Quick response maintenance service beats OEM support
Sulzer called in to overhaul storm pump after extended delays
Stormwater pumps will often be motionless for extended periods of time , but when water levels rise , they must be able to perform at a moment ’ s notice . Achieving the necessary reliability requires regular maintenance and periodic component refurbishment . However , when an original equipment manufacturer ( OEM ) was unable to supply parts for 12 months , a water supplier called in Sulzer to support an urgent maintenance project .
The storm pumps at a wastewater treatment plant had been in operation for around 25 years and had reached the point where a complete overhaul was required before a potentially serious failure was experienced . Regular vibration monitoring had highlighted the need for a refurbishment , but the situation had been exacerbated by the lack of support from the OEM .
Beating the OEM ’ s offer The maintenance team at the plant had become frustrated by the delayed support from the OEM and started the process of removing the first pump . During a visit by Sulzer to the site to discuss the maintenance of a set of unrelated large pumps , it
transpired that the site team had been waiting for the OEM to provide spare parts and service visits for over 12 months .
Chris Weston , Area Sales Manager , for Sulzer comments : “ Having detailed what Sulzer could offer in terms of support , we took the opportunity to look at the pumps during the visit . We explained how we would lift and transport both the pump and motors to our service center as well as the timeframes involved in completing the necessary work .” provide a full turnkey solution to the full equipment and the proximity of a Sulzer service center to the site , as well as the speed in which the work could be completed , were also favorable .
Cutting lead times Sulzer put together the complete lift plan documentation as part of the method statement and risk assessment , all of which are essential for projects such as this . The pump had to be partially disassembled and removed in three sections . The service center designed and manufactured a specialist lifting tool that was tested and certified before being used by the field service team to remove the pump from the dry well .
The process was further complicated by the fact that the main shaft , which required replacement , would not come apart and had to be cut in one place to enable removal . Sulzer provided a solution to manufacture a new shaft section after the OEM provided a lead time for a replacement of several months .
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A number of factors persuaded the utility to select Sulzer to complete the work , not least the competitive tender , which was 25 % below the investment required by the OEM . Furthermore , being able to