Problems With The Pump? How to Reduce Pump Failures

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DÜPERTHAL Sicherheitstechnik GmbH & Co. KG

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Hildegard Hennecke Pumpenberatung

How to Reduce Pump Failures

Pump failures have operational and human reasons (see table). General experience is that the human reasons dominate. The operational reasons are usually difficult to bring under control, although this is possible with human and technical monitoring. Check patrols by experienced personnel continue to be very effective. Noisy running and unusual warming are indicators of a pending fault. The causes must be investigated: is there any cavitation? Are deposits in the pump causing an imbalance? Is a bearing breaking up? At the same time, oil levels and monitoring instruments are checked and an eye is kept out for leaks. In modern plants process data, vibration and temperatures are recorded by additional early-warning systems. Inspection and maintenance reduce the amount of repairs, because minor faults can be identified at an early stage and remedied at little expense.

The fact is that skilled and competent personnel are required for all measures aimed at reducing failures, including those that have operational reasons. That is why everyone who is involved in the selection, assembly, commissioning, operation and technical maintenance of pumps must be well trained and undergo constant further training. The type of training and instruction must be tailored to the particular field. The possibility of training as a specialist pump engineer has been available for some time. Attendance at specialist conferences is another good training option. The PROCESS pumps forum in Würzburg has acquired a particular reputation for this (see PROCESS Plus). ●

* The author is a professional engineer, specialised in pumps

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