Processing, August 2019

Cover Series Pump Systems Proactive pump fundamentals Manage the data and maximize efficiency By Tavis McVey Motion Industries t is the middle of the night and you get a call that a process pump in your system went down This halts the entire production floor which causes hurried calls to I on site maintenance workers distributors and or pump repair shops looking to expedite a fix You have the pump tag and serial information motor information and pipe size but nothing else and there are no repair parts in the crib The distributor that sold the pump tells you there is an eight week lead time for a replacement pump which is not acceptable Not only that but they also dont have the impeller trim information or the system head curve to properly size a new pump Reactive actions cause every level of the supply chain from the manufacturer to end user to become less efficient This could include time consuming phone calls to find a sufficient replacement or hasty repairs that end in more shutdowns These problems can be easily avoided with proactive pump fundamentals that need to occur at the time of the pump purchase The intent of this article is to shed light on simple pump sizing fundamentals that distributors should provide and what end users should request to reduce the overall inefficiencies that plague the process pump industry Beyond application data Let us backtrack to the beginning your application required proper sizing for the process pump which would be specific to your needs and take into account all of your requirements You or your local pump specialist makes sure that the pump selection will meets all your needs That includes flow pressure temperature pH net positive suction head available NPSHa requirements as well as elastomeric and metallurgic compatibility if it is for continuous or intermittent duty and correct voltage phase and controls to fit your needs You find the right pump that fits your current or new application and you order it installation has already been completed and the pump is in full operation What steps are we missing We could successfully leave after the sale purchase and install however that leaves the plant susceptible to potential loss in uptime and costly temporary fixes For anyone trying to find a solution for a breakdown it is like having a ring of keys Reactive actions cause every level of the supply chain from the manufacturer to the end user to become less efficient These problems can be easily avoided with proactive pump fundamentals and the clock is loudly ticking while you try multiple keys to unlock the solution feeling the pressure rise with each failed attempt Fundamental question Like with most large purchases you would receive a manual receipt and warranty information For process pumps the problem is simple if you only have the IOM installation operation maintenance manual in which case you are NOT setting yourself or the purchaser up to be a proactive success To answer the above question of what steps are we missing see the following Application data this includes the inputs used to size the pump Pump curve System head curve Warranty information Data system to manage the data for different lines applications plants and locations Why do you need all this information You need it if your intent is to become proactively efficient Whether you are the end user distributor or direct manufacturer this information is used only if there is a problem Using these proactive fundamentals 20 Processing AUGUST 2019 Taking pictures of pumps as they are shipped out and or received benefit both end users and distributors should you need to duplicate the order or return for warranty All images courtesy of Motion Industries