Isomer was engaged to evaluate an existing structure at a sugar refinery supporting a reciprocating sifter, which was experiencing severe vibrations and deflections during operation. Isomer performed several modal and time-history analyses to determine whether operating frequencies overlapped with the structure's natural frequencies, and to identify any structural elements contributing to the overall dynamic response. Several items were identified, and Isomer submitted a prioritized summary of modifications to enable implementation across multiple planned outages. After review and approval from the Owner, Isomer developed framing modification sketches in less than one week to meet a critical outage date. Structural vibrations and deflections were reduced following the initial modifications, and the Owner plans to implement the remaining modifications during future outages.
