-
OPERATIONS COMMITTEE
RECOMMENDATION
The committee concurred with the staff recommendation to
approve
a sole source contract for the Metro Blue Line to Flender
Corporation, Elgin, Illinois, covering:
E. purchase seven new gearbox assemblies, for a total cost
of $136,150; and.
F. repair 22 gearbox assemblies, for a total cost of
$173,646.
OPERATIONS COMMITTEE, APRIL 12, 1995
-
Los Angeles County
Metropolitan
Transportation
Authority
818 West Seventh Street
Suite 300
Los Angeles, CA 90017
213.623.1194
TO:
THROUGH:
FROM:
SUBJECT:
March 27, 1995
OPERATIONS COMMITTEE
FRANKLIL?yT~,~
t~E~TION 3-338GEARBOX ASSEMB0-LI9E2~RECOMMENDATION FORAWARD
OF
RECOMMENDATION
Consider the Chief Executive Officer’s report containing the
recommendation andauthorization to award a sole source contract to
Flender Corporation, Elgin, Illinois,covering:
Purchase seven new gearbox assemblies, for a total cost
of$136,150.00; and,
b. Repair of 22 gearbox assemblies, for a total cost of
$173,646.00.
DBE PARTICIPATION
The DBE goal for this procurement .was established at 0 %.
IMPACT ON OPERATING BUDGET AND OBJECTIVES
None. This procurement is funded under Grant CA-98-9921.
-
Operations CommitteePage 2
BACKGROUND
A. Justification
The Light Rail Vehicle (LRV) propulsion system was designed with
monomotor "truck." As such, there are four (4) gearboxes on each
LRV fora total of 276 gearboxes in the Light Rail fleet.
Additionally, there are eight(8) spare gearboxes in the storerooms,
and eight (8) spare gearboxes on fullyassembled spare "trucks." LRV
gearboxes transfer power from the tractionmotor to the wheels.
Therefore, failed gearboxes require repair and/orreplacement.
Rail Operations has been tracking the gearbox failure rate. As
of this report,there have been 62 known Blue Line gearbox failures,
in addition to thecurrent reevaluation of all Green Line gearboxes.
On the Metro Blue Line,the failures have primarily involved broken
gears; while, the Green Line hasalready begun to show signs of
metal shavings in the gear oil. Additionally,one Green Line gearbox
has failed due to faulty bearings. There are warrantyissues
currently under investigation. Furthermore, Operations is
pursuingother potential remedies that may reduce the budget impacts
of the rebuildrequirements.
The MTA has contracted with the OEM (Flender Corporation) to
rebuildfailed gearboxes. In the past, Flender has been slow to
complete the rebuiltunits; however, they have improved their
production rate in recent months.Yet, projected production rates
indicate that the contractor will be unable tomeet the MTA demand
for rebuilt gearboxes. The graph below showsgearbox failures versus
the vendor’s gearbox rebuild production rate:
GEARBOX FA I LURE v . RBBU I LD RATE
-
Operations CommitteePage 3
Based on projections, this procurement will equip Rail
Operations withenough gearboxes to provide Light Rail service
through mid-October, 1995.
Parallel with this procurement process, Rail Operations has been
evaluatingalternative long-te~m strategies for the maintenance of
failed gearboxes. Thisevaluation is necessary, given the
inordinately high gearbox failure rates andthe apparent inability
of Flender to fully supply the MTA’s gearbox demand.Rail Operations
will return to the Board in the near future with the findingsof
that strategic review.
B. Procurement Process
An analysis was performed in accordance with the Authority’s
Policy andProcedures covering a non-competitive procurement. The
following is a listof the detemdnations and findings:
Pursuant to FTA Guidelines and the Authority’s Rules
andRegulations, a non-competitive procurement is authorized for
goodsthat are only available from a single source.
A price analysis is being performed by the Intemal Audit
Departmentto confirm that the pricing offered by Flender is fair
and reasonable.
The gearbox assemblies are an integral part of the design of the
LRV’sand are required to meet a specific perfom~ance criteria.
The gearbox was specially designed for the Light Rail Systems
and isunique to the LACMTA.
The gearbox assemblies have specialized bearings which are
availablefrom two sources worldwide. Both sources are located in
Europe.
Each gearbox is custom made, matched and balanced to
specificmanufactured dimensions, tolerances and materials.
Gearbox repair will be a continuing requirement through out the
lifeof the rail systems.
Several gear repair manufacturers were contacted within the U.S.
torepair and overhaul the Flender gearbox assemblies. Those
companiescontacted were not capable or lacked proper equipment.
There arecontinuing efforts to develop altemate sources.
-
Operations CommitteePage 4
The following companies were found to be technically capable
butdeclined to participate for the following reasons:
Western Gear Corporation: - Declined because they were not
willingto make the capital investment necessary to overhaul such a
specializedgearbox.
Westinghouse Air Brake Corporation: - Declined because of
aconflict of interest clause in one of their current licensing
agreements.
Santa Clara County Transportation Agency: - Declined because
ofthe legal restrictions, which does not allow repairing of other
gearboxassemblies.
CONCLUSION
Based on staff’s evaluation, Flender Corporation is the only
source that can providethe equipment and training necessary for the
repair and maintenance of the Light RailGearboxes. Therefore, it is
considered in the Authority’s best interest to proceedwith the
recommendation.
Prepared by: Frank Barbagallo and Sherri Jackson
G. Ed VandeventerDirector,Rail Operations Department
Paul L. ~omoDirector, Procurement
-
INTEROFFICEMEMORANDUM
RAIL MAINTENANCE OPERATIONS
DATE: March 1, 1995
TO: Sherri Jackson, Procurement 5630
FROM: Bob Ogus, Rail Vehicle Maintenance 3623
SUBJECT: Requisition No. 3-3380-92
In regards to the above requisition we plan to do the following
with the funds requested.
Initiate procurement of seven (7) new Flender manufactured
gearboxes to act as "core" unitsfor our internal rebuild
program.
Send out twenty-two (22) existing failed gearbox units at the
Metro Blue Line MaintenanceShop to Flender repair facility for
rebuild.
Balance of funds will be used to procure assembly and test
stands/equipment as well asinitial inventory of materials for
internal rebuild program.
Please contact me at 310-343-3804 if you require additional
information or assistance.
cc:R. MortonC. Term
-
° REQUEST TO PURCHASE¯ /~ LOS ANGELES COUNTY METROPOLITAN
TRANSPORTATION AUTHORITY
/7’ //2I OFFICE OF CONTRACTS, PROCUREMENT & MATERIEL
(~/,~/(213) 972-5028 ~.
"~¢J) ~_~-~-T~ ~---- ~~~--~ [~J/~./Order Placement Date
ACCOUNT NO. | A.F.E. NQ~. ~,~-J WORK ORDER/MODE | GRANT NO.
Supplier: Flender Corooration950 Tollqate Road
Elgin. IL 60123
PH(708) 931-1990FAX (708) 931-0711
BUYER/CA I )
ii~9 User Order Date 11-12-93
Please Ship To: ~CEr--]470 Bauchet Street .I I Los Angeles, CA
900~Z~V 2 9 I,~93
D 4350 S. 208thLong Beach, CA 90810
IPayment Terms ISHIP Via: F.O.B. User Required Date
VendorCommitment DeliveryQuantity Description/PartNumber
OnlyorderoneclassofMateriel on a Requisition PRICE
50 Gearbox (LRV) $15,000
Part No. A910700344
Estimated total cost$750.000.
(SEE WORK ORDER ATTACHED).
UNIT
ea.
EXTENSION
Placed By; [’7 Telephone [] Fax [] Mail With
STrA.~E SALES TAX APPLICABLE 17REMARKS: Fo~ Blue Line .Light
Rail Vehicles i ~ ~ TECH]~ICA~,,I/NS~ECTION REQUIRED [-’]
-,/ . 2~ ’ uCr U-/ --.. , .... ,,
Originato/~~ Ext. -5806Date Depjt~/~e -a~d ~~
Date//__.~__~92
~. Morton Date
K~n ~./Miller
-
SOLE SOURCE JUSTIFICATION
Gearboxes P.N. A910700344 for Blue Line Light Rail Vehicles
Req. No. 3-3380-92
Estimated Cost: $750,000
The 54 light rail vehicles in revenue service on the Metro
BlueLine were designed and built to meet specific
performancecriteria as specified in LACTC Contract No. P865.
The gearbox designed and built by Flender Corporation is part
ofthe integral design of these rail vehicles required to meet
thatperformance criteria. There are four gearboxes on each
railvehicle. The gearboxes are press mounted onto the axles
andfastened with a unique flexible coupling to the
electricaltraction motor. The torque of the gearbox is based on
thehorsepower of the traction motor and designed solely for use
onthe MBL light rail vehicles. Mounting arrangements and
bearingsare also specifically designed for assembly to the
axles.
Accordingly, it is recommended that a sole source procurement
beauthorized for purchase of gearboxes from Flender
Corporation.
If you need any additional information, please do not hesitate
tocontact Mr. Paul Berkley at extension 2-5918.
-
LOS ANGELES COUNTY METROPOLITANTRANSPORTATION AUTHORITY
PURCHASE REQUISITION JUSTIFICATION FORM
A. Requestor Ken E. Miller
B. Requisition No. 3-3380-92
C.
Phone No. 213-972-5800
Date 11-12-93
Was item included in Department’s approved budget?Not projected,
unforeseen problem.
D. Justification:
See attached SOLE SOURCE JUSTIFICATION
E. Basis of cost estimate:
Quote from OCPM research
F. Suggested sources of supply:
Flender Corporation950 Tollgate RoadElgin, IL 60123
Phone: (708) 931-1990 FAX: (708) 931-0711
G. Disposition of equipment being replaced. Recycled into spare
pool after rebuilt orcondemned.
H. Documents attached which are applicable to this
procurement.
Subcontracting form OCPM-19SOLE SOURCE JUSTIFIC[A~P4QN /
Requesto r’s Sign atu re /~"/~~.£~./-~
- Ken E. Mille~/ 11-12-93
-
LOS ANGELES COUNTY METROPOLITANTRANSPORTATION AUTHORITY
SUBCONTRACTING PLANNING FORM
SUMMARY OF GOODS OR SERVICES, SCOPE OF WORK, AND ESTIMATED
VALUE.
Fifty each gearboxes for Blue Line Light Rail Vehicles at an
estimated cost of $750,000.These gearboxes will replace those in
service that are failing at an accelerated rate. Ifthese boxes are
not procured, Blue Line service could be seriously impaired before
theend of FY-94.
OPPORTUNITY FOR SUBCONTRACTING? YES NO XIF YES, LIST ELIGIBLE
TASKS OR ELEMENTS AND ESTIMATED VALUE.
IF NO, EXPLAIN.
This is a SOLE SOURCE PROCUREMENT, SEE ADDITIONAL JUSTIFICATION
ATTACHED.
LIST OF POTENTIAL SOURCES, IDENTIFY AS PRIME (P), SUB (S), OR
SUPPLIER (SP), ADDITIONAL PAGES AS NECESSARY.
-
INTEROFFICEMEMORANDUM
Harch 7, 1994
TO:
~ROM:
SUBJECT:
DISTRIBUTION
DENNIS NEWJ~t@TM
REVISED AFE 228XX (CA-98-9921) BLUE LINE LOCALLY-FUNDEDCAPITAL
PROJECTS ~Y 1994
AFE nnmher 228XX was revised to include the following:
o Add line -05 ($800,000) for the purchase of Blue Linerail
vehicles parts (see attached PO# 3-3380-92).
Add line -98 ($345,000), funded with RCC Work OrderAuthorization
CN-93-0004, for the construction of a noisebarrier at Bixby Knolls.
This line item increases thebottom line by $345,000.
If you have any comments or questions please call me on
extension46463.
Attachments
Distribution:Rene FeriaRich Morton"~Andi WangEd Walsh
-
LOS ANGELES CCU~IT/ NETROPOL]TAN TRANSP~:TATION AUTHORITY
Origin~[ Oat:e: I0/01/9~AUTHORIZATION FO~ EXPENDI]URE Rev. Oaten:
12/13/73
NO. 228
PROJECT DE$CR |PT|(~
BLUE LINE LOCALLY-FURDED CAPITAL PROJECTS
APPROVED FY 199~ BUDGET
CA-98-9921
II~CLLOES RCC T~JO#CRo93-O00~ AFE 98
PROJECTCOST ESTIMATE AND ~I,I~L¥SIS
I I
ITEH I DESCR IPTIOI~ DEPT J ~T~CT ~ TOTAL
01 T~LS A~D E~PHE~T-EL 3300~ 2~.000 200~
O~ H]SCELL~E~S ]~R~E~TS-BL 9200 ~,000 ~00,000
...... I
......................................................................
I ........................................~ . . ~HICLE$ P~TS - BL
~00 ~ ~0~
~ . . BL-BIXBY ~ RO~ B~RIER RCC-~-93-~ 9200
J ~ . . ~T[NGENCY ~000
I II ...... I
.................................................................................................................
I II
................................................................................................................
I II ...... I
...................................................... I
................................. I .......................I II
...... I .................. ~
....................................................................
l .................. ~---I II ...... I
........................................................................................
I .......................I II ...... I
........................................................................................
i .......................I I II ...... I
........................................................................................
I .......................
A~rov~ By:
(Pr~ By ~a~ge;o~tt~[ ~r=ts Prof,) (~ief F~ial Officer)
D~is N~j~r Terw Hats~to
-
(APPENDIX II)
July 141 1993
SOLE SOURCE JUSTIFICATION
FLENDER GEAR BOX ,, METRO BLUE LINE (MBL)VEHICLE FLEET
OVERHAUL
Several gear repair/gear manufacturing companies were contacted
within thecontinental U.S. to solicit proposals to repair and
overhaul the Flender gear setspresently employed in the MBL
vehicle. All companies contacted declined, as theyindicated they
were not technically capable or lacked the proper equipment
toadequately repair the entire fleet. Two companies that were
technically capable alsodeclined and are summarized below.
WESTERN GEAR CORPORATION -- (Mr. T. Mathewson)
They would be capable to do this repair, but declined because
they arenot willing to make the capital investment required to
overhaul such aspecialized gear box. Therefore, they declined to
submit a bid.
WABCO -- (Mr. J. Sodosky)
This company is capable to repair the gear boxe.s and has the
trainedpersonnel and proper equipment. However, due to alicensing
agreementwith BSI (who is Flender’s main competitor in this market
worldwide),they declined to submit a proposal due to a conflict of
interest clause intheir licensing agreement.
The OEM Flender gear box is a specialized gear application where
each gear box ismanufactured to tight dimensional, material and
heat treatment tolerances.Furthermore, each gear set is custom
made, matched and balanced. Each gear boxis then tested at 100% of
design load. This gear box also employs specializedbearings only
available through one manufacturer worldwide.
An added advantage of using Flender to repair this gear box is
that the LACMTA willreceive a "state-of-the-art" gear box replacing
the OEM gear box from the mid-1980s.Since there have been
significant improvements in gear box technology by Flender,this
will come as a no-cost bonus to the LACMTA.
In summary, due to the complex nature of the OEM gear box
presently used on theMBLvehicle fleet and lack of qualified
alternate repair vendors, a sole source purchaserequisition is
requested.
-
MINTEROFFICE
MEMO,
SURFACE AND SUBWAY OPERATIONS
DATE :
TO :
FROM :
November 12, 1993
Arthur T.
Ken E. Miller~
SUBJECT: Metro Blue Line Gearbox Program
8J8 Wes~ Seven~ StreezSuite
Los Angeles, CA 9oo[7
Since the beginning of revenue service on the Metro BlueLine, we
have experienced 26 drive gearbox failures. Thefirst failure was
identified on June 14, 1991 and themost recent on October 30, 1993.
The major cause forthese failures is fatigue due to overloading
forces onthe ring gear causing at least one of the gear teeth
tofracture. Routinely, this problem is identified one oftwo ways:
i) operator reports that a noise is noted inthe gearbox during line
operation or 2) discovered duringa routine 5,000 mile inspection
(visual inspection of themagnetic gearbox plug, broken teeth and
metal attached tothe plug).
The gearbox used on the Blue Line Light Rail Vehicle(LRV) is
manufactured in Ge~,any by the Fiender
Corporation and is one of a kind. This is compounded bythe fact
that the MTA-LRVs are equipped with a mono-motortruck. This means
that there is one electrical motordriving two gearboxes on what is
referred to as the powertrucks. This design is not the most
favorable for ourBlue Line application. Dual motors, such as we
have onthe Red Line cars, each driving a single gearbox andaxle,
appear to achieve the greatest longevity throughoutthe
industry.
During the warranty period, the Blue Line LRVsexperienced three
gearbox failures. These boxes wererepaired by the manufacturer at
no cost to the MTA.Since the warranty period expired, we have
experienced anadditional 23 failures at an approximate cost
of$184,000, which will be a cost to the MTA. This is basedon the
cost of a rebuilt gearbox ($8,000) and does notinclude labor or
other associated costs required toreplace the boxes. The gearbox
manufacturer (Flender),the truck builder (ABB), the car builder
(Nippon-Sharyo),and the prime contractor (Sumitomo) will not
acknowledgeany responsibility or liability for
warranty/repaircosts.
All companies/corporations involved in the Blue Line
LRVprocurement/manufacture have washed their hands of
the~esponsibility for this serious and costly problem.
-
Arthur T. Leahy -2- November 12, 1993
MTA operation staff in concert with RCC have met with our
Legaland Risk Management staff members in an attempt to mitigate
theloss. These efforts are ongoing and nothing has been
revolved.
A viable and timely repair program must be implemented and
fundsmade available to mitigate this problem immediately or the
BlueLine service will be seriously jeopardized. Given the
currentrate of failure, we could start canceling service before the
endof FY-94. In addition, adequate number of Blue Line LRVs willnot
be available to test the Green Line.
Green Line cars are scheduled to begin arrival at the
Hawthorneshop for assembly and testing in May of 1994. The Green
Linecars, also under contract with Sumitomo will be driven with
thesame Flender gearbox as the Blue Line cars. We are told,however,
that these boxes will be more reliable and includeseveral product
improvements made by the manufacturer. The RCCis managing this
procurement with the assistance of LTK. Thisfirm (LTK) also was
responsible for oversight of the Blue Lineprocurement contract.
The Operation’s staff has considered three approaches to
addressthe gearbox failure repair/replacement program.
a. Turnkey Repair Proqr~
This approach will cost an estimated $4.2 million or$79 thousand
per vehicle (off MTA property) turnaroundtime is estimated at 12
weeks per vehicle. This wouldrequire each truck assembly to be sent
to Carnegie,Pennsylvania, repaired in concert with Flender
andreturned to Long Beach yard and purchase of additionalspare
trucks for "float."
Do Manaqe d Repair Proqr~ (Currently employed)The current
program has been to remove the truck with abad order gearbox from
the LRV at the Blue Line shop inLong Beach. The truck is then
disassembled, the axlesremoved and the axle assemblies shipped to
Riverside tohave the wheels and brake rotors pressed off. This
isnecessary to remove the gearbox from the ax/es.Following this
operation, all components are returnedto Long Beach. From Long
Beach, the defective gearboxis shipped to Elgin, Illinois where it
takes,routinely, 16 weeks for repair and return. Uponreceipt of the
rebuilt gearbox, the above actions arereversed. This program is
estimated to cost $3.1million or $58 thousand per vehicle to
complete thefleet of 54 cars.
-
Arthur T. Leahy -3- November 12, 1993
The current program is very costly, time consuming andlabor
intensive. The time these major components spendin transit to and
from vendors obviously adverselyaffects the return to service time
and increases thecost. However, at this point, it is necessary
pendingdevelopment of option c.
Co On-sight Repair Proqram (Most effective andexpeditious)
While continuing option b above, initiate an in-houseprogram
with the assistance of the gearbox manufacturerutilizing the
facilities at the Blue and Red Line shopsand MTA labor. Estimated
cost for this program is $3.3million or $62 thousand per car.
Estimated turnaroundtime per vehicle with this program is three
weeks.This option requires the least amount of float, otherstock
and transportation.
A major consideration at this point is that the predicted
failurerate of the remaining gearboxes (190) will far exceed the
MTAsand vendors capability to repair under the current
concept(Option B). Certain components within the gearbox, such as,
the
bearing, is only manufactured one time per year in Germany.
Staff is recommending that we immediately begin procurement
andreallocations of funds as necessary for an estimated $4
millionand proceed to contract with the Flender Corporation to
establisha gearbox repair shop at our Red Line facility where
adequatespace is available. This would require we and Flender to
provideand install certain equipment necessary to accomplish the
task.The Red Line shop would require an additional four full
timemechanics, and the Blue Line three. We envision Flender and
ourmechanics working side-by-side for at least one year.
Flendertraining MTA personnel on the rebuild and test procedures
and atthe end of one year, Flender would pull out and leave
allequipment and tools. From that point, MTA would be
selfsustaining. Negotiations have not been formalized with
theFlender Corporation as of this date.
Gearbox repair will be a continuing requirement throughout
thelife of all our rail systems. It would not be prudent or
costeffective to be dependent on outside support for the
entireperiod.
In addition, we should act at once to purchase at least 50
newgearboxes at an estimated cost of $750,000. These will be
neededfor rapid change out of defective boxes and to replace boxes
thatare sure to be found beyond repair once they are
disassembled.The lead time for new gearboxes is nine months.
Please refer to Gearbox Overhaul Program and Cost
Estimatesattached. We need to discuss this important issue with you
atyour earl~st convenience.
cc: L. R. Davis, A. P. Chavira, Jr., File
-
November 3, 1993
METRO BLUE LINE
GEARBOX OVERHAUL PROGRAM
Prepared by Operations Department - Rail
Engineering/MaintenanceContacts: L.R. Davis (Ext. 25700) or Ken
Miller (Ext. 2-5800)
-
METRO BLUE LINE GEARBOX OVERHAUL
INTRODUCTION
An extremely urgent situation currently exists at the Metro Blue
Line (MBL) which can,if no action is taken, severely jeopardize
revenue service. Since the start of revenueservice to October 1993,
over 10% of the MBL fleet gearboxes have failed.Furthermore, the
frequency of failure is expected to increase, and continued
revenueservice will be impossible unless a fleet overhaul campaign
is launched immediately.The situation at the MBL may even impact
Metro Green Line (MGL) start-up.
Equipment Maintenance has, to date, endeavored to rectify the
situation with limitedmanpower and funds and, consequently, only
short-term solutions have been applied.It is clear that a complete
fleet overhaul is necessary, with associated approval offunds to
continue revenue service operations on the MBL. The present
failurefrequency, if extrapolated, leaves no doubt that the gearbox
overhaul program mustbe implemented immediately.
A summary of three options is presented below, with details in
the body of the report.
A)
B}
C)
Turnkey Program
This program would entail a total cost of $4,260,000 or $78,900
per vehicle,with a turnaround time estimated at 16 weeks per
vehicle.
Managed Program
The managed program would have a total estimated cost of
$3,130,000 or$58,000 per vehicle. Turnaround time is estimated at
four weeks per vehicle.
On-site Repair Program
A repair campaign utilizing Metro Red Line (MRL) and MBL
facilities would cost$3,330,000 or $61,700 per vehicle, with an
estimated turnaround time ofthree weeks per vehicle.
Further details are available in the body of the report.
-
METRO BLUE LINE GEARBOX OVERHAUL PROGRAM
J----HISTORYSince the commencement of revenue service of the MBL
light rail vehicle fleet, MTAMaintenance staff have had serious
concerns with respect to the gearboxmanufactured by Flender, Inc.
for ABB, the supplier of the propulsion system toNippon-Sharyo, the
car builder on the P865 Contract.
Initial Problems consisting of leaking labyrinth seals were
determined to be minorfailures and costs were covered by Flender.
During the warranty period, three (3)gearbox failures consisting of
broken teeth, high speed couplings and bearing retainingpins,
unrelated to initial problems, were also covered by Flender.
Presently, 26gearboxes have been removed from service mainly due to
broken teeth on the ringgear. Failures first occurred on vehicles
with mileage as low as 47,000. All teethfailures are due to fatigue
with overload conditions a contributing factor. Two failureanalyses
have been conducted by the manufacturer (Flender) and the root
cause these failures has yet to be determined. However, it is clear
from the frequency rateof these failures that more failures can be
expected and it is predicted that the entirefleet will require
gearbox replacement within the next 1 to 2 years.
Therefore, it is imperative that a rebuild program commence
immediately; otherwise,revenue service will be severely impacted
and it is conceivable that the entire linecould cease operations if
action is not taken now. The obviously could severelyimpact the MGL
start-up operations, as well as the excellent reputation that the
MBLhas earned in the last three years of revenue service. This
envious record is now injeopardy.
A secondary issue is that for consistency between the MGL and
the MBL trackconfiguration and thus interchangeability of vehicles,
the back-to-back dimension mustbe the same specification.
Presently, this is not the case, as MBL vehicles are to "awide
gauge" and MGL vehicles have been ordered to "a standard AAR
gauge." It isalso prudent to "re-true" wheels at the time gearboxes
are replaced so that essentiallywe are starting with a new
mechanical drivetrain.
A) WORK TO DATE
Presently, Equipment Maintenance has in process on a repair
campaign a total ofseven gearboxes for repair and an additional
three which are to be repaired under thewarranty provisions of the
P865 Contract. All gearbox repairs are being conductedat the
Flender facility located in Elgin, Illinoiso To date, the ave.rage
turnaround forgearbox repair has been 16 weeks. This is expected to
improve significantly if andwhen Flender opens an additional repair
facility located in Bakersfield, California.Additional work orders
are in progress to continue this work to support revenueservice.
Considerable effort in scheduling and manpower allocation has takan
placeto ensure the integrity of the MBL fleet and to maintain
revenue service.
-
MBL Gearbox Overhaul Program -2- November 3, 1993
In summary, an accelerated program for gearbox overhaul must be
planned andimplemented immediately; otherwise, we face the
consequence of seriously impactingrevenue service on the MBL as
ear/y as the Spring of 1994.
B) RECOMMENDATION TO TRY ALTERNATE GEARBOX
Due to the poor performance of the Render gearbox and
uncertainty of its longevityon the "new and improved" model, it is
recommended that the MTA dialogue withother gearbox manufacturers
such as Hurth and BSI for trial evaluation at the MBL.Procurement
of 10 gearboxes is recommended for 2 trial vehicles and 2
sparegearboxes. Costs for this test would have to be worked out
with Hurth and/or BSI.
A) REBUILD PROGRAM
Since this is an extensive overhaul program and expenditures are
estimated at wellover $3 million mark, several options are
available to the MTA to expedite thisprogram.
(a) Turnkey Program(b) Managed Program(c) On-site Repair
Turnkey Program -- This option, the most expensive, would
basically consistof procuring a float of spare trucks and the
entire trucks would be shipped andoverhaul performed on identified
components and returned to the MTA forinstallation onto the
vehicles. MTA involvement would consist of:
1)2)3}
Removal and replacement of trucks;Quality Assurance; andContract
Administration.
The cost for this option is estimated at $78,900 per vehicle,
with a programcost of $4,260,000. The turnaround time is estimated
at 12 weeks. (Detailsare given in Appendix I.)
Managed Program -- The second option would be to manage the
program withMTA staff and subcontract work at various locations as
described later. Thisprogram would be expected to be less costly
than the turnkey program butwould require more MTA resources and
would be more difficult to schedule
-
MBL Gearbox Overf’.eul Program -3- November 3, 1993
since work would be conducted at multiple vendors at different
locations.
The cost for this program is estimated at $58,000 per vehicle,
with a programcost of $3,130,000. The turnaround time is estimated
at 16 weeks. (Detailsare provided in Appendix
c) On-site Repair -- All work would be conducted on-site with
outside and in-house labor and equipment as needed. Presently, the
MTA does not have therequired labor and expertise to carry out this
plan, but it is possible if budgetsand resources were allocated.
Also, this approach will require the concurrenceof the Amalgamated
Transit Union.
The cost for this option is estimated at $61,700 per vehicle,
with a programcost of $3,330,000. The turnaround time is estimated
at 3 weeks. (Detaits’are provided in Appendix I.)
Option A is recommended initially and within one year phase in
Option Co Training togain the expertise necessary would be provided
by the vendor chosen in Option A.
Option C is our long term goal for the following reasons:
Shorter turnaround timesBetter control of quality and project
scheduling
¯ Gain valuable experience for future work¯ Major cost
reduction
B) REBUILDING OF GEARBOXES
It is recommended that the present gearbox be rebuilt to the
latest design that will beprovided on the MGL 15-car order
(Contract P2020). A quote from Flender attached in Appendix II and
sole source justification is shown in Appendix III.Additionally,
due to the poor experience we have had with the original
equipmentmanufacturer (OEM) gearbox, the MTA should consider
purchasing an extendedwarranty.
-
MBL Gearbox Oved~aul Program -4- Novembe~ 3, 1993
An extremely urgent situation with gearbox failures presently
exists at the MBL.Immediate planning and allocation of funds to
overhaul and retrofit the MBL fleet mustbe ptaced in order to
maintain revenue service.
A coordinated effort between Procurement, Maintenance and
Engineering to plan,schedule and implement this overhaul is
required to maintain revenue service on theMBL.
|GEARBOX.MBL] 10/20/93
-
MBL Gearbox Overhaul Program -5- November 3, 1993
1)
OPTION A: TURNKEY PROGRAM
Gearbox overhaul - sole source (seeAppendices II and III)
(APPENDIX I)
FLEET COST
$ 2,290,0OO
2) Purchase of spare trucks for float:
2 power trucks @ $320,000 each¯ 1 center truck @ $150,000
each
640,000150,000
3) Press work, including labor for dismantlingtrucks, R/R
gearbox, back-to-back modifications,and re-machining of wheels
(including spares):
222 drive axles @ $2000 each110 idler axles @ $1318 each
444,000144,980
4) Shipping charges:
¯ 166 trucks @ $1995 each 331,170
5) QA & Engineering Support ,~ 1 man-year
SUBTOTAL:
Contingency @ 5%
GRAND TOTAL for fleet (to the nearest $10,000)
Cost per vehicle (to the nearest $100}78,900
Turnaround time of 12 weeks
60,000
4,060,150
203,008
-
MBL Gearbox Overhaul Program Novemb~ 3, 1993
OPTION B: MANAGED PROGRAM
1) Gearbox overhaul - sole source (seeAppendices II and III)
2) Dismantling of trucks including remove/replace:
¯ 111 power trucks @ $1848 each¯ 55 center trucks @ $1386
each
3) Shipping charges:
¯ 332 axles @ $106 each
4) Quality Assurance and Engineering Support:
¯ 20 hrs./week each = 1 man-yeartimes 4 years to complete @
$60,000/yr.
SUBTOTAL:
Contingency @ 10%
GRAND TOTAL for fleet (to the nearest $10,000)
Cost per vehicle (to the nearest $100)58,000
Turnaround time of 4 weeks
,FLEET COST
$ 2,290,000
205,12876,230
35,192
240,000
2,846,550
284,655
$ 3 130000
-
MBL Gearbox Overhaul Program -7- November 3, 1993
OPTION C: IN-HOUSE REPAIR PROGRAM
1) Gearbox overhaul - sole source (seeAppendices II and III)
Dismantling of trucks including remove/replace:
111 power trucks @ $1848 each¯ 55 center trucks @ $1386 each
3) Press Work @ MRL:
¯ 222 drive axles @ $924 each¯ 110 idler axles @ $481 each
4) Shipping charges:
¯ 166 trucks @ $60 each
5) Manpower @ MRL:
¯ 153 man-hours per vehicle x 54 vehiclesx $40/hour
SUBTOTAL:
Contingency @ 5%
GRAND TOTAL for fleet (to the nearest $10,000)
Cost per vehicle (to the nearest $100)61,700
Turnaround time of 3 weeks per vehicle
FLEET COST
$ 2,290,000
205,12876,230
205,12852,910
9,960
330,480
3,169,836
158,492
$ 3 330 000