling equipment will take them. Just this much: “In a few days, the two of us will be on the plane again – for a good 14 hours.”
