How TTL Solutions helps to keep the turbines turning at Siemens Energy, Newcastle.
When you’re machining 80-tonne turbine spindles destined for some of the UK’s most critical energy infrastructure, there is no margin for error and no room for software downtime. For Siemens Energy’s specialist manufacturing facility in Newcastle, TTL Solutions has become a trusted partner that keeps their Siemens NX CAD/CAM environment running at its best.
A Facility at the Heart of the Energy Transition
Siemens Energy’s Newcastle site has been a cornerstone of steam turbine servicing in the UK for decades. The facility specialises in the repair, refurbishment and manufacture of large rotating components including high-pressure (HP), intermediate-pressure (IP) and low-pressure (LP) turbine spindles for power stations across the country and beyond.
Deric Whittaker, Senior Manufacturing Engineer at Siemens Energy Newcastle and a specialist with 18 years at the facility, describes its evolution: “We service components from stations that have been running and need repairs or modifications to extend the life of the machines. Some of the spindles we’ve seen coming back in recently, we still have people here who remember making them the first time.”
The Challenge: Transitioning Without Losing Ground
For a facility that can handle large, complex components, CAD/CAM software is not simply a tool, it is the operational backbone. When Siemens Energy Newcastle decided to migrate from their existing platform to Siemens NX, the stakes were high. Years of work had been invested in configuring post processors, building fixture libraries, modelling tooling and customising workflows for each individual machine.
Deric was clear about the goal from the outset: “The starting point for using Siemens NX had to be the finishing point of where we were with the old software. What we didn’t want was to have 100% capabilities with the old software, then go backwards for a number of years while we built things back up.”
This was not a straightforward ask. Each machine across the Newcastle facility has its own configuration, its own post processor requirements, and its own way of working. Added to this, the team had deeply embedded ways of operating that any new system would need to accommodate.
Responsive, Expert Support When It Matters Most
For Deric, one of the most significant advantages TTL brings compared with previous support arrangements is responsiveness. Under the previous system, specialist post processor support was based in Texas, meaning contact was impossible before midday UK time and any face-to-face dialogue was simply not practical.
With TTL, the experience is markedly different. “There’s a lot of people at TTL who can support you in different areas of the software. You’re not relying on just one person, so if that person is busy, you’re not waiting days for an answer – you’ll get a response the same day, or the next day at the latest,” says Deric.
TTL’s Helpdesk ticketing system allows Siemens Energy Newcastle to flag issues by priority level, ensuring critical problems are escalated immediately. This has proved invaluable on several occasions where unexpected events caused NX and the linked post processor to fail at the start of the working day. “This has happened a few times,” Deric recalls. “We raise a high-priority ticket with TTL and within an hour or two we’re back online. We’ve never been stopped for more than about 12 hours on the most critical issues.”
Given the nature of the work, this speed of recovery is not a nice-to-have, it is essential. Summer is the peak season for turbine service work, when stations come offline for planned maintenance windows. “The pressure is on everybody from the second a component comes into the facility,” Deric says. “You have to be quick, but you also cannot be wrong. If something is scrapped, it could take 18 months to replace some of these components. We have to trust in the software and the systems we have. When programs go out to the CNC machines, they have to be right.”
Training That Works - On-Site, Off-Site and Online
TTL Solutions has delivered NX training to Siemens Energy Newcastle’s team through multiple channels, adapting to circumstances as they have changed. The preferred model is for Siemens engineers to travel to TTL’s own facility, which Deric values for the focused, classroom-style environment it provides away from the pressures of the production floor.
TTL also delivers training on-site at Newcastle when required. During the Covid-19 pandemic, when neither option was available, TTL went further than simply switching to a standard video call. Instead, they set up a dedicated portal that allowed the trainer to monitor each participant’s screen in real time, enabling them to identify when individuals were falling behind and offer immediate, targeted support. “It was a lot more than just a Teams meeting,” Deric recalls. “It was a whole portal set up to allow that training to be delivered properly.”
Building strong working relationships has also been a deliberate priority. When Deric knew he would be collaborating closely with one particular TTL specialist over a prolonged project, he arranged for that engineer to visit Newcastle in person. “I wanted to build up a relationship, and I also wanted them to see the machines to understand what we do here and what we were expecting. That early investment paid off,” he says.
A Partnership Built for What Comes Next
As Siemens Energy Newcastle looks ahead towards large component manufacturing alongside its continued service work, the relationship with TTL Solutions is already being developed to support the new demands that will bring.
“What we’ve done in the past is speak to TTL about upcoming projects and what support we’re going to need, getting things set up and ready so that when any problems do come up, we know we’re covered,” says Deric. “We know we’re going to get that support at the time when the pressure is high.”
For a facility where the components being manufactured will eventually generate electricity for millions of homes, and where a single scrapped part can set a project back by 18 months, the value of a trusted, responsive and deeply knowledgeable software partner is clear. TTL Solutions has become, in Deric’s own words, something the team can genuinely rely on: “The information you get back you can trust and that gives you a good feeling that if you run into a problem, you are going to have the support there to resolve it effectively and efficiently.”
