Blackstone was engaged to design and manufacture a replacement bearing housing for a steam compressor after progressive erosion was identified on the upper half of the existing inboard bearing housing.

The compressor operates continuously and undergoes annual maintenance inspections, during which the erosion was observed to worsen over time. To maintain operational reliability while a permanent solution was developed, Blackstone’s turnaround team performed temporary epoxy repairs during annual outages, extending the service life of the existing component and reducing the immediate risk of failure.

Recognizing the potential for an unplanned outage, Blackstone engineered a replacement bearing housing designed to improve durability and long-term reliability. As part of the upgraded design, a sacrificial stainless steel wear plate was incorporated into the erosion zone to provide additional protection against future material loss.

The project included onsite scanning, reverse engineering, drawing development, and manufacturing support required to produce the new bearing housing assembly.

Erosion Damage & Epoxy Patch

• Perform onsite scanning of the existing bearing housing during outage windows
• Develop detailed manufacturing drawings for a replacement bearing housing
• Design an upgraded housing configuration with improved wear protection
• Manufacture and supply a new bearing housing assembly
• Incorporate a sacrificial stainless steel wear plate to extend service life

Several project challenges required careful planning and execution:

• Limited access windows due to the compressor operating continuously
• Coordinating onsite scanning activities during planned downtime periods only
• Managing progressive erosion damage while maintaining operational reliability
• Developing a long-term engineered solution while temporary repairs were required to sustain operation
• Capturing accurate field data within restricted outage durations

New Bearing Housing

The project delivered a proactive reliability solution designed to support long-term compressor performance, including:

• Reduced risk of unplanned compressor failure
• Improved long-term reliability of the bearing housing assembly
• Enhanced wear protection through the addition of a sacrificial stainless steel plate
• Extended service life in a known erosion area
• Continued safe operation through temporary repair strategies while the replacement component was developed
• Minimized operational disruption through outage-focused scanning and planning activities
• Improved maintenance planning and future outage preparedness

By combining field support, precision scanning, custom engineering, and upgraded component design, Blackstone delivered a replacement bearing housing solution designed to reduce operational risk and improve equipment durability.

The project demonstrates the value of proactive asset management, identifying degradation early, implementing temporary mitigation strategies, and developing a permanent engineered solution before a failure could impact production.