During facility design or project planning, have you ever thought, “There has to be a more efficient design to reduce fieldwork?” That might be best answered by thinking about why going modular could be the answer.

At Armoda, we have worked with numerous customers to develop designs and layouts that increase the amount of work performed at the manufacturing facilities, in order to reduce the number of hours required in the field for the installation and commissioning of technical buildings.     

With a team of qualified engineers and an “outside-of-the-box” approach at Armoda, we have developed unique skid designs that incorporate technical buildings (e.g., motor control centers, electrical houses, remote instrument enclosures) on modular skids. This incorporation supports various equipment connected to control panel inputs or outputs. Typically, these would be designed with two separate constraints, and more than likely, the electrical portion of the project would be performed on-site. This approach requires an enclosure for the electrical and control systems and a separate skid outfitted with the equipment. On-site work for installation would require running cables from individual equipment on the skid through designated penetrations in the electrical enclosure.       

A significant amount of fieldwork can be reduced by designing a skid with an integrated technical building on it. The electrical from each piece of equipment can be run through penetrations into the technical building and terminated into the appropriate control panels. Once the integration is completed, each piece of equipment can be appropriately terminated, labeled, tested, and readied for start-up.    

In addition to the cost savings of reduced fieldwork, there are numerous advantages to integrating technical buildings within the modular skids. By having the electrical integrated within the skid and into the technical building, the manufacturing facility can introduce power to the technical building and each piece of equipment. This integration ensures that each piece of equipment is powered up and communicating with the control panels. It also helps identify any potential issues that need to be resolved before being installed. Doing this early work will significantly reduce any rework required. 

During a factory acceptance test (FAT), the entire skid and technical building can be powered up to ensure all equipment, devices, and other items are functioning as designed. Upon completing the FAT and any corrective actions, the project is ready to be packaged, shipped, and installed at the project site.    

Since it has been factory tested, the only work remaining at the site is connecting the main power to the technical building. Connecting the main brings the skid online. That leaves only connecting any field piping and instrumentation. This design, fabrication, and testing methodology allows projects to come online quicker while significantly reducing fieldwork and eliminating potential problems before delivery.     

Modular projects are not limited to a single industry but can be utilized through various applications across the industrial space. Whether it be oil and gas, renewables, chemicals, or any other industrial application, Armoda can provide unique design and manufacturing options to assist customers in reducing fieldwork and bringing projects online sooner than anticipated.    

The team at Armoda consists of business development personnel, project managers, engineers, electricians, and other support staff who are engaged throughout the entire project. We assist in developing a design and providing options for optimization while working with the customer’s project team to deliver a solution that will reduce costs and time through increased work efficiencies and control within our manufacturing facility.    

Along with our manufacturing capabilities, a dedicated service team of electricians, plumbers, HVAC technicians, and other disciplines can assist in installing, supporting, and servicing the equipment in the field. Knowing the product and design outputs allows our team to provide turnkey support from design, fabrication, installation, commissioning, and ongoing preventive maintenance or service. This turnkey service reduces time with troubleshooting for service and maintenance since the team is familiar with the design and systems operating within the skid. 

Creating innovative designs isn’t anything new, but having a partner who will assist throughout the development and manufacturing process is. An effective partner provides value by reducing project costs and lead time. Armoda works closely with our customers to align the engineering, design, manufacturing, and installation of unique modular products.     

Visit us online for more information regarding modular products from Armoda.