TIL a trick for checking tube sheet alignment from an old plant in Gary, Indiana

I was walking through the decommissioned U.S. Steel plant in Gary last month. I saw a crew prepping a boiler for removal and noticed they had hung a cheap laser level from the center of the upper drum. They shined it down through the tube holes to spot any misalignment in the lower sheet before they even pulled a tube. It was a simple way to get a quick visual check without any fancy tools. Has anyone else seen a good field trick for a fast alignment check?

3 comments

3 Comments

rowan_thomas1mo ago

That Gary trick sounds clever but I saw a crew try something similar on a retrofit in Toledo last year and it caused more problems. The laser was never perfectly centered, so they got false readings and ended up pulling three good tubes for no reason. They wasted half a day before just using the proper mandrel bar like the spec called for. Sometimes the old school way is just guessing with a new tool.

miles_roberts222d ago

Did the crew at least try to bracket the laser off the tube sheet face itself to keep it square, or did they just hang it loose from the drum?

robinl901mo ago

Actually used to think those laser shortcuts were genius until a botched job in Cleveland proved Rowan right. Sometimes the simple old way is just the right way.