Quick turnaround for Barnhart

Barnhart Crane and Rigging, the USA-based lifting and transport company, successfully completed the removal and replacement of four air grids – weighing 12.7 tonnes each – in a refinery’s fluid catalytic cracking (FCC) unit in California in the midst of a turnaround.

Notified of the job on a Thursday morning, Barnhart met with company officials on the Friday to discuss the requirements and had personal and equipment organised by Saturday. The Barnhart team was ready to execute the first pick by Sunday evening and removed the grids in one and a half shifts. Before getting in touch with Barnhart, the customer had estimated that the job would take 14 shifts to complete, adding seven days to the outage, the company said.

The company used its moveable counterweight cantilever system to lift the air grids - ideal for lifts needing lateral movement to avoid obstructions, Barhart explained.

The air grids to be removed and replaced were located inside the regenerator of the FCC unit.