Tag Archives: reverse engineering

Capability Spotlight: Rethink Your Parts Strategy

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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

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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.

Capability Spotlight: High Capacity Pumps

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From lifting massive weights, to reverse engineering components with expansive surface areas, to troubleshooting vibration in machines susceptible to resonance problems, large vertical pumps have unique challenges. Fortunately, Hydro has cultivated specialized capabilities to meet these challenges.

The first challenge is gathering dimensional data and providing reliable, quality parts supply. Large pumps are expensive to ship off-site and often run without a spare. Being able to capture precision measurements of critical parts on-site reduces both cost and risk. Hydro’s reverse engineering team is experienced in how to efficiently and accurately reverse engineer large components.

The field portion of the reverse engineering process for a large part can usually be accomplished in less than a day. After the measurements are taken, the pump can be returned to service while the model is completed and the part is manufactured.

Taking the initial component data is only the first step in Hydro’s reverse engineering process. Using their experience in the failure modes and upgrades of large pump designs, the reverse engineering team will recommend component upgrades or improved metallurgy to extend the life of the part. Where appropriate, they will also identify methods of refurbishment that can return a large part to reliable service in place of supplying a new component.

Another challenge when working on large pumps is that they require a shop with the appropriate tooling and lifting capacity. It also requires a team dedicated to providing a higher standard of repair. Because vertical pumps are made of several stacked components, maintaining tight tolerances and best-in-class fit-ups is critical for reliable operation. Hydro’s standards are more stringent than those required by any industry body. This translates to longer life, better performance, and safer operation.

Take a tour of Hydro’s Hydro East facility in the Philadelphia metro area, who have a special focus on large vertical pumps.

Introducing: Hydro East from Hydro, Inc. on Vimeo.

 

Learn more about our capabilities that support high capacity vertical pumps or contact us for more information.

Wednesday Webinar: Reverse Engineering Principles

Join us for our March Wednesday Webinar on Reverse Engineering Principles. Instructor Werner Barnard discusses the principles and techniques used in the reverse engineering process, including techniques used in the gathering of dimensional data.

Register Now