In this special 65th-anniversary edition reflection blog, we’re looking back at some of our most memorable heat exchanger jobs over the last 65 years at West End Rad.
Over the past 65 years, we’ve done a lot of different jobs. But there are a few that our team still talks about today.
Come along as we reflect on some of our most memorable projects over the years!
This Post Covers:
- 2002: Rush Job for Mining Mesabi-Style Rad, Charge Air Cooler & Oil Cooler Module
- 2010: Restoring a Badly Corroded Radiator in a Oil & Gas Refinery’s Backup Generator
- 2024: Preventing Recurrent Oil Cooler Breakdowns for Link-Belt Cranes
- 2025: Solving Potash Locomotive Leaks with Complete Tank Welds
- Trusted Across Every Heavy-Duty Industry
2002: Rush Job for Mining Mesabi-Style Rad, Charge Air Cooler & Oil Cooler Module
The Job
In 2002, a mining customer contacted us with a critical request: an important piece of equipment’s heat exchanger had failed. And they couldn’t afford more than a few working weeks of downtime.
The OEM heat exchanger was struggling to keep up with the extreme conditions of the site, putting production at risk.
The Issue
The radiator arrived in rough shape, with multiple damaged tubes and deteriorated seals. Both the charge air cooler and oil cooler were also in poor condition and unable to perform reliably under heavy load.
The Solution
Our entire team worked together on this massive job. We replaced all the tubes and seals with new parts. We then thoroughly cleaned, pressure tested, repaired and retested again the radiator, charge air cooler and oil cooler.
Once our technicians confirmed it was sound, we used our “hot shot” delivery service to deliver the module directly to the mine within 12 hours of the repair.
The Result
The mine was back in operation after only two weeks of being down. The repairs were long lasting and able to withstand the extreme conditions of the mine.
This particular customer came to our shop for a site visit a few weeks later and let us know they were impressed with our ability to quickly adapt to their needs.
Back in 2002, this was a massive job for our small team. Today, this is just another day in our shop.
We’ve evolved our shop capabilities to have heavy-duty overhead cranes and 20+ shop technicians to easily handle large mining heat exchangers.
2010: Restoring a Badly Corroded Radiator in a Oil & Gas Refinery’s Backup Generator
The Job
An Alberta oil & gas company reached out to us with an important request. Their back-up generator’s radiator was failing, and downtime at their facility wasn’t an option.
The Issue
Our mobile service team visited the back-up generator. The radiator was full of rust, and completely clogged.
The Solution
Our mobile service team came on-site and moved quickly to remove the heat exchanger from the backup generator. Next, they brought it back to our Winnipeg shop.
Our shop technicians then cleaned the radiator and removed all the built-up debris so we could pinpoint exactly where the leaks were coming from.
To fix the existing leaks, and prevent new ones, we manufactured custom aluminum coolant reservoirs. These aluminum coolant reservoirs help prevent rusting and contamination by giving the cooling system room to expand and contract as temperatures change.
The Result
Within 3 business days, the back-up generator was running again without leaks. This is thanks to our aluminum coolant reservoirs manufactured in-house at our aluminum manufacturing plant.
Curious what might be causing your backup generator’s heat exchanger to fail? Check out our blog for expert tips from our co-owner, Justin Feeleus.
2024: Preventing Recurrent Oil Cooler Breakdowns for Link-Belt Cranes
The Job
The customer’s Link-Belt crane’s oil cooler had repeated failures, and the OEM said there was nothing they could do to fix it. So they reached out to us to see if we could custom engineer a solution.
The Issue
The oil coolers on the Link-Belt crane simply weren’t strong enough for daily, heavy-duty use. It had a weak spot that kept giving out, causing failures and costly downtime.
The customer needed a durable oil cooler design that would prevent future breakdowns of their Link-Belt crane.
The Solution
After extensive research, our engineers reverse-engineered the OEM oil cooler using advanced 3D scanning to pinpoint exactly why and where the oil cooler was failing.
Then, our team manufactured the newly designed oil cooler with thicker walls, stronger tubes, and an overall heavier-duty structure that can handle extreme heat, pressure, and flow.
The Result
The Link-Belt crane returned to full operation, and the oil cooler failures completely stopped. The customer was so impressed with the upgraded design that they’ve continued ordering more of our custom-built oil coolers.
Want a deeper look at the engineering innovation behind this project? Check out our Q&A blog with our Application Engineer, Hatem Katil!
2025: Solving Potash Locomotive Leaks with Complete Tank Welds
The Job
A potash mining customer contacted us with an important locomotive radiator that wouldn’t stop leaking.
The leak was preventing the mine from using the locomotive, and the downtime was costing them thousands of dollars.
The Issue
The OEM locomotive rad was poorly designed. The customer couldn’t tighten the bolts on the bottom tank of the aluminum heat exchanger properly, meaning the radiator was constantly leaking.
Without any way of tightening the tank, the mining customer wasn’t sure what to do next.
The Solution
Our team decided the best way to solve this problem and prevent future leaks was by welding the tanks to the radiator itself.
Because we welded the tanks, the customer would no longer have to worry about the pesky bolts that were impossible to tighten.
The Result
After just two weeks, the customer received the custom repaired radiator. The customer has since reported they are happy about the repairs and that their locomotive radiator hasn’t leaked since.
Trusted Across Every Heavy-Duty Industry
These are only a handful of the thousands of jobs our teams do each year.
From mining, oil & gas, transportation, construction, agriculture and other heavy duty industries — there’s no job that’s too big for our team.
We’re always up for any challenge. Don’t believe us? Just call our sales team to see for yourself!
Toll-free: 1-877-RAD-CORE (723-2673)
Check out our 65th anniversary landing page for more exciting news, content, events and more!
