Montbovon Dam: watertightness restored in three weeks

ISSUE

• The hydroelectric power station is out of operation: every day it is off the grid represents a loss of electricity generation, with the meter continuing to run until the unit is back in operation
• Restarting requires the hydraulic unit to be resealed; without a bespoke profile to the exact dimensions, recommissioning is not possible
• The standard lead time for manufacturing a bespoke rubber profile (measurement, formulation, extrusion, welding, delivery) usually exceeds the acceptable timeframe for a plant that has been shut down: all stages must be streamlined without compromising reliability
• Access to and installation requirements at hydraulic sites necessitate a coordinated on-site operation, where any errors or the need for return journeys prolong the operational downtime

BORFLEX SOLUTIONS

• Mobilisation of teams, with BORFLEX taking direct responsibility for meeting the tight deadline
• Manufacture of a hollow NDM profile (Note de Musique) with precise dimensions (Ø10 x Ø22 x 57 x thickness 8 mm), sized for the relevant hydraulic unit
• Hot-welding to a rubber profile, an in-house process that ensures the necessary seal for restarting
• Direct coordination of BORFLEX’s production, logistics and on-site teams throughout the entire manufacturing, delivery and installation process to reduce the lead time to less than three weeks

WHAT IT HAS ACHIEVED

The Montbovon Dam hydroelectric power station was brought back into operation within the agreed timeframe. Compressing the entire process – from the manufacture of a bespoke component, through to delivery and on-site installation – to less than three weeks, for a non-catalogue part intended for an energy infrastructure, directly reduced the period of lost production for the operator.

This result was only made possible through direct coordination between BORFLEX’s production and logistics departments and its on-site teams, with the same points of contact from the initial call right through to installation. The cost of the intervention and the initial duration of the power station’s outage are not documented; the measurable outcome available is that the three-week deadline was met and normal operations were resumed.