No two service contracts are the same and a low quotation for the repair of a pump should not be the only decisive argument for placing an order. Again and again, the operators of pumps and systems find this a somewhat painful experience. A case in point can be seen in the repair of two liquid ring vacuum pumps in a paper mill.
Liquid ring vacuum pumps used in a paper mill have given reliable service for many years. As a result of the stresses imposed by the production process over the years, the pumps eventually suffered wear and material attrition. The operator therefore decided to take them out of service so that they could be repaired. For cost reasons, however, this work would not be carried out by the manufacturer, Gardner Denver Nash, but by a local service workshop.
Upon the completion of the repairs, however, both machines showed extremely poor performance. After a number of futile attempts to improve their performance, the machines were again taken out of service and this time sent to the Nash Service Center, where they were tested on a test stand. Here, the first diagnosis was reinforced when both machines performed poorly during their test runs. As part of the troubleshooting process, both pumps were next disassembled, revealing the full extent of the problem, namely inexpert repair work using replacement parts which were unsuitable and lacked dimensional accuracy. After they had been expertly repaired in the Nash Service Center, both pumps were returned to service where they performed reliably and in accordance with their normal performance parameters. For the operator of the paper mill, however, the decision to base the repair work on costs alone had a boomerang effect. Higher repair costs were associated with longer stoppage times, while the recovery of payments for the work from the local service workshop entailed further administrative expense.
Liquid ring vacuum pumps are tough machines, based on decades of know-how and experience of the manufacturer. Gardner Denver Nash (a result of the merger of Nash Engineering with Siemens/elmo) has been making liquid ring vacuum pumps and compressors for more than hundred years. The experience acquired over such an extensive period is invaluable, not only in the development of new machines but also, and quite particularly, in the maintenance and repair of pumps. The manufacturer’s unique know-how in terms of functions, dimensions and materials provides the basis for professional services, available worldwide, which in turn supports customers in keeping their vacuum pumps and compressors operating throughout decades of service.
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