mud pump preventive maintenance brands

Distributor of engineered fluid handling pumps, packaged pumping systems, repairs, parts, & integrated pump control systems. Mud pumps, chiller/condenser pumps, plumbing pumps, boiler feed systems, in-line circulators, condensate systems, sump & sewage pumps, end suction pumps, submersible sump & sewage, non-clogs & grinders, self primers, packaged lift stations, variable speed pump systems, metering pumps, chemical injection systems, chemical mixing systems, peristaltic pumps for chemical feed, high viscous & shear sensitive fluids, self primers, stainless steel, trash pumps, hot oil pumps, vertical turbine pumps, sanitary pumps, marine pumps, industrial pumps, ANSI end suction, vertical cantilever, double suction, non-clogs, progressive cavity pumps, helical gear pumps, well pumps, lab pumps, hose pumps, control valves, check valves, air release valves, tanks, pressure vessels.

Many things go into getting the most life out of your mud pump and its components — all important to extend the usage of this vital piece of equipment on an HDD jobsite. Some of the most important key points are covered below.

The most important thing you can do is service your pump, per the manufacturer’s requirements. We get plenty of pumps in the shop for service work that look like they have been abused for years without having basic maintenance,  such as regular oil changes. You wouldn’t dream of treating your personal vehicle like that, so why would you treat your pump like that.

Check the oil daily and change the oil regularly. If you find water or drilling mud contamination in the oil, change the oil as soon as possible. Failure to do so will most likely leave you a substantial bill to rebuild the gear end, which could have been avoided if proper maintenance procedures would have been followed. Water in the oil does not allow the oil to perform correctly, which will burn up your gear end. Drilling mud in your gear end will act as a lapping compound and will wear out all of the bearing surfaces in your pump. Either way it will be costly. The main reasons for having water or drilling mud in the gear end of your pump is because your pony rod packing is failing and/or you have let your liners and pistons get severely worn. Indication of this is fluid that should be contained inside the fluid end of your pump is now moving past your piston and spraying into the cradle of the pump, which forces its way past the pony rod packing. Pony rod packing is meant to keep the oil in the gear end and the liner wash fluid out of the gear end. Even with brand new packing, you can have water or drilling fluid enter the gear end if it is sprayed with sufficient force, because a piston or liner is worn out.

There is also usually a valve on the inlet of the spray bar. This valve should be closed enough so that liner wash fluid does not spray all over the top of the pump and other components.

Liner wash fluid can be comprised of different fluids, but we recommend just using clean water. In extremely cold conditions, you can use RV antifreeze. The liner wash or rod wash system is usually a closed loop type of system, consisting of a tank, a small pump and a spray bar. The pump will move fluid from the tank through the spray bar, and onto the inside of the liner to cool the liner, preventing scorching. The fluid will then collect in the bottom of the cradle of the pump and drain back down into the collection tank below the cradle and repeat the cycle. It is important to have clean fluid no matter what fluid you use. If your liners are leaking and the tank is full of drilling fluid, you will not cool the liners properly — which will just make the situation worse. There is also usually a valve on the inlet of the spray bar. This valve should be closed enough so that liner wash fluid does not spray all over the top of the pump and other components. Ensure that the water is spraying inside the liner and that any overspray is not traveling out of the pump onto the ground or onto the pony rod packing where it could be pulled into the gear end. If the fluid is spraying out of the cradle area and falling onto the ground, it won’t be long before your liner wash tank is empty. It only takes a minute without the cooling fluid being sprayed before the liners become scorched. You will then need to replace the pistons and liners, which is an avoidable costly repair. Make a point to check the liner wash fluid level several times a day.

Drilling fluid — whether pumping drilling mud, straight water or some combination of fluid — needs to be clean. Clean meaning free of solids. If you are recycling your fluid, make sure you are using a quality mud recycling system and check the solids content often throughout the day to make sure the system is doing its job. A quality mud system being run correctly should be able to keep your solids content down to one quarter of 1 percent or lower. When filling your mud recycling system, be sure to screen the fluid coming into the tanks. If it is a mud recycling system, simply make sure the fluid is going over the scalping shaker with screens in the shaker. If using some other type of tank, use an inline filter or some other method of filtering. Pumping out of creeks, rivers, lakes and ponds can introduce plenty of solids into your tanks if you are not filtering this fluid. When obtaining water out of a fire hydrant, there can be a lot of sand in the line, so don’t assume it’s clean and ensure it’s filtered before use.

Cavitation is a whole other detailed discussion, but all triplex pumps have a minimum amount of suction pressure that is required to run properly. Make sure this suction pressure is maintained at all times or your pump may cavitate. If you run a pump that is cavitating, it will shorten the life of all fluid end expendables and, in severe cases, can lead to gear end and fluid end destruction. If the pump is experiencing cavitation issues, the problem must be identified and corrected immediately.

The long and the short of it is to use clean drilling fluid and you will extend the life of your pumps expendables and downhole tooling, and keep up with your maintenance on the gear end of your pump. Avoid pump cavitation at all times. Taking a few minutes a day to inspect and maintain your pump can save you downtime and costly repair bills.

Repairing your pumps quickly and efficiently to get your operations back up and running is GD Energy Products’ top priority. If your pump requires immediate attention, our field engineers and service technicians can be deployed to your job site or facility. Our experienced technicians are trained to identify and inspect your pumping issue and conduct as-needed service, repairs and preventative maintenance at your preferred location.

GDEP offers a full range of 24/7 on-site pump maintenance and repair offerings tailored to your individual needs. We offer comprehensive repairs for fracking pumps, drilling pumps, well service pumps, fluid ends and modules. Additionally, our customers have access to 24/7 service, ongoing parts support and product maintenance.

GDEP’s inspection program offers a comprehensive and proactive approach to solving your pump issues. Our field service technicians can utilize advanced troubleshooting procedures to uncover various underlining issues with the capability of performing onsite repairs using genuine, high-quality OEM replacement parts to guarantee maximum performance

If you have a large fleet or pumps that simply require more attention, we can provide you with a dedicated field service technician with either half-day or full 24/7 coverage.

Our state-of-the-art repair facilities operate in a constant state of readiness to provide your pumps with the most comprehensive and cutting-edge repair and maintenance services. With facilities strategically located in all major shale plays throughout the United States, we are able to provide our customers with efficient service on a local level.

If you have a large-scale repair that cannot be completed in the field, bring your pump to any one of our repair facilities and expect the same level of service and expertise. A highly trained and experienced team of field engineers, service technicians and repair mechanics possess all the necessary skills and insights required to overhaul any pump, all under one roof. Backed by our satisfaction guarantee, you can have the confidence your pumps will operate at peak performance after it leaves our facility.

Our team of experts is available 24/7 to service and repair any brand of pump. Whatever your repair needs, GDEP will bring the proper experience, tools and equipment needed to get the job done.

Preventative maintenance is critical to your Mud Sucker® Diaphragm Pump investment. We have added video tutorials to help you perform regular maintenance procedures for your specific Mud Sucker make and model. Above all, have spare parts kits on hand will help keep your diaphragm pump operating at its peak performance levels while extending the service life of your pump.

STH has been selling and servicing Booster, Fire and Sump/Sewage pumps in the Maryland, DC, & Northern VA market since 1973. We have Factory-Trained and Certified Service Technicians and we currently manage over 850 Preventative Maintenance (PM) Agreements for various property management companies and owners. Routine annual or bi-annual maintenance of your pumping system will help to minimize any “unbudgeted” emergencies and reduce costly downtime. Weekly, monthly and quarterly maintenance programs are also available. STH also offers extended warranty options.

Premium Oilfield Technologies has a team of highly-trained mud pump, handling tool, and valve experts in all of the major U.S. shale areas and the Middle East. In the U.S., these professionals visit each rig every two weeks and help our customers choose the right parts for the drilling conditions and mud mixtures that they are encountering. They know which pistons and valves to recommend for water-based mud versus oil-based mud, or which parts to use in high temperature and high pressure applications. Additives to the drilling mud, such as LCM and acids, will also impact the choice of the ideal piston, liner, or valve.

Our field mechanics and technicians are trained to perform all types of pump and valve maintenance including, but not limited to, pump alignment, periodic maintenance, and equipment change-outs. If a pump is using an unusual amount of spares and expendables, often our technicians can identify adjustments to the pumps that can fix the problem. These experts are available to fly/travel anywhere in the world at short notice.

Premium Oilfield Technologies leads the industry in technology for precise alignment of the power end section of the mud pump and the fluid end section. We use a specially designed laser system for determining alignment, a method far superior and accurate than the traditional method of using uncalibrated wooden rods. Proper alignment of the pump’s crosshead to the fluid end liner is a requirement for maximizing piston and liner life. Our laser alignment inspection system takes the guesswork out of the alignment process by providing results indicating horizontal and vertical offset as well as angular misalignment – down to 0.0001".

One of the key elements to avoiding unplanned downtime is a strong preventative maintenance program supported by thorough inspections. Our Technical Services group offers inspection services as well as assistance with field and shop repairs and upgrades.

Pumps are vital to industries including water treatment and wastewater facilities, power generation, oil and gas, food processing and more. In the oil and gas industry, the uptime of industrial pumps is especially critical. The total world consumption of global petroleum and other liquid fuels averaged 92.30 million barrels per day in 2020, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. That total has risen by approximately 5 million in 2021 and will continue to grow in 2022. Any unplanned downtime can impact the ability to meet this growth.

There are three basic types of pumps, and they are classified by how they transport fluid: positive-displacement, centrifugal and axial-flow. Pumps can experience several different types of failures, including cavitation, bearing failures and seal failures, among others. In oil and gas, conditions in which pumps operate are often challenging, dirty and hazardous, resulting in wear and tear. Failure of these pumps not only results in unexpected operation delays and increased costs, but it can lead to dangerous oil and gas leaks, impacting labor safety and the environment. To avoid these unexpected failures, many companies increase preventative maintenance and create aggressive inspection schedules. These practices, however, can sometimes lead to unnecessary part replacement, maintenance costs and labor.

Others may rely on condition-based maintenance, which focuses on maintenance performed after monitoring real-time data and detecting unacceptable condition levels. However, this may not come with the advanced warning needed to prevent impending failure events or avoid downtime. By taking a predictive approach, past maintenance data and current sensor measurements can be used to determine early signs of failure, allowing companies to perform maintenance only at the exact time it is needed.

IMAGE 1: An example of a deployed solution for predictive monitoring and failure detection of critical mud pumps in the oil and gas industry. (Images courtesy of Predictronics)

Developing and deploying a predictive maintenance solution for pumps is challenging. It requires a combination of sensing and instrumentation expertise, domain knowledge, and a practical perspective on applying machine learning and analytics for predictive monitoring. The instrumentation aspect is crucial since this data will be analyzed and will serve as the foundation of the actionable information. The decisions made from this information include what maintenance actions are needed and when they should be taken given the current pump health, as well as any trends or patterns that could emerge.

Vibration is typically the most crucial signal to use for monitoring the condition of a pump, but information on the rotating or reciprocating motion is also useful, especially for performing the more advanced signal processing methods. In addition, pressure and flow rate measurements are important for understanding pump operation and providing context for understanding the vibration data. A balance must be struck between the benefit of including these important measurements versus the hardware and implementation costs of doing so. This challenge is especially true for vibration sensors. Domain expertise is needed to place a minimal set of sensors to keep the hardware cost down and monitor the pump properly and accurately.

When handling the analytics, it is challenging to apply machine learning for this application without any domain-specific preprocessing and signal processing steps. Typically, pump failures are rare, so using a supervised machine learning model is not typically practical. Instead, a combination of domain-specific feature extraction methods for the vibration signals coupled with a baseline-based anomaly index machine learning algorithm is a more reasonable approach. The deployment and user interface should be closely aligned with the industrial use case and expected user, as well as the problem being solved. For some applications, it is not feasible to transmit the data to a remote monitoring center or central server, requiring the analytics and deployment to be performed closer to the data source.

A global oil and gas contractor with a specialty in automated drilling equipment and rig components wanted to develop a health monitoring solution for its mud pumps in the field. The contractor wanted to reduce unplanned downtime and unexpected failures. Not only did the company want to prevent these failure events, but they also wanted to distinguish between anomalies caused by maintenance issues and anomalies due to sensor issues.

By working with a predictive analytics company, this client sought to differentiate these anomalies, address the pump failures, and validate the solution by utilizing the induced fault data collected on its test rig.

The user provided the analytics company with a year’s worth of historical data from test bed data sets and sensors on the piston, suction and discharge mechanisms on two pumps in the field. The team of analytics experts was able to pull crucial features from the data by considering vibration patterns in the frequency and time-frequency domain. These features were integral to the development of health assessment models. The models then helped determine key indicators of pump seal failure, as well as establish the accuracy and necessity of the sensors.

By using advanced signal processing and vibration-based pattern recognition, the health monitoring system was able to detect and diagnose pump failures. This solution provided a baseline health assessment, failure identification and pattern recognition diagnosis capabilities.

The predictive analytics company was able to identify potential issues, as well as establish the best locations for sensor placement. The final solution predicted mud pump failure at least one day in advance, providing the data needed to take action and proactively perform maintenance. This approach helped reduce downtime, increase productivity, improve safety and prevent leaks.

Criticality analysis is essential in order to select the pumps for which predictive maintenance solutions can best be applied and to choose a solution that can provide the most value.

After determining the target pumps, the most critical failure modes should be identified, along with any relevant maintenance records for unplanned and planned downtime.

Based on the data and common failure modes, determine sensor placement and what, if any, additional sensors need to be added to the monitored pumps for the predictive solution.

These initial steps are essential when partnering with a technology provider and can help companies develop and adopt a predictive maintenance solution for their pumps that is robust and accurate.

Whether onshore or offshore, well drilling sites rely on a multitude of systems to successfully perform the drilling operation. The mud pump is a key component tasked with circulating drilling fluid under high pressure downhole. The mud pump can be divided into two key sections: the power end or crosshead and the fluid end. Proper alignment of the pump’s crosshead to the fluid end liner is necessary to maximizing piston and liner life. Misalignment contributes to

accelerated wear on both the piston and the liner, and replacing these components requires downtime of the pump. Traditional methods of inspecting alignment range from using uncalibrated wooden rods, Faro Arms and micrometers to check the vertical and horizontal alignment of the piston rod OD to the piston liner ID. These are time consuming and cumbersome techniques that are ultimately not well suited to troubleshoot and solve alignment issues.

A “Mud Pump Laser Alignment Kit” enables you to measure where the piston will run through the liner at various positions along the pump’s stroke. It will also project a laser centerline from the fluid end back towards the rear power end of the pump that can be used to determine how much shimming is required to correct any alignment issues. The kit can include either a 2-Axis receiver or a 4-Axis which accepts the laser beam and documents where it falls on the active surface of the receiver. The 4-Axis receiver can decrease alignment time by as much as 50% as it will measure angularity as well as X and Y while the 2-Axis does not and will need multiple measurement locations to get the same information. In addition, the alignment system is a non-intrusive service requiring the removal of only the piston rod which allows for much quicker service and less down time on the pump. As the mud pumps in question are located globally both on and offshore, having a small, portable system is another great advantage. Our recommendation would be Pinpoint laser System’s “Mud Pump Alignment Kit”. They are being used by many of the leading repair service companies and have been their main alignment tool for over 15 years. Manufacturers are also utilizing these for new pump set-up.

Cavitation is an undesirable condition that reduces pump efficiency and leads to excessive wear and damage to pump components. Factors that can contribute to cavitation, such as fluid velocity and pressure, can sometimes be attributed to an inadequate mud system design and/or the diminishing performance of the mud pump’s feed system.

Although cavitation is avoidable, without proper inspection of the feed system, it can accelerate the wear of fluid end parts. Over time, cavitation can also lead to expensive maintenance issues and a potentially catastrophic failure.

When a mud pump has entered full cavitation, rig crews and field service technicians will see the equipment shaking and hear the pump “knocking,” which typically sounds like marbles and stones being thrown around inside the equipment. However, the process of cavitation starts long before audible signs reveal themselves – hence the name “the silent killer.”

Mild cavitation begins to occur when the mud pump is starved for fluid. While the pump itself may not be making noise, damage is still being done to the internal components of the fluid end. In the early stages, cavitation can damage a pump’s module, piston and valve assembly.

The imperceptible but intense shock waves generated by cavitation travel directly from the fluid end to the pump’s power end, causing premature vibrational damage to the crosshead slides. The vibrations are then passed onto the shaft, bull gear and into the main bearings.

If not corrected, the vibrations caused by cavitation will work their way directly to critical power end components, which will result in the premature failure of the mud pump. A busted mud pump means expensive downtime and repair costs.

To stop cavitation before it starts, install and tune high-speed pressure sensors on the mud suction line set to sound an alarm if the pressure falls below 30 psi.

Although the pump may not be knocking loudly when cavitation first presents, regular inspections by a properly trained field technician may be able to detect moderate vibrations and slight knocking sounds.

Gardner Denver offers Pump University, a mobile classroom that travels to facilities and/or drilling rigs and trains rig crews on best practices for pumping equipment maintenance.

Program participants have found that, by improving their maintenance skills, they have extended the life of fluid end expendables on their sites. They have also reported decreases in both production and repair costs, as well as reductions in workplace hazards.

Severe cavitation will drastically decrease module life and will eventually lead to catastrophic pump failure. Along with downtime and repair costs, the failure of the drilling pump can also cause damage to the suction and discharge piping.

When a mud pump has entered full cavitation, rig crews and field service technicians will see the equipment shaking and hear the pump ‘knocking’… However, the process of cavitation starts long before audible signs reveal themselves – hence the name ‘the silent killer.’In 2017, a leading North American drilling contractor was encountering chronic mud system issues on multiple rigs. The contractor engaged in more than 25 premature module washes in one year and suffered a major power-end failure.

Gardner Denver’s engineering team spent time on the contractor’s rigs, observing the pumps during operation and surveying the mud system’s design and configuration.

The engineering team discovered that the suction systems were undersized, feed lines were too small and there was no dampening on the suction side of the pump.

There were also issues with feed line maintenance – lines weren’t cleaned out on a regular basis, resulting in solids from the fluid forming a thick cake on the bottom of the pipe, which further reduced its diameter.

Following the implementation of these recommendations, the contractor saw significant performance improvements from the drilling pumps. Consumables life was extended significantly, and module washes were reduced by nearly 85%.

Although pump age does not affect its susceptibility to cavitation, the age of the rig can. An older rig’s mud systems may not be equipped for the way pumps are run today – at maximum horsepower.

Cavitation is an undesirable condition that reduces pump efficiency and leads to excessive wear and damage to pump components. Factors that can contribute to cavitation, such as fluid velocity and pressure, can sometimes be attributed to an inadequate mud system design and/or the diminishing performance of the mud pump’s feed system.

Although cavitation is avoidable, without proper inspection of the feed system, it can accelerate the wear of fluid end parts. Over time, cavitation can also lead to expensive maintenance issues and a potentially catastrophic failure.

When a mud pump has entered full cavitation, rig crews and field service technicians will see the equipment shaking and hear the pump “knocking,” which typically sounds like marbles and stones being thrown around inside the equipment. However, the process of cavitation starts long before audible signs reveal themselves – hence the name “the silent killer.”

Mild cavitation begins to occur when the mud pump is starved for fluid. While the pump itself may not be making noise, damage is still being done to the internal components of the fluid end. In the early stages, cavitation can damage a pump’s module, piston and valve assembly.

The imperceptible but intense shock waves generated by cavitation travel directly from the fluid end to the pump’s power end, causing premature vibrational damage to the crosshead slides. The vibrations are then passed onto the shaft, bull gear and into the main bearings.

If not corrected, the vibrations caused by cavitation will work their way directly to critical power end components, which will result in the premature failure of the mud pump. A busted mud pump means expensive downtime and repair costs.

To stop cavitation before it starts, install and tune high-speed pressure sensors on the mud suction line set to sound an alarm if the pressure falls below 30 psi.

Although the pump may not be knocking loudly when cavitation first presents, regular inspections by a properly trained field technician may be able to detect moderate vibrations and slight knocking sounds.

Gardner Denver offers Pump University, a mobile classroom that travels to facilities and/or drilling rigs and trains rig crews on best practices for pumping equipment maintenance.

Program participants have found that, by improving their maintenance skills, they have extended the life of fluid end expendables on their sites. They have also reported decreases in both production and repair costs, as well as reductions in workplace hazards.

Severe cavitation will drastically decrease module life and will eventually lead to catastrophic pump failure. Along with downtime and repair costs, the failure of the drilling pump can also cause damage to the suction and discharge piping.

When a mud pump has entered full cavitation, rig crews and field service technicians will see the equipment shaking and hear the pump ‘knocking’… However, the process of cavitation starts long before audible signs reveal themselves – hence the name ‘the silent killer.’In 2017, a leading North American drilling contractor was encountering chronic mud system issues on multiple rigs. The contractor engaged in more than 25 premature module washes in one year and suffered a major power-end failure.

Gardner Denver’s engineering team spent time on the contractor’s rigs, observing the pumps during operation and surveying the mud system’s design and configuration.

The engineering team discovered that the suction systems were undersized, feed lines were too small and there was no dampening on the suction side of the pump.

There were also issues with feed line maintenance – lines weren’t cleaned out on a regular basis, resulting in solids from the fluid forming a thick cake on the bottom of the pipe, which further reduced its diameter.

Following the implementation of these recommendations, the contractor saw significant performance improvements from the drilling pumps. Consumables life was extended significantly, and module washes were reduced by nearly 85%.

Although pump age does not affect its susceptibility to cavitation, the age of the rig can. An older rig’s mud systems may not be equipped for the way pumps are run today – at maximum horsepower.

For comprehensive industrial pump repair services in the Midwest, you cannot beat Brabazon Pump, Compressor and Vacuum repair services. Our factory-trained technicians and fully certified to perform in-shop repairs and preventive maintenance. They are also skilled at troubleshooting to diagnose equipment malfunctions. Our goal is always to ensure your equipment will run properly when you need it most.

Industrial Pump Repair Services for All Makes & Models of Industrial and Municipal PumpsBrabazon’s industrial pump repair services are aimed at addressing issues that occur with all pump and seal brands, all vacuum pumps, and all blower brands. If you do not see your brand or equipment listed, contact us to inquire about service on the particular make or model.

Pumps are often designed to operate at a single point known as the Best Efficiency Point (BEP). As components begin to wear, a pumps performance begins to decline, with operation away from this point leading to issues such as accelerated bearing or seal wear, vibration, excess temperature rise or cavitation. Quite often declining performance can start gradually, before quickly accelerating until failure if performance issues are not addressed in a timely fashion.

Corrective Maintenance is undertaken when failure has occurred. The unit may be leaking, efficiency reduced, pump stopped or motor tripped, leading to loss of production resulting in an urgent situation where parts must be sourced and fitted quicky.

Preventative Maintenance is inspection and repair scheduled at specific intervals (daily, weekly, monthly, yearly) or based on the number of hours run. Visual inspections are made externally and internally by dismantling the unit, replacing seals such as gaskets and mechanical seals, with pump parts checked for wear.

Differential Pressure:Check the operating pressure by calculating the difference between the inlet and outlet pressure of the pump ensuring it is operating on curve.

The “6 to 1 Rule” discovered by John Day Jr, (Manager of Engineering & Maintenance at Alumax South Carolina stated that the ideal ratio of Proactive Maintenance (PM) to Corrective Maintenance (CM) should be 6 to 1 - 6 PM checks to 1 RM check. If your ratio is below this then according to his theory it is being inspected too infrequently, above and inspections are too frequent.

Although Proactive Maintenance can seem to avoid the urgent costs and downtime associated with reactive maintenance, PM maintenance costs can be high due to the cost of labour in dismantling of complicated designs such as Progressing Cavity, or Triplex Plunger pumps which are often time consuming to maintain with more than one person required to undertake work.

On dismantling units, some seals require replacing regardless of condition, and excess spares can be required in case of gasket entrapment during assembly. Rental of specialist lifting equipment may be required and there can be situations where when inspected, pump parts do not require replacement.

This can be achieved through a monitoring device, where when the right data is collected, pump failure can be anticipated between 3 and 12 months in advance with an 80-95% accuracy.

With the average lead time on DN100 pumps, and units over 5 years old being 3 months or more, it is essential that spares are either on the shelf or failure is anticipated through advance ordering.

There are hazards during any maintenance activity. Always ensure the correct PPE is worn before attempting repair, that sufficient expertise is on hand and chemical data sheets of any fluid being pumped are checked prior to undertaking work. A full risk assessment should be completed in advance.

Hazardous FluidsIrritation, Chemical burns, ignitionEnsure when pump is opened the unit is cool, not pressurized, ignition sources are not present, and any fluids spilt are contained.

If inspection has been neglected for some time, then additional parts may require replacing than had the unit been inspected earlier, with some pump parts becoming beyond economical repair.

Enables planned work to be undertaken during lower activity levels and at lowest cost & risk.Pump has to be crucial within a process or above a certain size for monitoring to be cost effective

Thread Sealant –The use of semi-permanent thread sealant will ensure vitality important threaded fasteners such as bolts or screws on shafts, couplings or pump casings do not self-loosen due to vibration and become disengaged.

Interchangeable Spares –Our range of pumps are modular in design utilizing interchangeable spares, meaning on site stock holding of parts can be reduced by up to 80% further reducing slow moving stock.

Repair & Replace –Choosing to repair an existing pump within a process of vital importance, as well as replace, is a strategy we recommend for maximizing plant efficiencies and reducing downtime. Should unexpected pump failure occur, your process can be restored quickly.

Checklists & Logs –The use of checklists and logs ensures a fully repeatable process ensuring important maintenance intervals are not missed. Logs can provide valuable insight and reveal a pattern before failure occurs enabling easier troubleshooting.

indicates which areas should be checked, but note that a units maintenance routine is dependent on several factors such as hours of operation, duty, aggressiveness of pump medium, rpm of motor, temperature, inlet conditions and location of equipment.

If the slurry pump is driven by a belt, please check the tension of the rope at least once a quarter. Too tight belts will cause damage to the motor bearing and once the bearing is broken the bearings will start to fail inside the pump. Belt that is operated when it is too loose will cause poor performance and cause slip damage to the belt.

If your dredge pump is using lubricant for cooling, please check it periodically to make sure there is no water or other impurities in the oil. If the pump seal remains stable, changing the oil periodically will increase the life of any pump.

Best performance is achieved by occasionally checking the out-of-wing clearance. Refer to instructions to check gaps appropriately. When checking the clearance, it is also necessary to check the impeller wear and other parts of the dredge pump.

For this problem, the best solution is to install pressure gauges and flowmeters on the discharge lines of the pumps. You can take the display pressure and multiply it by 2.31 to get the relative TDH (total dynamic head). You can then take that TDH along with the measured flow and see if your pump runs near the BEP (best efficiency point) on the pump’s baseline. If not, please contact your provider.

Temperature sensors are provided with our submersible pumps for engine protection. Each guide provided with the pump will outline how to connect and monitor the temperature sensors for the maximum life cycle.

If the engine is overheated, the sensors will automatically shut off and the pump will stop working until the engine cools down. If there is no sensor, or the sensor is not connected to the pump, there is a risk of engine fire.

Horizontal and vertical pump cantilever need to check the temperature of the bearing weekly while the pump is in operation. Use a temperature gun to check the bearing housing temperature closest to the bearing.

While most pump bearings run in the range of 140 to 170 degrees Fahrenheit, it is recommended that users never allow temperatures in excess of 200 degrees Fahrenheit (about 94 degrees Celsius). High bearing temperatures may be a sign of excessive lubrication or a problem with the bearing.

Proper vibration monitoring will provide the operating team with useful information that can increase MTBF (mean time between failures) and improve pump performance. Refer to the Hydraulic Institute’s vibration monitoring guide (American Hydraulic Institute) for vertical, horizontal and submersible pumps for appropriate limits.

Currently Thai Khuong Pump is representing the pump brand Schuro Slurry in Vietnam specializes in providing products with large capacity US brand mud pump (you can refer to the productshere).

If you have not yet selected a suitable mud pump product, or have any questions need advice or provide technical information, product prices. Let’s contact right with us.

MCOR 2555 can prevent this type of pump impeller deterioration. Read more about this pump impeller project by Mech-Chem Engineers, a licensed and exclusive distributor of MCOR products in India.

Industrial plants, factories and vessels rely heavily on the reliability of their equipment and machinery; pumps being a core part of this. Downtime of a pump can costly in terms of loss of output and the cost of repairs. Imagine your pump plays a critical role in your production line; it is responsible for dosing a specific quantity of ingredient into a mix. If the pump unexpectedly fails, then the production of the mix comes to a halt. A pump failing on board a ship out at sea can have even worse implications, especially if it one required for the safety or operation of the vessel. Pump maintenance is therefore an integral operation within any plant to limit this costly downtime…

Maintenance is commonly split into two classifications; corrective and preventive maintenance. Corrective maintenance is essentially maintenance that is undertaken to cope with a pump failure that has already occurred. It has to be undertaken as quickly and efficiently as possible to get the installation up and running again with as little impact on operation as possible.

Relying on corrective maintenance however is an issue. It means that maintenance is only carried out once a problem has already arisen rather than preventing the problem from happening in the first place. To avoid downtime caused by unexpected problems with the pump, it is important to introduce a preventive maintenance schedule.

If you have a pump on site and you don’t already have a maintenance programme in place, then your first step should be to make someone responsible for this, maybe your inhouse engineer or operations team. Most pump engineers offer servicing contracts and can carry out any required maintenance then and there. However, it’s good practice to be able to inspect your pump yourself more regularly to catch any issues in between your services.

A pump maintenance programme would generally involve a periodic check of the pump performance, an inspection of the wearing parts and lubrication of bearings and joints. It is good practice to carry out a visual inspection of the pump installation on a daily basis. Spotting an issue early is one of the best methods of trouble shooting and preventing pump breakdown. Most of the things to look out for should be easily visible, these include:Leaks - Check the pump and pipework for any leaks that need to be dealt with, as they will result in reduced performance and loss of pump output as well as mess. Common leaking points are from the stuffing box or the mechanical seals. Mechanical seals are a wearing part and need to be routinely replaced.

Unusual noise -One of the first signs of a problem with your pump is noise. Like anything with a motor, a consistent hum when the pump is running is quite normal. However, abnormally loud noises or a clunking or crunching sound is likely to indicate an issue e.g. worn bearings. A popping sound, particularly if it is near the impeller, could mean the pump is experiencing cavitation which can cause a lot of damage.

Extreme vibration - A properly installed, well working pump should not overly vibrate, and therefore any level of vibration deemed excessive should be investigated. Common causes include impeller imbalance, damage and misalignment of the pump and motor.

Corrosion - Rusting, cracking or discoloration of the pump casing or pipework need to be acted on immediately as these are all signs of corrosion. Corrosion can not only result in pump failure through a weakening of the casing and components, but also contamination of the fluid being pumped.

Overheating - The pump, motor or bearings getting really hot is not something that should be ignored as it always indicates some form of problem. Some explanations may be internal rubbing/wearing of parts, that the wrong power has been put into the pump, the pump has been running against a dead head or that it has been running at a duty it cannot efficiently maintain.

Clogging - The presence of solids can result in the clogging of impellers or valves if the pump is not capable of handling the size of the solids that have attempted to pass through. You will usually notice clogging quite quickly as the pump will not be delivery the same quantities of fluid.

Whilst these are examples of typical daily checks, other checks however are required less regularly. One of the largest causes of pump downtime is pump owners not routinely replacing wearing parts and instead waiting for them to fail before changing them. It is recommended to replace certain components such as the mechanical seals and impellers every 1-2 years to prevent leaking and other issues. Best practice is to hold stock of typical wearing parts on site to prevent any delay in being able to maintain your pump if any components fail.

Just like the below, preventive pump maintenance should to be planned into a periodic maintenance schedule. By setting out when certain tasks should be carried out, maintenance becomes a smoother more efficient process and tasks don"t get "forgotten" about. Not only does it reduce the likelihood of unexpected pump failures and downtime, it also helps to reduce the cost of ownership as replacing wearing parts for example is a much cheaper process than replacing an entire pump.

Pump maintenance is the process of keeping your pumps in good working condition. A thorough checklist that guides the maintenance engineer for pump maintenance can be very beneficial as pump maintenance is essential to keep your pumps running smoothly and prevent them from breaking down. This includes regularly checking and cleaning your pumps and replacing any parts that are worn out.

Modern pumps are essential equipment in the industrial and manufacturing sectors. These devices allow companies to move liquids and gases from one place to another, which can be crucial to operations. While modern pumps are reliable and rarely need maintenance, they require some attention over time.

The ideal way of classifying pump maintenance is through the method used for drawing out the maintenance plan. Based on this, the following are the four significant types of pump maintenance:

Corrective maintenance is the most reactive type of pump maintenance, and it involves repairing or replacing parts as needed to keep a pump functioning properly. While this approach may be necessary for some situations, it is often not ideal due to its high cost and disruption of operations.

Preventive maintenance is another common approach to pump maintenance that focuses on proactive measures such as regular inspections and adjustments. This can help avoid potential problems and keep pumps operating at peak efficiency. Using a reliable checklist for pump maintenance, engineers conduct a thorough checking and carry out the needful maintenance as and when needed. This approach is widely used in industries.

Predictive maintenance uses advanced sensors and equipment to monitor the condition of pumps and other components in real-time. This enables users to detect potential problems before they become serious issues that require extensive repairs or replacements. However, this type of maintenance is cost-intensive and unsuitable for small-scale pump systems.

This type of pump maintenance is a newer type of pump maintenance that uses data collected from sensors to assess the condition of pumps and other equipment. This information is then used to develop a customized maintenance plan tailored to the equipment’s specific needs. This approach can be more effective than traditional pump preventive maintenance plans and can help to reduce downtime and costs. But setting up a CBM system can prove to be a costly affair.

Whether you are using one of these approaches or a combination of them, it is essential to ensure that your pump maintenance program is adequately designed and implemented to optimize the performance and longevity of your pumps. Pump maintenance plans are also created based on the system they target, including mechanical, electrical, and hydraulic. Mechanical maintenance typically involves replacing parts that have worn out or broken down due to normal wear and tear. Electrical pump maintenance requires checking the wiring for any signs of damage and replacing fuses if necessary. And hydraulic pump maintenance may involve changing fluid levels or upgrading the oil viscosity depending on the level of use.

The strength and effectiveness of your pump preventive maintenance plan depending on how robust your checklist is. While you would want to include all possible checks in the plan, it is impractical and inadvisable for all routine checks. Therefore the checklist is divided based on the frequency of checks making it more sustainable and effective:

Please note that the pump preventive maintenance schedule for each pump would depend on its design and application, and hence you should always consult the pump manufacturer for the same. However, the above checklist is a general checklist that can guide the process of pump preventive maintenance. A well-maintained pump will last longer and perform better than one not correctly cared for.

Check the manufacturer’s recommendation for service interval schedules. Depending on the type of pump, different servicing may be required at different intervals.

Maintain the proper records for all pump maintenance activity. Good data collection will give you the correct information about the pump’s health and operational condition.

Based on the checklist, pump maintenance may seem a simple task that needs to be done regularly. However, this is not true. Understanding the pump behaviour and performing suitable maintenance activities requires years of experience. Therefore, it is always advisable to hire a qualified expert to carry out pump maintenance due to the following reasons:

Safety – Pump maintenance through a qualified expert, ensures that all safety hazards are identified and eliminated. This keeps you, your equipment, and your employees safe from harm.

Efficiency – Qualified experts know how to service and maintain pumps to operate at peak efficiency. This can save you money on your energy bills and help prolong the life of your pump.

Peace of Mind – Pump maintenance can be a complex task. By entrusting it to a qualified expert, you can rest assured that the job will be done correctly and on time.

Avoid Downtime – Downtime is costly, both in terms of lost productivity and repair costs. Pump maintenance through a qualified expert can help minimize the risk of unexpected downtime.

Compliance – Pump maintenance through a qualified expert can help ensure that your pump complies with all relevant safety and environmental regulations. This can save you from costly fines or penalties.

The majority of reliable pump manufacturers offer pump maintenance as a part of their service. Therefore, it is always a good practice to hire them to execute the pump maintenance of your site. They will also be able to create an effective schedule and an exhaustive checklist that your site engineers can follow for pump inspection. Ensuring that pump preventive maintenance is done at the right time in the right way will make your overall system more reliable and efficient.

Blackmer sliding-vane pumps stand ready to meet the needs of the rapidly growing oil and gas industry in the United States. Photo courtesy of Blackmer, a brand of PSG, a Dover company.

In some parts of North America, you can still clearly see the oil and gas pumping industry hard at work. Fly over Texas and see a checkerboard of sucker-rod “donkey” pumps, nodding in unison, pulling up millions of barrels of oil from deep beneath the surface.

At hydraulic fracturing sites, gigantic “frac” pumps dominate the landscape and shake the earth—splitting the mud, shale, and rock into bits with enormous pressure. That’s how oil corporations and service companies capture the elusive black gold buried deep inside—the material that literally fuels the multi-billion dollar oil and gas industry.

You can’t see the pumps that dive thousands of feet below the ocean’s surface from offshore rigs, and the pumps that transport the oil and gas are not visible, either. Hidden inside about 140 huge refineries throughout the U.S. there are even more pumps that keep the oil and gas industry functioning. It is up to the experienced maintenance professionals to make sure all of these pumps are hard at work every second of every day.

The massive oil and gas industry relies on a wide variety of pumps to perform every stage of the process—including upstream, midstream, and downstream functions. According to The Freedonia Group, Cleveland, the United States demand for oil and gas infrastructure equipment is forecast to hit $12.1 billion through 2016, which makes this a market that is vitally dependent on equipment that runs efficiently.

Different pumps present different obstacles, especially within a market as diverse as oil and gas. Mark Dufrene is the general manager for Pump & Process Technologies, a division of CastleOak LLC in Longview, TX—a distributor of Blackmer, Pentair, EnviroGear, Aurora, Fairbanks, Myers, and other centrifugal, rotary-gear, positive-displacement, and reciprocating pump brands for oil and gas applications. Each pump for each application must be treated differently.

According to Dufrene, a 27-year veteran of the pump industry, “There is a tendency to treat centrifugal and positive-displacement pumps the same. Some people use a control system on centrifugal pumps and just throttle back on the valve to control the flow. You can’t do this with a positive-displacement pump because, when you throttle back on the discharge valve, you create more pressure. It becomes self-defeating.”

One of the biggest problems contributing to excessive pump maintenance in the oil and gas space involves having a pump that is improperly sized or misaligned, Dufrene said. “People sometimes think bigger is better, but this is not always the case,” he said. “This can be a system issue.”

Advancements in technology, such as variable-frequency drives (VFDs), have contributed greatly to the longevity of most oil and gas pumps and have helped keep the maintenance manageable. A VFD is a type of adjustable-speed drive used in electro-mechanical drive systems to control AC motor speed and torque by varying motor input frequency and voltage.

VFDs can optimize impeller diameter, which slows down the equipment and gives it longer life and less wear. “Instead of running the equipment at 1,800 rpm, with a maximum impeller diameter it can run at 1,400 rpm,” Dufrene explained. “This doesn’t sound like much, but it makes a big difference. It can extend the life of the pump and prevent it from running dry and cavitating. VFDs and other PLC controls can help to eliminate some of the misapplied and improperly sized equipment because you can use the speed control to compensate for errors made in pump selection.”

Changes are inevitable, and each change presents new maintenance concerns. “Every day is different,” Dufrene said. “If a guy has a mission to pump liquid from Point A to Point B, that is pretty simple—but it is not reality. When you dive into someone’s process and discover they want to pump from Point A to Point B to Point S to Point Z, it becomes more complicated. Every time they make a change, the system curve changes. Therefore, the pump curves change, but they may be using a fixed-speed piece of equipment to do all of the applications. This is not realistic, and it leads to problems. The pump does not always operate at the one design point. This is a dynamic system as opposed to a static system.”

A Griswold 811 series pump installed in a Lease Asset Custody Transfer (LACT) unit located in the Eagle Ford play in Texas. A LACT unit automatically measures, samples, and transfers the oil from a lease location in the oilfield into a pipeline. Photo courtesy of Griswold, a brand of PSG, a Dover company.

Odessa Pumps, a DistributionNOW Company, has been providing equipment to the oil and gas market for more than 30 years with a full range of applications, including chemical injection and high-pressure injection pumps. Joe Lewallen, Jr. is the general manager of Applied Pumping Solutions for Odessa Pumps’ Irving, TX operation, and Brian Verdehem is director of sales. They describe their five most common maintenance problems and solutions for oil and gas pumping applications.

Improperly sized and installed equipment. “It’s a fact that the majority of centrifugal pumps installed today are oversized.” Verdehem said.Pumps are often oversized for an application then operated in an unstable region of the centrifugal pump performance curve. “Operating in these unstable regions of the pump curve can result in lower mean time between repair (MTBR) on the seal and bearings, as well as the turned and cast components,” Verdehem said. “This is especially prevalent in pumps with higher suction specific speeds (>11,000 Nss), where the stability window on the curve is less forgiving. These factors can often be avoided by properly sizing the pump and configuring the pump package with a VFD. Operating in variable speed can ‘right size’ the pump performance curve to the current system variables. Having a pump supplier who knows pump hydraulics and who can evaluate the system head variables is essential to implanting a successful VFD system into a pump installation.”

Contamination of lubrication leads to bearing failure. Bearing failure is the biggest cause of maintenance issues in pumping applications. Proper lubrication of the bearing is the simplest way to avoid it. “Changing and maintaining an optimal environment for the lubrication fluid by investing in labyrinth or magnetic type bearing isolators, can provide great benefits on extending the machine life on oil-sump designs, and avoiding unexpected failures. Investments in oil-mist systems are often an efficient way of lubricating multiple pump assets within a consolidated production or process unit,” Verdehem said.

Improper mechanical-seal selection results in premature seal failure. Centrifugal pump units in the oil and gas sector also require an extensive knowledge of mechanical seals. “New sealing technology and proper material selection leads to longer operation before service is required,” Lewallen said. “Many customers and equipment providers omit this important part of pump application. Misapplication of the seal design is one of the most common areas of centrifugal pump failure, and once the seal fails, that can lead to loss of product, environmental contamination, and other maintenance issues.”

Incorrect material selection on pump material and gasket/elastomers, resulting in premature failure. “Liquid compatibility with the gaskets and elastomers in a pump’s construction are often overlooked by customers and inexperienced pump suppliers,” Verdehem said. Taking the extra time to ensure that your metallic and non-metallic pump components are compatible with the liquid during the pump-proposal stage, can help decrease the onset of premature and costly downtime. There are plenty of publications and compatibility charts available online for use in confirming compatibility on metallic and polymer based components. An experienced pump supplier will take a conservative approach on material selection if they have full transparency on the customer’s liquid properties and process conditions. It’s important that customers provide the pump supplier with this information at time of quote request.

Preventive maintenance in oil and gas pumping applications is much the same as in other industries, Lewallen said. “On larger horsepower equipment a baseline vibration reading is taken when the equipment is commissioned. Our technicians provide a PM service for many of our customers. With an initial vibration reading by our technicians, subsequent readings can identify a problem early.”

“Shaft alignment to the manufacturer’s specification is also crucial,” Lewallen said. “The proper use of shaft sealing technology is another important factor for equipment reliability. Preventive maintenance performed by properly trained personnel will ensure long run times and prevent premature failure.”

Another best practice, according to Verdehem, is a proactive maintenance culture. “It’s no different than changing the oil in your car as instructed by the owner’s manual,” he said. “Most centrifugal-pump failures are a result of bearing and seal failure, so it is important that these two areas are given the most concentration.”

Monitoring vibration on a regular basis and identifying changes in the vibration spectrum can warn of a pending failure. “This way you can plan the maintenance and shutdown of the equipment. Proactive machine-health monitoring can have tremendous benefits for most types of rotating equipment,” Verdehem said.

VFDs at a Blending Facility. VFDs were used to optimize positive-displacement pumps for two different functions at a blending facility—loading trucks and loading totes and drums. “We use the VFD systems and run them at different settings,” CastleOak’s Mark Dufrene said. “To load the truck involves pumping 150 gpm. To load drums and totes the pump should run at about half speed. The VFD switches on, slowly fills up the drum to a certain level, then it ramps down and shuts off the unit. Instead of having someone over there with a trigger, it’s all automated. To improve the life of the pump, over time we are regulating the speed to slow the unit down and match application conditions. This increases reliability and MTBF.”

Refinery Condition-Monitoring System. Dufrene said his refinery customer had a boiler system that would run effectively most of the time. But, in certain circumstances, the pump would cavitate and fail. “No one could pinpoint the problem,” he said. “You could stand there for two or three days and nothing would happen. But as soon as you went home, the upset condition would occur. So we added a monitoring system to measure the suction pressure, discharge pressure, and temperature.”

Dufrene’s team placed a probe on the bearing frame to measure the product temperature and discovered that when certain systems in the plant were running, the pump was oversized for the application. The plant was running at maximum capacity most of the time.

VFDs for Centrifugal Pumping Systems. In most pumping applications, trimming the impeller reduces pump efficiency, sometimes by as much as 20% to 25%, Dufrene said. Running the system at the optimum impeller diameter and controlling the speed dramatically increases efficiency. “As conditions like head and pressure change, the VFD can speed up and match the system, as opposed to running to the right or to the left, which actually causes more maintenance problems,” he said. “If you use a VFD, you can match the system you have and improve efficiency.”

Centrifugal Pump Running Dry. A centrifugal pump running dry can be a challenge in many applications, and especially in the oil and gas industry. This is particularly an issue in tank or rail car unloading applications, as well as

“Dry run is the Achilles heel for pumps that have metal-to-metal wear ring designs on the rotary and stationary ring configuration,” Verdehem said. “Failures in this mode can often cost as much or more than a new pump unit. In these applications, custome