Rotating Equipment Troubleshooting and Problem Solving
Eliminate Bad Actors
IndustryUptime uses a systems approach in pump problem solving to eliminate "bad actors" and improve MTBF (Mean Time Between Failure). Eliminating these repeat failures improves plant reliability and saves money.
Only a few years ago, a common goal was to increase pump MTBF to 3 years. Now, many process plants have driven MTBF for pumps beyond 5 years, with industry leaders reporting pump life as high as 10 to 12 years. When a plant is reliable, maintenance costs decrease, unplanned outages and incidents are few and far between, the cost of production goes down, and profits go up. Eliminating repeat failures, "bad actors", is key to achieving high levels of reliability. When a plant eliminates Bad Actors, Maintenance personnel can work on projects that increase profit, not simply the problem of the day.
IndustryUptime can help your plant eliminate Bad Actor pumps, whether they suffer from emissions failures, hydraulic problems, or mechanical defects. Many times poor pump reliability is the result of a combination of problems. Unfortunately, it is common to address a single fault (the mechanical seal, the bearing, the operators, or the maintenance crew) without solving the reliability problem by determining the true root cause of failure. To avoid these mistakes, we approach all pump problems as a function of the complete pumping system.
Our comprehensive systems approach addresses the design, manufacture, selection, installation, operation, maintenance, and repair of the pumping system. We inspect the installation in the field to review the foundation, piping, and pipe supports. We verify hydraulic performance, obtain input from Operations and Maintenance personnel, and review the initial design information and repair history. Because pump reliability is a function of many factors, we use vibration monitoring and performance testing tools to collect operational data. We look at the symptoms, assemble evidence, and provide practical solutions to pump problems. This approach has proven effective when applied on one pump or to entire pump populations.
IndustryUptime identified the systems' problem that prevented our boiler feed water pump from reaching full capacity and limiting power production. Without IndustryUptime, we were looking at an unnecessary pump overhaul