Recently, Jingchen Petroleum Equipment (Dalian) Co., Ltd. completed the factory pulling force test of an 85T diesel-powered tube bundle extractor. This test focused on verifying the equipment’s rated pulling capacity, hydraulic system stability, main beam structural strength, trolley movement, and safety control performance, providing a solid technical basis for delivery and future on-site operation.
Tube bundle extractors are widely used in shell-and-tube heat exchanger maintenance in refineries, petrochemical plants, chemical plants, and power plants. They are designed for tube bundle extraction, reinstallation, support, and short-distance movement. For large heat exchangers, tube bundles are often heavy and long. After years of operation, scaling, corrosion, sludge accumulation, and adhesion inside the shell may significantly increase the resistance during extraction. Therefore, the equipment must not only provide sufficient pulling force but also maintain stable, smooth, and safe operation under heavy load conditions.
The Purpose of the 85T Pulling Force Test
In real maintenance sites, tube bundle extraction is not simply about overcoming the bundle’s own weight. After long-term operation, various forms of resistance may develop between the tube bundle and the shell. Especially during the initial pulling stage, the breakaway resistance can be much higher than the actual bundle weight.
Therefore, the pulling force test of the 85T diesel tube bundle extractor is not only to prove that the equipment “can pull”, but more importantly to verify whether the machine can perform reliably under heavy-duty working conditions.
The key inspection points include:
Stable hydraulic pressure output;
Smooth and continuous pulling movement;
No abnormal deformation of the main beam and pulling structure;
Smooth movement of the trolley and guide rails;
Stable and reliable diesel power output;
Sensitive response from the control system;
No abnormal vibration, noise, or oil leakage under high load.
These testing items are closer to actual industrial maintenance conditions and allow customers to better understand the real working performance of the equipment.
Step-by-Step Loading for More Realistic Working Conditions
This test was carried out through step-by-step loading. Before the test, technicians performed a comprehensive inspection of the diesel engine, hydraulic power unit, main cylinders, control valve block, pressure gauges, hydraulic pipelines, connecting pins, steel structure welds, guide rails, and trolley system.
During the test, the load was gradually increased instead of being applied to the maximum level at once. By observing the equipment’s performance at different load stages, the technical team could more accurately evaluate the hydraulic system response under low, medium, high, and near-rated load conditions.
At the high-load stage, particular attention was paid to hydraulic pressure stability, cylinder movement continuity, stress condition of connection points, and overall structural deformation. For an 85T-class machine, the alignment of the pulling mechanism, straightness of the guide rails, and bending resistance of the main beam directly affect actual field performance.
Diesel Power Provides Better Adaptability for Complex Maintenance Sites
One major advantage of diesel-powered tube bundle extractors is reduced dependence on external power supply. In many refinery and petrochemical maintenance sites, working areas are widely distributed, power supply conditions are inconsistent, temporary work locations are frequent, and the equipment may need to be moved repeatedly.
A diesel-powered machine can enter different work areas quickly without repeatedly coordinating external electrical connections, making it more suitable for multi-point and continuous maintenance operations during shutdown or turnaround projects.
For large heat exchanger maintenance, the equipment may need to move between different process units or adjust its position repeatedly within limited space. The combination of diesel power and hydraulic execution provides stronger mobility and independent operation capability on site.
Heavy-Duty Equipment Requires More Than Larger Cylinders
An 85T tube bundle extractor cannot be achieved simply by increasing cylinder size or hydraulic pressure. Heavy-duty pulling places higher requirements on the entire structure, including main beam strength, trolley load capacity, support arrangement, pulling centerline control, welding quality, and connection reliability.
During design and manufacturing, Jingchen pays close attention to the following structural details:
The main beam adopts a reinforced structure to ensure bending and torsional resistance under heavy load;
The trolley system maintains stable contact with the guide rails to reduce swinging during loaded movement;
The pulling force point is designed to align as closely as possible with the bundle centerline to reduce eccentric loading;
Key connection parts use reliable mechanical connections for easier maintenance;
Hydraulic pipelines and control lines are arranged carefully to reduce the risk of impact damage during site operation.
These details determine whether the equipment can not only pass the factory test, but also operate reliably for a long time in real industrial environments.
Test Results Reflect Factory Quality Control
During the 85T diesel tube bundle extractor pulling force test, the machine loaded smoothly, the hydraulic system operated normally, the pulling movement remained continuous, the main structure stayed in good condition, the trolley moved smoothly, and the diesel power output remained stable. The test results met the factory inspection requirements.
For customers, a factory pulling force test is not only a quality inspection procedure, but also an important reference for evaluating whether the machine is ready for real site operation. In refinery and petrochemical shutdown maintenance, equipment stability directly affects heat exchanger maintenance progress and site safety.
Jingchen will continue to implement functional testing, load testing, and detailed inspection before delivery, ensuring that every tube bundle extractor is delivered in reliable working condition and providing customers with safer, more stable, and more efficient heat exchanger maintenance equipment.
