WORK PROCEDURE

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Title : Bundle Pulling

PROCESS OPERATIONS

Task No. Description

Preparation and alignment

1. Hook the crane to the shackle on top of the bundle puller.

2. Lift the Extractor about a foot into the air.

3. Connect an air hose to the extractor and move the balance cylinder until the
lugs connecting to the superstructure are about their mid-point of travel.

4. The extractor should now be heavy on the end that the carriage is on.
Ensure that the lugs under the carriage are in the correct position before
trying to move the carriage. Move the carriage towards the end that is high
until the centre of balance is returned to the centre of the extractor.

5. Once the extractor is level and evenly balanced, lift or move the extractor
to the bundle to be pulled. If the bundle is above ground level, attention
should be given to the amount of free air hose.

6. The first alignment objective is to place the front butt plates against the
shell flange or against the lugs that are bolted or welded to the flange.
When the butt plates are in contact or very near the shell flange the sloping
surface of the butt plates should be under the tube sheet and approximately
centred. During this positioning, the clamping lugs will have rotated down
or to the side to reduce any interference.

7 Now extend the sling cylinders approximately 3 to 4 inches and attach the
loop of the cable slings to the backside of the shell flange by inserting two
flange bolts through the sling loop and a convenient bolthole in the flange.
Shackles or other rigging equipment may be used to accomplish the same
results. Use the sling cylinders to make the final adjustments for centering.

8 The extractor is now ready to be clamped to the shell flange or lugs by

rotating the clamps to a position that will contact the backside of the flange
or lugs.

9 When the clamping lugs are rotated to the proper position, actuate the
clamp control valve to pull the jaws against the shell flange. This action
causes the flange to be held hydraulically between the front butt plates and
the jaws on the clamping lugs, similar to a piece being held in a mechanical
vice.

10 Check the Extractor for level and check that the crane cable is vertical and
over the centre of the lifting frame. Make any corrections that may be
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Task No. Description

necessary.

11 Move the car to the front of the extractor and engage the reaction lugs
against the frame lug blocks. The movement of the car is achieved as
follows:

11.1 Open the air supply valve to start the hydraulic pump.

11.2 If the car is to be moved forward, operate the applicable air valve until the
front lugs are up. The main air valve may have to be opened fully to
achieve sufficient air pressure.

11.3 To move the car by chain driven motors, operate the applicable control
valve to move the car to the desired position. If the car stops abruptly, the
car lugs are in the wrong position and the air valve should be moved to the
opposite position.

11.4 When the front car lugs approach the lug blocks, operate the air valve to let
the reaction lugs drop and engage against the frame blocks.

Connection of main cylinder to exchanger bundle

12 There are a number of methods and adapter plates that may be employed to
fasten the rod end of the main cylinder to the tube sheet or channel flange.
Precautions must be taken to prevent bending of the main cylinder rod.
Some options are provided below:

12.1 Pull plate bolted to drilled and tapped holes in the tube sheet and pinned to
rod eye.

12.2 Pull plate fastened to bundle by inserting tension rods through tubes and
bolted on front and floating head of bundle.

12.3 Same as above (12.1) except cable is threaded through tubes.

12.4 Adapter plate may be used for “U” tube bundles.

12.5 Car is positioned at the second set of lug blocks and the cable is fastened to
the eyebolts in the tube sheet to make initial break. Then a pull plate with
“J” bolts is fastened to the back side of the tube sheet to continue the
exchanger removal or the standard pull plate is secured to the tube sheet
with heavy “C” clamps.

12.6 A plate is bolted through flange boltholes of an integral channel exchanger

to make the connection.

Note The above list provides only some methods of attaching the main cylinder
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Task No. Description

to the exchanger. It is crucial that no connection causes severe bending of

the rod and that each type of connection has a minimum amount of slack.
The amount of slack in the connection may cause the cylinder to stroke
short when the fluid is reversed, this will prevent the lugs from engaging on
the next set of lug blocks. Should this occur then there are several options
available for getting out of the problem.

 Try to move the car and bundle back with the chain drive motors.
 Pull the cylinder rod in and add shim material to take the slack out of
the connection to the tube sheet.
 Have the crane operator lift the frame and pull the cylinder rod in at the
same time. Then hold the frame at a 5 to 10 degree angle and reverse
the fluid to push the car back. Once the lugs are locked, let the frame
back down to a level position and proceed to pull the bundle.
 Use a 4" X 4" or 6" X 6"` timber and place between a solid part of the
car and one of the cross members. Activate the control valve to pull the
car against the timber, which will pull the bundle out far enough to let
the lugs lock when the car is back stepped.

Removing the bundle

13 Check the following steps have been completed:
 Extractor lifted and leveled
 Butt plates positioned on shell flange
 Sling cylinders are connected to shell flange and extractor is centred
 Extractor is clamped to shell flange
 Car is moved forward and front lugs are engaged on lug blocks
 Main cylinder rod is extended and secured to tube sheet
 Extractor is level and crane cables are vertically over load.

14 Apply the force slowly to break the bundle loose from the shell this can be
done in two ways:

14.1 Pull the main cylinder valve handle slowly and gradually; apply this force
with the air motor running at full speed.

14.2 Reduce the speed of the air motor, pull the main cylinder valve open, and
then gradually increase the speed of the air motor.

15 Either of the above methods is satisfactory, but it is important that during

the initial break, the force is applied slowly.

16 Once the tube sheet is clear of the shell flange any appropriate speed may
be used to move the bundle onto the extractor.

17 When the main cylinder is completely retracted, the adjustable “V” blocks
should be jacked inward to take the load off the tube sheet. During the
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Task No. Description

initial pull the tube sheet passes over the “V” block dollies until it can be
loaded onto the dolly nearest the main cylinder car.

18 Further extraction of the bundle may be accomplished by back stepping the

car or by engaging the chain motors.

19 If the bundle has moved relatively freely, the force of the chain motors may
be sufficient to continue movement. To engage the motors, actuate the
control handle to try to continue extraction of the bundle. This method is
preferred because of the continuous motion and is therefore faster.

20 If the bundle has required more than 10,000 PSI for the complete stroke
then the car will probably have to be back stepped to continue extraction.
This is accomplished by reversing the fluid in the main cylinder, which
pushes the car back to the next set of lug blocks.

21 When the front lugs are engaged on the lug blocks, the cycle may be
repeated. The fluid to the main cylinder is reversed to the rod end and the
bundle is pulled another stroke length. When the middle baffle passes over
the middle “V” block dolly, wooden wedges must be placed under the
baffle for support.

22 The bundle is extracted until the “V” block dolly can support the next to
last baffle. When support is complete, the bundle can be completely
removed from the shell.

23 Determine the balance point of the unit, this can be done by gradually
releasing the front clamps until they are free and can be rolled down or out.
CAUTION: Do not disconnect cable slings from the shell flange until the
unit is in balance.

24 When the front clamps are released, notice whether the front of the
extractor tries to move up or down. If it moves down and puts additional
tension on the cable slings then the balance arms need to be brought
forward. If the front of the extractor tries to move up this indicates that the
back is too heavy, therefore the balance arms need to be moved back.

25 The balancing operation is performed with the cable slings in position,

attached to the shell flange. CAUTION: Do not disconnect the cable slings
until the front end of the extractor can be moved freely by one man.

26 When the front end of the extractor can be moved freely, disconnect the
cable slings and the unit is ready to be set on the ground for unloading.

Unloading the bundle

27 There are two methods that can be used for unloading the bundle:
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Task No. Description

28 Method 1
28.1 Remove the upper structure by pulling the pins at the balance lugs.

28.2 Disconnect the pull plate.

28.3 Secure slings around the tubes.

28.4 Lift off the bundle.

29 Method 2
29.1 Push the bundle forward with the main cylinder until the “V” block dolly
approaches the backside of the butt plate.

29.2 In this position the centre of the bundle is forward of the main
superstructure cross member allowing a sling to be secured around the
bundle’s centre of gravity.

29.3 Lift the bundle clear of the extractor.

Note (This works well on bundles of 48" Diameter and 20 feet long)

Installing the exchanger bundle

30 Locate the extractor on flat level ground or platform close to the bundle to
be installed.

31 Move the main cylinder car to the back of the extractor, to permit placing
the bundle on the “V” block dollies.

32 Locate the dollies along the extractor, to support the front tube sheet, the
middle baffle on large bundles and next to the end baffle.

33 If the baffles are a smaller diameter than the tube sheet then place pieces of
wood 2" X 4" or 4" X 4" to raise the floating tube sheet or first baffle above
the butt plate “V” shapes on the frame.

34 The floating head or first baffle should clear the top of the “V” shapes by at
least the width of the gasket (In most instances a safe dimension is 1”)

35 Fasten the pull plate to the tube sheet to prevent the bundle from rolling off
the extractor, should the front end go down for any reason.

36 Balance the unit by lifting slowly and adjusting the balance arms until the
unit is level.

37 Lift the unit to the shell and fasten the side cylinder slings to the shell
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Task No. Description

flange CAUTION: Do not extend the sling cylinders by more than 6’ or

half their stroke.

38 When the slings are connected, actuate the main cylinder to start the
floating head or first baffle into the shell.

39 Once the bundle is started, the front clamps can be rolled up and pulled
against the backside of the flange to clamp the unit in position.

40 At this point the chain drive units should be capable of pushing the bundle
into the shell.

41 Check that the front car lugs are up.

42 Activate the chain drive motors.

43 As the bundle is being installed the crane may have to raise or lower the
unit and move it sideways as the baffles enter the shell.

44 If the chain motors will not install the bundle then the main cylinders shall
be used to step the bundle into the shell.

45 When the bundle is in place the extractor shall be unclamped, balanced and
removed. Using the steps given when connecting to the exchanger but in
reverse order.