All the components of a pump system have an essential role to play, but when it comes to investing in the best possible solution, which component is the most important? And is this question the same at design as it is at manufacture versus commissioning? What about when the final project goes into operation? Here, the team at Drive Systems discuss the answers to these questions, and share advice on choosing the right components for your application.
At the design stage each component simply has to fit, function and work as intended. It has to be made to do the job the application asks of it. Before the manufacturing stage it’s important to know if all parts are readily available, and if all the components can be delivered at a price that makes sense.
At commissioning, the service crew need to know how to fit/install each component for the whole system to function. Then at handover, each component needs to work as designed, and has a pump been provided that delivers what was requested, promised and paid for?
Preventing failure
From an engineering sense all these things are extremely important. But what if that one important part fails? The most expensive pump in the most critical application can be rendered useless if even the smallest component stops working. So, how can this be prevented?Installation and maintenance play vital roles in the reliability of machinery, but if the design isn’t right, the reliability engineers are fighting a losing battle.
So, let’s go back to step one and look at the torque. The motor provides the power, the pump moves the medium and these two vital components are joined by a shaft coupling. Not even the most efficient motor can turn the most reliable pump without a shaft coupling.
However, often the cheapest component in this vital driveline is also the least considered. Spider and jaw couplings are the predominant coupling used in smaller pumps in Australia. Cone ring and tyre couplings are still used on larger pumps. Why is reliability sacrificed over price? Especially when the coupling is, relatively, the least expensive part of the whole pump set.
But, what would happen if we changed our thinking? Supplying the same old technology over and over again isn’t viable when the uses are so varied. Not all pump sets are created equal, not all applications are the same and not all end users treat the same pumps in the same way.
A unique approach
Drive Systems is a specialist coupling supplier that selects the best possible coupling for each and every unique pump application. If you believe reliability and efficiency are more important than the cost of one of the cheapest components in your pump set, talk to Drive Systems and have the team select a coupling built for the job, not just the cheapest one on the shelf.
Whether it’s a disc coupling for an oil refinery, gear coupling on a slurry pump, a rubber in compression coupling for a diesel fire pump, or an elastomeric coupling when the application suits. The team at drive systems looks at each and every application on its merits and only supplies the best coupling for that project, and, in the long term, most cost effective solution for your design. From that first drawing right through to installation, Drive Systems is your coupling partner, not just a supplier of parts.
This sponsored editorial is brought to you by Drive Systems. For more information, visit www.drivesystems.com.au
