Maintenance Equipment: Basic of Centrifugal Pumps

Pump reliability is an old topic, but it is just as relevant today as it was the first time we heard it a few decades ago. There are some very good reasons to focus on improving pump reliability. The rewards for achieving pump reliability are great and the effort, on the surface, seems fairly simple. After all, most of the elements of reliability are just common sense. But Ralph Waldo Emerson expertly put this idea into perspective when he said: "Common sense is as rare as genius."

Consumers use the term "flushing" to describe six different methods of bringing fluid to the stuffing box area of a centrifugal pump. Experienced seal people use different terms to differentiate between the methods.

There are 3 major problems associated with poor pump piping. 1) There is a scarcity of accessible information available on the topic. 2) No one pays any attention to it when installing a pump. 3) It can remain undetected and cause repetitive pump failures for many years.

Safety is critical in this industry, especially for applications in potentially explosive environments. Introducing the new IE5 SynRM Increased Safety motors represents a game changer, giving chemical manufacturers access to the most energy-efficient motor and drive technology. The new motors offer up to 40 percent lower energy losses than commonly used IE3 motors while meeting stringent safety standards. 

In the pump business alignment means that the centerline of the pump is aligned with the centerline of the driver. Although this alignment was always a consideration with packed pumps, it is critical with sealed pumps especially if you are using rotating seal designs where the springs or bellows rotates with the shaft. A little misalignment at the power end of the pump is a lot of misalignment at the wet end, and unfortunately that is where the seal is located in most pump applications.

In industry, power consumption in the manufacturing environment accounts for approximately one-third of all energy consumed annually in the U.S. In the enclosed-gearing industry, questions, such as "how efficient is product X," are becoming increasingly common. Several factors influence how efficiency is lost during the operation of the gearbox system. Let's get started and first take a look at the effect oil seals and lubricants can have on gearbox efficiency.

The 7 Basic Steps of Hydraulic Testing & Diagnostics. Testing with gauges or a hydraulic analyzer is the most effective way to pinpoint troubles in the system. However, here are some preliminary checks you can make without using a tester or prior to using one.