Capability Spotlight: Rethink Your Parts Strategy

The Critical Parts Landscape is Changing.

With the advent of innovative pattern making and additive manufacturing, end users have more options than ever before when it comes to parts supply. When faced with these exciting changes, it is important to develop a parts strategy that takes advantage of new technology while still reducing risk of component failure or unsuitability.

At Hydro Parts Solutions, we combine innovation with hard-earned experience in pump engineering, reverse engineering, materials, and casting.  Knowing that reverse engineering is far more complex than laser scanning and replication, they rely heavily on this experience and the knowledge of Hydro’s engineering network to verify critical dimensions, account for wear of the scanned component, upgrade tolerances, and provide a part that is better than the original.

By cultivating strong relationships with local foundries, Hydro Parts Solutions can provide expedited lead times while maintaining control of product quality throughout the manufacturing process. They adhere to strict process control procedures, including providing standardized parts numbers and generating drawings for every part.

Every job completed by Hydro Parts Solutions is passed through multiple levels of engineering and inspection checks, from model development through pattern creation to final machining and equivalency analysis.   This gives you confidence that the parts supplied will provide safe and reliable service.

As pump experts, Hydro has the experience to reverse engineer and supply complex hydraulic components and the resources to diagnose design problems and suggest targeted upgrades. Hydro routinely upgrades vintage equipment with proven design component design upgrades that counteract known failure modes. Our global engineering team works closely with our parts division to perform hydraulic modifications that increase efficiency or help end users meet changed system requirements.

The end result? Shorter lead times and longer component life.

Explore Hydro Parts Solutions’ state-of-the-art parts case studies.

Discover Hydro Parts Solutions here.

Contact us for a parts quote.

Capability Spotlight: Addressing Obsolescence

A dependable source of quality parts supply is critical to maintain safe, reliable, and profitable operation of industrial facilities. However, aging equipment and pressure on the global supply chain have created a challenging environment in the replacement parts.

Obsolescence and loss of supplier experience have resulted in many plants rethinking the idea that the original equipment manufacturer (OEM) should be the go-to source for parts supply. Consolidation of OEMs and retirement and down-sizing on the supplier side have led to loss of capability, compromised quality, and slower response times. Ordering parts through the OEM is also a highly transactional process that rarely engages engineering. Without engineering involvement, there is no opportunity to determine if new technology or design improvements are available that can improve the reliability of the component.

Hydro helps end users meet the challenges of obsolescence with hard-earned reverse engineering expertise, an extensive library of parts drawings across OEMs, a global engineering network, and a dedicated parts division that delivers industry-leading turnaround times for cast components.

When sourcing an alternative for quality parts, it is important to understand that reverse engineering goes beyond simple replication and must engage an experienced engineering team. Advanced technologies can help significantly in the process of reverse engineering critical parts, but relying on these technologies alone is not enough to ensure proper design and manufacture. Geometry, metallurgy, hardness, tolerances, and coatings should all be considered and they add to the complexity of the reverse engineering process. Reproducing the part without reviewing the hydraulic, mechanical, and material characteristics of the component can lead to incorrect geometry or failure of the part when placed in service.

Hydro’s reverse engineering procedures ensure that a comprehensive engineering review is completed during the reverse engineering process. We are also able to leverage our library of known failure mechanisms and proven solutions to improve component design and performance.

Read about how Hydro helps end users overcome the challenges of obsolescence and other supply chain challenges in our case studies with Nuclear Engineering International here and here.

Discover our Hydro’s Parts Solutions division here.

Hydro Parts Solutions Announces New Purpose-Built Facility 

For Release 8:00 AM
Wednesday, December 27, 2023 

Hydro Parts Solutions Announces New Purpose-Built Facility 

Hydro’s newest expansion in Texas is a purpose-built facility with reverse engineering capabilities and greater ability to provide both cast and machined parts. 

Nederland, TX. — Wednesday, December 27, 2023 — Hydro Parts Solutions (HPS), a subsidiary of Hydro, Inc., opened the doors of its new Nederland facility in June 2023. HPS announced immediate availability to support customers with emergency part solutions. Using their extensive experience in reverse engineering and casting technology, HPS manufactures high quality parts, including difficult-to-source or obsolete components. The combination of in-house expertise and partnerships with local foundries allows them to provide industry-leading lead times, maintain strict quality control, and produce all parts in the USA. 

Embracing technology at every step, HPS offers casting simulations, CNC aluminum, investment, and 3D printed patterns, bleeding edge reverse engineering techniques, and a post-machining equivalency analysis. This commitment to advanced technology, stringent tolerances, and rigorous process documentation ensures that the parts they provide customers with are accurate and consistent. 

“Being conveniently located so close to the Golden Triangle, we have a great advantage with local partnerships and proximity to materials,” said Travis Puente, Operations Manager at HPS, “and the foundries we’ve partnered with, we’ve thoroughly qualified for quality and efficiency.” 

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For more information, press only: 

PR Contact Name: Laura Oppermann
Email: loppermann@hydroinc.com
Website: https://hydroinc.com/parts-solutions/

Phase Measurements Used to Diagnose Compressor Misalignment

Hydro’s condition monitoring solution, Centaur, is currently being used to monitor rotating machinery at a Gulf Coast terminal facility. Through Hydro’s Centaur system, real-time vibration amplitude levels and temperature levels are collected and stored at several measurement locations on compressors and their drive trains. Analysts at Hydro’s Monitoring and Diagnostic Center help to evaluate the collected data. They use their subject matter expertise to make recommendations to the end user when they identify actions that could minimize downtime and maximize the lifespan of the monitored machinery. Continue reading