GENIFAB has been working in the field of heavy mechanics and industrial mechanics since its founding in 1986. Our team is made up of mechanical engineers and technicians . We can therefore work on civil projects including a mechanical component such as movable bridges or the design of hydromechanical equipment, as well as for purely mechanical projects such as conveyors, handling systems or production equipment. We also offer a custom machine safety system design service and compliance.
For mechanical design, we work mainly with Autodesk Inventor and SolidWorks software as well as Advance design America.
Whether you are looking for expertise in mechanical engineering or need additional manpower to complete your team, GENIFAB will perform the engineering for all your projects, from the smallest to the largest.
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The design and drawings of heavy mechanics and industrial mechanics are one of our company’s specialties. GENIFAB has been working in this field since its founding in 1986. Over the years, GENIFAB has developed a unique expertise in Canada.
In heavy engineering, we cover hydro mechanical equipment (hydroelectric equipment), locks, movable bridge mechanics, piers, and more. We have designed more than 100 major dams in Canada. The greater the challenge in terms of scope and complexity, the more GENIFAB stands out as a practical, efficient and flexible solution. GENIFAB offers a complete solution to the dam owner by providing not only the mechanical design but also the complete structural design of the spillway.
In terms of industrial mechanics, we have designed numerous pieces of equipment of all sizes and we work with manufacturers of machinery for the food, mining, wood transformation and equipment manufacturers of all kinds.
Whether it’s for an inspection project, a refurbishment or for the construction of a new structure, GENIFAB offers you a team of experts who can carry out your projects down to the smallest to the smallest detail. We can also draw up plans and specifications that will allow you to issue a call for tenders.
Locks are engineering structures used since the Middle Ages to make a river or canal navigable and to allow boats to or a canal navigable and allowing boats to cross uneven ground. They can also be used to protect boats from the tide as for a marina in a port or a sector of a city as in Louisiana for example. These water control structures are very similar to the gates found in a spillway, and generally use the same construction principles.
Consequently, GENIFAB, which has extensive experience in the design of dam gates, has dam gates, has also developed a vast experience in the field of sluices. Whether it is for gates or sector gates, GENIFAB can help you with
inspection, design or drawings of gates and lock mechanics. We have completed numerous mandates in Canada and the United States.
Our team can inspect your equipment, analyze the residual capacities of the structure, verify compliance with current standards, propose for refurbishment or new equipment, and carry out the entire detailed engineering.
“Built-ins” is a general term that usually includes the following components: sill beam, lintel, heavy side rails and light side rails. By analogy, inserts can be compared to a door frame.
The inserts (parts embedded in concrete) are among the first mechanical elements that are installed on a water retention or control structure that is part of a spillway, intake or vacuum cleaner.
They ensure the proper operation of the gates when they are opened and closed. The deterioration of the concrete around them or the swelling of the concrete by alkali-aggregate reaction (AGR), can lead to the malfunctioning of the gates and even blockage of the valves.
Over the years, GENIFAB has developed a unique expertise in the repair and machining of embedded parts. GENIFAB offers inspection and characterization services for existing embedded parts in addition to design services and detailed drawings.
The gates act as “watertight boundaries” to prevent the passage of water. All the precision sought in the manufacture of a valve is to ensure a maximum
watertightness. The tightness is a very important point for a spillway because the water that is not water that is not turbined represents a loss of revenue. In winter, leaks can cause ice to accumulate downstream of the gates, which can prevent them from opening in the spring during the flood period.
GENIFAB’s team has extensive experience in the design of gates for dams and or locks. We can perform the tender engineering, preliminary or detailed engineering of all types of gates commonly used in the hydroelectric industry. hydroelectric industry. Our team can inspect your equipment, analyze the residual capacity of the structure residual capacities of the structure, verification of compliance with current standards, propose standards, propose solutions for a refurbishment or for new equipment and carry out the entire detailed engineering.
Here are the types of gates that we can realize for you:
– Gates on wheels in one or more fixed or articulated sections;
– Gates on skis (or slide gates);
– Barrier gates;
– Water intake gates;
– Spillway or control gates;
– Suction gates;
– Radial gates;
– Wall valves.
Beams have the same function as coffer gates, but are manufactured in several sections with a much more squat geometry. They are used for maintenance or repair of equipment located upstream (in the case of suction gates) or downstream (for intake gates or spillway gates). This is why they are also called overhaul beams. The beams are usually handled with a spreader bar or with the hooks of a hoist truck.
Many dams built in the early 1900’s use wooden girders with a hoist cart on their spillway as a water level control system instead of gates. GENIFAB can help you modernize your dam by replacing the truss gates with gates, and find a solution that fits your needs.
A cofferdam is a temporary dam or dike that is used to dry out a part or area on which construction or work is to be done. A cofferdam can also be a temporary structure that is installed over a dam. There are several types of cofferdams, but floating cofferdams are frequently used to dry out a sluiceway for inspection or repair. The floating cofferdam is actually a metal structure with a floating box that can be filled with water to submerge it.
It can also be a temporary structure that is inserted into the inlet or outlet valve shaft and installed in the water supply or outlet pipe.
GENIFAB has built several floating cofferdams for hydroelectric plants and has developed all the procedures required for their installation. We can help you choose the right configuration for your needs and perform the complete detailed engineering.
Debris traps are the first element encountered at the water intake. Their function is to act as a filter for coarse debris that may be present at the pipe inlet. The screens are constructed in overlapping sections and are operated with a spreader bar.
A screen cleaning system, called a bar screen, is usually installed above the debris screen. This system is designed to remove the debris accumulated on the screens.
GENIFAB’s team has designed and engineered multiple debris screens and screen systems for many dam owners across Canada.
Monorail or bi-rail winches are usually used to move the beams longitudinally to the dam for storage. They are usually custom-designed mechanical systems to meet the various safety and operational requirements of the hydroelectric field.
Since GENIFAB also has a specialized team dedicated to the design and drawing of steel structures, we are in the best position to carry out, in addition to the mechanical systems, the entire structural design related to the monorail winch and ready for automated manufacturing with all the required digital files.
Cable winches and screw winches are widely used for opening and closing gates on hydroelectric dams. Cable winches are mainly used for long strokes and for closing gates by gravity. The weight of the gate and the friction forces must be planned accordingly.
Screw winches allow the valve to be closed by pushing the valve and are generally used for smaller strokes. In some cases, a rack and pinion system can also be used.
GENIFAB can provide not only the mechanical and structural design of the winches, but also the electrical design and selection of actuators.
The lifting beams are used to handle the overhaul beams or cofferdam gates. The hooks of the spreader bar automatically lock onto the girder and must be actuated to be released. They can be operated manually or with a tracking winch via an electric control. Guide wheels or shoes allow the spreader bar to be inserted into the guides (or inserts) of the valves. The spreaders are usually handled by a monorail or bi-rail hoist, a gantry crane or an overhead crane.
GENIFAB has extensive experience in the design of all types of lifting devices, not only for hydroelectric dams but also for other types of industry.