As part of Hydro’s support of a Midwest steel mill’s descaling pumps, the Centaur condition monitoring service has been installed on five of their pumps machine trains. Using wireless sensors, Hydro has been continuously collecting real-time vibration and surface temperature levels on the pump, gearbox, and motor. The goal of this monitoring service is to work directly with the end-user to improve rotating equipment maintenance strategies through better, more frequent data collection and Hydro’s subject matter expertise in rotating equipment.
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What Happens When Things Go Bump in the Night?
What happens when an alarm is signaled from our Condition Monitoring System? Is the software customizable to customers’ needs? Glad you asked.
It all starts in the home of our Centaur engineers – the Monitoring and Diagnostic Center, where dedicated personnel are checking the status of monitored equipment 24/7. These vibration and pump subject matter experts keep an eye on concerning trends and use the digital twin interface to identify areas of concern. Continue reading
State of the Art Parts: Nozzle Head Casting
Hydro Parts Solutions recently provided a cast nozzle head to a Canadian oil and gas end-user. As is standard with Hydro’s cast parts, this complex component was:
- Scanned
- Reverse engineered
- Reviewed by Hydro’s engineering team
- Cast
- Final machined
- Compared to original model
IIoT Trial Provides Hands-On Experience
Hydro’s Condition Monitoring system, Centaur, has aided many end-users in catching real-time faults in rotating machinery. In many instances, end users see the value of the system through a no-cost, on-site trial. This includes the hardware, installation support, commissioning, and monitoring starting from the date that the sensors are commissioned on-site. The purpose of the free trial is to allow a “proof-of-concept” evaluation period before a further commitment is made. Continue reading
Fertilizer Focus: Resolving Design Flaws in UAN Solution Pump
Heavy Wear of the Bushing Bore
A newly commissioned US fertilizer plant was experiencing recurring vibration problems with their vertical UAN Solution pump. The VSF vertically suspended pump was removed from service and sent to Hydro for a full inspection and investigation of the vibration source. When the pump was disassembled, it was evident that there were significant problems at the motor bearing and guide bushing locations. These design flaws that were affecting reliable operation of the pump. Continue reading