The Situation
A biofuel producer had allowed a plant to fall out of production for three years. The customer was now looking to bring this part of the facility back online. A critical component to the operation was four liquid vacuum pumps. Historically, the customer had experienced problems with lengthy lead times for spares and the manufacturer of the pumps had also recently deemed the units beyond economical repair. This had resulted in the customers’ four pumps being in various states of disassembly across the site.
The Solution
One of the pumps in question arrived at the HAYLEY 247 DEXIS facility in Dudley, where a standard strip and inspection of the pumps’ individual components, was conducted. The main issue identified was the large amount of cavitation erosion present in the pump impeller. The pumps’ end shields and port plates were found to have a large amount of metal debris, with debris also found within the mechanical seal housing. The NDE bearing was also overlubricated and worn beyond repair. The customer was happy to accept the proposal which included; replacements for the worn bearings, rings and seals, with the impeller being rebuilt using Belzona 1111 and coated with Belzona 1341 efficiency coating, a product renowned for its ability to both protect against further erosion and improve an assets’ energy efficiency. The unit was also subjected to a dynamic balance and full testing procedure before being returned to the customers’ site.
"THE ASSET’S SERVICE LIFE WILL BE EXTENDED THANKS TO THE BELZONA 1341’S ANTI-CORROSION QUALITIES."
The Result
From start to finish, the refurbishment and reassembly of the liquid vacuum pump took just one week to be completed. The customer was thrilled with this result, as they were keen to reinstate production at the plant. HAYLEY 247 DEXIS was the only service provider who could offer the refurbishment with the Belzona products.
This allowed the customer to achieve an immediate cost-saving with the only option previously open to them being a replacement pump. Now that the pump impeller has been coated with Belzona 1341, the assets’ service life will be extended thanks to the Belzona 1341’s anti-corrosion qualities, and its hydraulic efficiency improved, reducing energy consumption as a result.