Replacing a piece of equipment such as an industrial water pump can be a costly and time-consuming exercise. Avoiding the upfront cost and associated downtime, whether through predictive or regular maintenance, can enable extended product lifetimes.
BSC provides a full suite of services for industrial pumps that includes repair and refurbishment, asset care, site installation, commissions, and condition-based monitoring and assessments. These services are conducted in a manner that directly suits the end users and starts with and understanding of the issues or faults that the pump is experiencing.
“If we’re assessing the condition of the equipment while it’s in an operation, and we’re doing some level of predictive maintenance, then we would be looking for indications that there are flow issues in the pump, from the data that we’re analysing,” says BSC Engineering Manager, Ryan Kendrigan. “From there we would see if there is wear inside the actual pump housing and if we need to schedule a shutdown to either exchange or repair that pump to get it back to optimal working condition.”
“Once they’ve pulled the pump out then by visual inspection after the pump is disassembled, we can either provide the products for the customer to repair the pump themselves, or we have facilities to repair that ourselves depending on what’s fit for purpose.”
Working with the customer to find the solution that fits, BSC have the capabilities for whatever requirements may arise, according to Kendrigan.
“We have done 24-hour jobs where we’ve ripped the pump out ourselves, had it repaired and then back into service. For swimming pools, we’ve been able to pull the pump out at 7pm and have it back in and running at 5.30am when the filter system starts up again.”
Within this process, whatever the customer’s maintenance program is, BSC draw upon their range of products to find a solution. These include the industry-renowned sealants, protectants and coatings from LOCTITE backed by the world’s leading adhesive company Henkel. BSC Product Manager, Michael Rowe, describes how these fit in.
“There may be a requirement to repair some damage where whatever fluid that has been passing through a pump has either scoured or damaged part of the metal area in there. LOCTITE have a material that will help rebuild and repair a pump back to specification. So, instead of replacing the pump with a brand-new unit, they can do a repair that also reduces the overall cost of maintenance.”
During the operation of a pump, the constant movement of water, slurry, or other liquid wears down the internal parts. The metal or material will erode, needing to be repaired to ensure efficient functioning. As Rowe highlights, LOCTITE products are designed to overcome this reality.
“LOCTITE ceramic coatings such as LOCTITE PC 7227 Brushable Ceramic and LOCTITE PC 7255 Sprayable Ceramic can be applied over the original damaged surface area. Then they use a rebuild product, LOCTITE EA 3478 Superior Metal to build back the actual material of the pump and then they’ll apply another coat of the ceramic over the top of it again – this will bring it back to a nice smooth surface. It will also allow the medium to pass cleanly over those surfaces without building up,” said Rowe.
Henkel Key Account Manager, Neil Board states, “what distinguishes Henkel’s LOCTITE products when compared to other, similar products on the market, is that they are available in different colours, LOCTITE PC 7255 sprayable ceramic is available in Grey or Green, LOCTITE PC 7227 Brushable ceramic is grey and LOCTITE PC 7228 Brushable ceramic is White, the later also being AS/NZS 4020-2002 potable water approved.”
“Those colour differentiation’s allows you to see whether there has been wear,” said Board. “You’ll apply one colour first and then a second coating of a different colour over the top, so that on a visual inspection you can see what’s happening.”
Deciding on the right LOCTITE product to apply is part of the expertise of Kendrigan and other BSC engineers, who decide which solution fits the user’s need best.
“Depending on the overall wear of the pump, the repair work can use a couple of different products,” said Board. “That’s where the BSC engineering team will assess what’s required.”
Importantly, the BSC engineering team don’t just provide access to the products required but forge a partnership with customers to get the job done right.
“We work with our customers to supply them with the right components, and potentially give them the training and advice they will need to make their programs as efficient as possible,” Kendrigan says.
Kendrigan adds: “It’s not a case of supplying a product to a customer and forgetting about them, it’s about how can we make their lives easier and better by the services and solutions that we provide to them.”
