When you hear the phrase, “pump the jam” your mind could be drawn – if you are of a certain age – to Technotronic’s 1989 club hit “Pump Up the Jam.” But you could also be a machine operator in a jam factory where pumps are used in the production process and must be routinely maintained due to jam viscosity, seeds and fruit chunks, and the sugary buildup on seal faces in sealed pumps.
In addition to jam factories, pumps are used across industry for water movement, chemical processing, and fluid management, as well as for moving harsh, corrosive, or heavy-duty substances. These fundamental components are utilized in agriculture, food and beverage, mining, petroleum, power generation, and pharmaceutical applications to move everything from wastewater to petroleum, sludges to slurries, dairy products to wine, and on and on. Pumps come in an assortment of types and configurations and industry uses a variety of them, such as turbine, piston, and gear pumps.
The most widely used pump across industry is the centrifugal pump, which is a dynamic pump, meaning it adds kinetic energy to the substance that increases the fluid speed and creates pressure. As expected with any kind of mechanical component subjected to constant pressure and operation, wear and tear of pumps is inevitable. However, with a solid understanding of the most common problems occurring from prolonged pump operation and a routine maintenance plan, full scale pump failure and costly production shut downs can be avoided. The most prominent problem with pumps that routine maintenance can prevent is cavitation.
What is Cavitation?
In relation to pumps, cavitation is the phenomena where vacuum bubbles form within fluid being moved through a system. When these bubbles – or voids – collapse they create shockwaves. Over time and repeated use, these shockwaves create premature wear on a pump impeller and lead to component failure if no maintenance is performed. Not only does cavitation lead to component failure, but when present it is extremely noisy and causes vibrations, which results in a loss of process efficiency.
In addition to cavitation, common things that technicians should watch for on industrial pumps include bearing and lubricant condition, shaft seal condition, pump vibration, and pump discharge pressure.
What Pump Maintenance Tasks Can Prevent Cavitation and Pump Failure?
As with any machine, consistent maintenance is key to process efficiency and prevention of equipment failure. In pumps, maintenance can extent equipment life, decrease operating and costs, and prevent specific component ills like cavitation. Generally, it’s recommended to group your maintenance program into three categories: routine, quarterly, and annual. Examples of tasks to track and check include adding oil to the bearing reservoir, cleaning and oiling governor linkages and valve stems, and inspecting disc couplings.
But how can you ensure that maintenance technicians and operators at your facility have the know-how to perform these tasks correctly?
DAC Worldwide’s Pump Maintenance and Operation Training Systems
DAC Worldwide offers an array of options for up-skilling or assessing your employees for pump maintenance and operation, including:
Centrifugal Pump Fundamentals Training System Plus (227-PAC)
The Centrifugal Pump Fundamentals Training System Plus (277-PAC) offers hands-on training for basic centrifugal pump operation and maintenance. This system can be used to demonstrate pump cavitation, fundamental operational principles, and the effects on flow and pressure by varying static head and piping configuration. The Centrifugal Pump Fundamentals Training System is a perfect solution for introductory operations and maintenance courses related to centrifugal pumps and process systems.
This system features a centrifugal pump with an open impeller, a variable speed DC pump motor with a controller, and a modular, clear PVC piping system with a variable-height support structure that allows for multiple configurations of the tank, pump, and motor to create new flow and static head conditions. The system also offers optional pipe spool variations to create even more process flow conditions.
Pump Maintenance Training System Plus (275-PAC)
DAC Worldwide’s Pump Maintenance Training System Plus (275-PAC) is a benchtop training device featuring a standard ANSI centrifugal pump mounted on a heavy-duty, 7-gauge, formed-steel, powder-coated baseplate. This systems features real-world pump components for practicing the disassembly, packing, and reassembly of common centrifugal pumps, as well as common pump maintenance such as impeller clearance adjustment and mechanical seal replacement. This system also features a clear acrylic backhead for visibility of the seal area.
Pump Maintenance and Alignment Training System Plus (275E-PAC)
The Pump Maintenance and Alignment Training System Plus (275E-PAC) is a benchtop training system featuring a standard ANSI centrifugal pump and a simulated motor element. This combination along with a replaceable ¾-in. diameter steel shaft with keyways allows users to practice shaft alignment skills. Further, the motor element features flanged bearings that can be adjusted to allow for angular and parallel misalignment. This system also allows users to practice complete pump tear-down and assembly. The Pump Maintenance and Alignment Training System also features a clear acrylic backhead to show pump packing procedures and the installation of mechanical seals.
Additionally, DAC Worldwide has dissectibles, component cutaways, and sample boards for expanded industrial pump training. DAC’s sister company, Amatrol, also offers pump systems that can bolster your industrial training program.
Amatrol’s Centrifugal Pump Learning System (950-PM1) and Expansion Systems
Amatrol’s pumps learning systems cover industry-relevant skills including how to operate, install, maintain, troubleshoot, and select a variety of pumps, as well as system design. The base learning system features a centrifugal pump, but allows for the use of several different pumps for expanded training; these pumps include: parallel pumps, turbine pump, diaphragm pump, peristaltic pump, piston pump, gear pump, magnetic pump, and centrifugal pump with stuffing box.
