All Bets on Precision
When a turbine replacement called for precision rigging inside Turning Stone Resort Casino's cogeneration facility, Trimble Services helped keep the project moving—working within tight clearances to remove the existing 6-megawatt turbine and support installation of its replacement.
Quick Project Facts
Location: Turning Stone Resort Casino | Verona, NY
Client: Turning Stone Resort Casino
🏗 Services: Rigging and millwrighting
Equipment: 8k forklift, 12k forklift, & Rig Ready QL-175 rigging boom
Completion: September 14-16
Powering a Precision Replacement
Trimble Services recently supported a turbine replacement project at Turning Stone’s combined heat and power plant, providing the rigging expertise and equipment required to remove the existing turbine and support installation of its replacement.
Working alongside a turbine service team, the three-person Trimble crew assisted with the removal and installation of the approximately 6,000-pound turbine, along with the gearbox, driveshaft and starter motor.
The turbine experts handled equipment disassembly, assembly and final alignment, while Trimble was responsible for safely rigging and moving the components into and out of the turbine enclosure.
The existing turbine was transferred back onto its carrier skid for shipment to the factory for refurbishment, while the replacement unit—already staged on site—followed the same route into the enclosure.
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Turbines Are Built to Operate—Not to Be Moved
A turbine may be designed to operate continuously and reliably for years, but that doesn’t necessarily make it easy to rig.
Unlike equipment designed with frequent handling in mind, turbine components can present limited rigging access while requiring extremely controlled movement. During installation, seemingly small details matter. O-rings, gaskets and mating surfaces must be protected, and final positioning requires a level of precision that leaves little room for uncontrolled movement.
On this project, the challenge wasn’t simply supporting 6,000 pounds—it was controlling that equipment within an already-built facility where process piping, equipment and the turbine enclosure left little room to work.
When Inches Matter
Inside the COGEN facility, the turbine’s location was relatively accessible from the building entrance. Once inside the enclosure, however, working space became considerably tighter.
Existing process piping, equipment and limited overhead clearance restricted how components could be lifted and moved. At certain points during removal of the turbine, the crew was working with approximately one inch of clearance between the enclosure and surrounding process piping.
The gearbox presented an additional challenge. An existing air-intake duct restricted overhead access, making conventional rigging difficult while still requiring the component to be lifted from above.
Rather than changing the overall project sequence, the Trimble crew had to adapt its rigging approach to the conditions in the field.
Working Inside an Operating Facility
Turning Stone remained operational throughout the three-day project.
Trimble’s equipment was staged directly outside the building, while turbine service team completed the necessary equipment disconnects and established the removal and installation sequence.
With no crane required for the project, movement inside the facility relied primarily on the existing overhead gantry system, forklifts and Trimble’s specialized rigging equipment.
The existing turbine was lifted from its operating position using the overhead gantry and placed directly onto its transport stand. Installation reversed the process, with the replacement turbine lifted from its transport stand and moved back through the same route into position.
The Right Equipment for the Constraint
The turbine itself could be handled using the facility’s existing overhead gantry, but removing and replacing the gearbox required a different approach.
Trimble utilized a Rig Ready QL-175 rigging boom, supported by an 12,000-pound-capacity forklift, to provide the combination of lifting capacity and horizontal reach necessary to work around the air-intake duct and within the limited available headroom.
Using the rigging boom allowed the crew to reach into the turbine enclosure while maintaining the clearance necessary to remove and reinstall the gearbox.
Rig Ready QL-175
Capacity: 17,500 lbs.
Application: Gearbox removal & installation
Supporting Equipment: 12K forklift
Why it mattered:
The QL-175 provided something traditional lifting equipment couldn’t easily provide within the enclosure: lifting capacity combined with horizontal reach and minimal overhead clearance.
On this project, the rigging boom didn’t simply accommodate the site’s limitations—it provided the reach needed to solve them.
Three Days. No Damage. Installation Complete.
Trimble completed its portion of the project within the scheduled three-day window, successfully removing the existing turbine and associated components and supporting placement of the replacement equipment.
Despite clearances measured in inches and the sensitivity of the equipment, the components were moved and positioned without damage to the surrounding facility or the critical O-rings and gaskets associated with the turbine installation.
The project also represented Trimble’s first turbine replacement of this type, expanding the crew’s experience supporting equipment replacement within cogeneration and power-generation environments.
The successful execution came down to the same fundamentals that drive any complex rigging project: the right equipment, clear communication and a crew willing to adapt when the conditions in the field demanded it.
Thank you to Turning Stone Resort Casino for trusting Trimble Services to support this project. We appreciate the opportunity to bring our rigging experience to their cogeneration facility and work alongside a great team to get the job done safely and successfully.