Mechanical Seal failures seem to fall into four broad categories: The seal motion was restricted and the faces opened. Heat caused the 0-rings to deteriorate. The seal materials were attacked by the fluid sealed. The seal was installed incorrectly. Mechanical Seals motion restricted: The spring-loaded (dynamic) seal face constantly moves to maintain full face contact

With interest rates continuing at record low rates and most companies reporting increased output, perhaps now is the time for plant operators using electric motors, pumps, gearboxes, conveyors etc. to fix the cost of repairs, therefore insuring the risk against increased costs. To sustain reduced costs failures have to be reduced, so how can this

Knowing why an asset failed and you’re most of the way towards avoiding it happening again. Sounds so simple but this important part of Asset Management is often overlooked. There are various steps taken in the event of an asset having failed and from CPM’s experience, almost all plant operators have their own preferred methods

  Lots of papers and articles have been written on the costs of industrial downtime caused by the unplanned failure of rotating machines and the consequential effect caused by loss of production, health & safety issues, process contamination and the resources required to get the plant operational again. Much less however, has been written about

Case study – Working with the customer to manage risk Vertically mounted, Ingersoll-Dresser 14HHS 300 multistage centrifugal pumps, driven by a Brook Hanson 110kw Flange mounted 4 pole, 415v ac motors. The duty cycle of these pumps can be extreme operating 24hrs a day and they are highlighted as critical plant by the operator, therefore

In a survey of end-users of electric motors performed by our International Trade Association EASA (Electrical Apparatus Service Association) it revealed that 42% of those questioned described their strategy as ‘reactive’ compared with 30% who stated they employed a ‘preventative maintenance’ approach. As a company who see the results of such a strategy and with

In a recent paper delivered to the Motor Summit in Zurich it claimed that only 1% of the total lifecycle cost of an electric motor was attributable to repair and maintenance. Only 2% represented the initial purchase price. The claim made in a paper entitled ‘Policy Guidelines for Electric Motor Systems’ may not come as

Any plant operator has their own experiences of the problems caused by the failure of rotating machines. The downtime, the effect on production output and the cost of the repair or replacement gearbox, electric motor, pump can cause major problems as we all know. CPM Engineering are involved in supporting customers with a range of

Proper alignment of direct-coupled machinery is an essential element in reliability of a new or repaired machine (motor, pump, gear case, etc.). One common impediment to achieving proper alignment and smooth operation is a “soft foot” condition. A soft foot occurs when all the feet of a machine case do not sit flat on the

If a repair looks right then the there is a good probability is that it is right. Reliability should be built into every repair that is undertaken with the minimum standard being that of returning the machine (a pump in this instance) to the condition it was manufactured to and wherever possible to improve the