Duperon Corporation | Case Studies | City of Adrian

CUSTOMER:	City of Adrian Water Treatment Plant
LOCATION:	Adrian, Michigan
CATEGORY:	Wastewater, Municipal
PRODUCT(S):	(3) FlexRake^®, Full Penetration
INSTALL DATE:	(1) December 1997 and (2) April 1999

OVERVIEW

This municipal wastewater industry case study provides a look at one customer’s experience with Duperon Corporation. Ken Wesley is the Plant Superintendent for the City of Adrian Wastewater Treatment Plant, which is located in Adrian, Michigan. He’s been an employee of the City of Adrian for over 6 years. This Duperon installation project was a replacement for three existing pieces of equipment, which were located in two physically separate locations in the City of Adrian (both of which support the City of Adrian Wastewater Treatment facility). One FlexRake unit was installed at the main plant and two others were installed at the Broadstreet facility about a mile away. All three FlexRakes were full-penetration units.

The three FlexRakes in this case study were installed as two separate projects. The two projects were unique due to the maintenance approach being utilized. The pilot FlexRake unit, installed at the main plant, was tested to see how long it could function without having any maintenance work done by the City of Adrian. As of April 2004, the FlexRake units at the two locations have had virtually no maintenance (main plant for almost 7 years, and the two Broadstreet
FlexRakes for 5 years) performed on them.

In late April of 2004, Ken directed the maintenance crew to setup a regular maintenance schedule (change the oil, check the couplings) for the FlexRakes, which would be the first time that the FlexRakes were incorporated into a normal maintenance schedule since the original pilot installations. This was done not because the FlexRake units were having problems, but as part of the plant’s normal maintenance procedures for such equipment and components.

Ken Wesley expressed his satisfaction with Duperon’s products and level of service with the
comment that “...it doesn’t get any better...”.

THE ISSUES

The existing screening equipment at the main plant and at the Broadstreet location needed to
be replaced. At 20+ years the equipment was driving the cost of ownership higher, due to the
continuous need for maintenance.

Question: What was the reason for the purchase of new bar screen equipment?
Ken: “The previous equipment was 20+ years old and needed to be replaced. Pins would get sheared in the upper sprockets, the debris would bind up in the bars and pins had to be changed every day. The lower sprockets needed to be changed frequently as well. At the end (just before replacement of the existing equipment) we were doing confined space entries due to age of the equipment at both locations (main plant and Broadstreet) using a minimum of three individuals (for each entry). (We also needed)...Hot work permits due to the torches, and of course regular permits... needed to replace the (existing) bar screen equipment because of all the problems.”

Question: What kinds of debris were you seeing at the main plant and Broadstreet sites?
Ken: “Both sites can get heavy debris...rags, applicators, grease, sticks, rocks, leaves (many),
coffee cans, some limbs, ...we do have grit and even toys… We do get grease and rag attacks….
a high influx of rain will cause a high influx of debris.”

THE SOLUTION

As the Plant Supervisor, Ken Wesley wanted to replace the existing mechanical bar screen equipment at the Broadstreet location with new equipment that would have an immediate impact on the cost and amount of maintenance services presently being expended. Duperon Corporation had already installed one FlexRake unit at the main plant which was over a year old and virtually maintenance free.

The main plant FlexRake unit had been installed by Ron Reed—City of Adrian Maintenance Representative, Royce Deline—City of Adrian, and Duperon Corporation as a joint development project to fully test the FlexRake’s no-maintenance design objectives. The development project intention was to install the FlexRake unit in a wastewater application environment, and benchmark how long the unit could operate without any maintenance support services being provided.

Duperon also used this as an opportunity to refine the design of the equipment in the best of all possible test environments, a 24 x 7 production operation. The development project also presented a benefit to the City of Adrian in that the cost of the equipment has been discounted to reflect the design-development status of the equipment. Thus making it a more attractive investment from the City’s perspective.