Have you ever worked on designing and building a machine meant to a place where any spark or “hot” surface could trigger catastrophic explosions?
Such was the case with a project carried out in one of PERTAMINA’s many Indonesian refineries, where an old elevator was dismantled and replaced with a new Safi Mod. VISION AS HS without ever stopping the production plant.
Explosive atmosphere, high corrosivity of the environment, inability to stop the plant for a smooth new installation as well as the considerable distance of the anchor points to be reused from the dismantled elevator, are just some of the technical challenges that arose during the project.
SAFI GROUP s.r.l.intervened with the implementation of an adjustable anchoring system perfectly adaptable to the structure’s original fastening points, the installation of certified explosion-proof and micro-pressurised electrical panels for the electrical power components, and a special cable system that can supply pressurised air (in a safe atmosphere) to the cabin at any height.
Instead, a PLC is used for general machine management and integration within the refinery system that reports operating status and alarms. .
The elevator is equipped with a pair of explosion-proof intercoms powered by an uninterruptible power supply to deal with any emergency situation and a speed-controlled manual emergency descent system that allows the operator to bring the cabin back to the ground from any floor in case of power failure. This provides greater safety and autonomy for the operator in case of need.
As with most high-rise permanent installations, the use of an anemometer allows the lift to be taken out of service if the wind speed exceeds the values for which the structure was designed and, if all doors are closed, to move the cabin back to the ground to reduce the area exposed to the strong wind.