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Exceeding customer expectations


Shock and vibration tests Tests on the submarine


Weir Minerals Floway and Weir Oil & Gas Deer Park


Weir collaborates with Canadian Navy


Two years ago Weir Marine Engineering, in collaboration with the Canadian Navy, conducted an air gun trial, simulating an explosion at sea with a mothballed ‘Oberon’ class submarine. This was the first experiment trialled with a submarine in North America and witnesses from the Canadian, British and US Navy were present. ‘First of Class’ ships and equipment are re-


quired to undergo a series of shock and vibra- tion tests to validate the operational resilience of the platform. The ships were previously subject to a series of ‘explosions’ at sea, simu- lating combat conditions, ensuring the whole platform met various shock requirements.


However this approach was expensive, not environmentally friendly with conditions unable to be repeated. Air guns are used in the oil and gas industry to simulate a seismic shock at sea. The advantages of using air guns as opposed to explosives, make the experiment safer, envi- ronmentally friendly, repeatable, cost effective and can be conducted alongside the vessel. Based on the success of the experiment, the Canadian Navy has tasked Weir Marine Engineering with implementing a permanent air gun test system at their Naval Base in Halifax, Canada in 2011 to test heavy weight equip- ment and naval platforms as required.


Internal auditor certification


In preparation for the ISO 9001:2008 total business recertification, four


members of staff at Weir Minerals Linatex in Salt Lake City, USA, successfully completed internal auditor certification. The three day programme included an examination and continuous evaluation co-ordinated by the Utah state customer fit training programme, conducted by AEXON Quality Systems and a lead assessor.


joined forces to ensure superior aftermarket services for oil and gas customers in the USA. The result was successful completion of a critical pipeline upgrade project in outstanding time to maintain the pipeline operation, reducing loss of production time and revenue for the customer.


The challenging task involved upgrading a vertical booster pump feeding the main pipeline without dramatically affecting operating rates. The scheduled downtime included removal of the existing unit, installation of upgrade components, pump installation, commissioning and start up all on site, due to the strict timeline.


In advance of the work on-


site, Weir designed and built the necessary upgrade components prior to the scheduled downtime. Weir Oil & Gas technicians were dispatched to the site for turnkey removal and installation of the upgraded unit which was successfully commissioned and operational with six hours remaining on the planned downtime schedule. The precise planning,


professionalism of the Weir team and delivery of the challenging task before the deadline contributed towards exceeding the customers’ expectations.


Improvement techniques prove successful at service centre


Twelve employees at Weir Power & Industrial’s service centre in Alloa, UK have successfully gained a Scottish Vocational Qualification (SVQ) Level 2 in Business Improvement Techniques after being assessed on their competencies in applying the principles and practices of the techniques.


The primary objective of the SVQ, 24


supported by the Scottish Government, is to improve business performance as a whole. The philosophy of this external qualification is identical to that of the internal Weir Production System: it empowers people who make up the organisation, meaning all employees have a part to play in improving the performance of the business.


Employees’ competencies are assessed and confirmed, while waste and costs are reduced, thus improving productivity and ultimately increasing competitiveness.


The twelve employees were assessed by an independent external company by completing five mandatory assessment routes.


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