A convenient solution for businesses with a large pool of measuring instruments that must be available 24/7 and are spread across different sites.
The client
INGETEAM SERVICE S.A. is part of the INGETEAM Group and specialises in the running and maintenance of renewable-energy facilities such as
wind farms, photovoltaic power plants, and solar-thermal and biomass power stations all over the world. With a total global output of 6.2 GW, Ingeteam Service manages 11% of Spain’s renewable-energy plants.
The challenge
INGETEAM runs and/or maintains eight separate plants for one particular client. Each of these plants has distinct characteristics but they all run around the clock. In order to provide this service, INGETEAM avails itself of more than 3,000 measuring instruments that need to be available 24/7.
Calibrating all of this equipment in an external laboratory would be very costly to INGETEAM, both in terms of time and resources.
The company therefore decided to look for a partner capable of calibrating the equipment in situ in each of its eight plants.
The Applus+ solution
Applus+ Laboratories offered INGETEAM a bespoke solution drawing on its network of calibration mobile laboratories. Applus+ is a Spanish pioneer in offering
on-site calibration services by way of mobile units that are accredited to ENAC ISO/EN 17025 standards (scope: temperature, torque, frequency, electrical variables, pressure).
With a view to optimising equipment availability, Applus+ came up with a tailor-made solution to fit INGETEAM’s needs. This included:
- monitoring the calibration plan: Applus+ remotely and centrally manages all INGETEAM’s measuring-instrument data and devises a calibration programme for each plant.
- a mobile laboratory for on-site calibration: Applus+ technicians make regular visits to each plant, calibrating the equipment in situ in accordance with the agreed programme. In so doing, the calibration process lasts just a few hours, thereby maximising the availability of the equipment.
- the calibration of new equipment: Applus+ has permanently housed one of its mobile units at INGETEAM’s headquarters in Albacete to function as an in-house calibration laboratory. This lab looks after the calibration of all new instruments acquired by INGETEAM for use in Spain and elsewhere, be they replacement equipment or destined for a newly established plant.
Key benefits for the client
This comprehensive solution enables INGETEAM to:
- maximise the availability of its measuring equipment, thereby reducing costs by removing the need for spares of essential instruments
- simplify and centralise the calibration of its entire pool of measuring instruments
- reduce the workload (in terms of both time and paperwork) of each plant’s technicians and equipment operators.
Mobile calibration units
Thanks to its network of accredited mobile calibration laboratories, Applus+ can offer bespoke solutions to other large companies sharing the same issues as INGETEAM, namely:
- a large pool of measuring instruments across multiple sites
- a need to use these instruments around the clock.
Our mobile units are already serving customers in a variety of sectors, including:
- renewable-energy-plant maintenance
- car maintenance and repair
- helicopter maintenance