Preparing for installation

Why preparation matters

Equipment that arrives at a prepared site can be positioned, connected and commissioned in an orderly way. Equipment that arrives at an unprepared site waits, sometimes in conditions that harm it. This guide lists the preparations that usually fall to the site team. The exact division of work is stated in the quotation and order; see planning delivery, installation and commissioning responsibilities.

This guide describes preparation, not installation procedures. Electrical installation is carried out by competent, authorised people under the site's safety and permit system.

The location

• Confirm the agreed location against the general arrangement drawing, including the clearances shown for maintenance
• Check that the floor or plinth is level, finished and able to carry the equipment's weight
• Keep the location dry and protected from water ingress, including from pipes and drains above
• For indoor equipment, confirm that the room is not used for storage of combustible material

Ventilation

Servo voltage stabilizers and voltage controllers are air cooled or oil cooled, depending on rating; rectifiers are cooled by natural air, forced air or oil; transformers are oil immersed with natural oil and air cooling (ONAN). In each case the heat must leave the space.

• Provide the ventilation openings, ducting or cooling agreed for the room
• Keep the air inlet and outlet of the equipment clear of walls, shelving and stored items
• Check that ventilation does not draw in dust, fumes or moisture from a process area

Access and delivery route

• Confirm the route from the vehicle to the location: door widths, corridor turns, ramps, lifts and floor loading along the route
• Arrange lifting equipment and people where the equipment cannot be moved by hand, with the permits the site requires
• Name a receiving contact who can inspect the delivery and record its condition before signing

Cabling and earthing

• Provide incoming and outgoing cables of the size agreed in the design, routed to the cable entry shown on the drawing
• Prepare cable glands, lugs and supports as agreed
• Provide an earthing connection to the site earthing system, sized and tested as the electrical design requires
• Confirm upstream and downstream protection is in place and suitably rated

Transformer-specific preparation

• Prepare the plinth, rails or foundation and any oil containment the site requires
• Plan access for oil filling or top-up where the transformer is dispatched without full oil
• Coordinate the supply authority's requirements for connection and inspection

Rectifier-specific preparation

• Prepare the DC busbar or cable route to the process, keeping it as short as practical
• Separate the rectifier from corrosive process atmosphere where possible
• Arrange cooling water or other services if the agreed configuration requires them

Storage before installation

If equipment arrives before the location is ready, store it in its packaging, indoors, dry and upright, away from construction dust. Do not stack items on equipment cabinets. Inspect the packaging for damage on receipt and record any damage before signing.

When preparation is complete

Confirm readiness to the coordinating contact before commissioning is scheduled. Readiness covers the location, ventilation, cabling, earthing, protection and the shutdown window needed for connection. See commissioning and handover for the next stage.