For optimum mechanical seal MTBFs, execute the following mechanical seal monitoring best practices.
We recommend that the above predictive maintenance (PDM) guidelines be followed for all centrifugal pumps in your facility at the following times:
Failure to monitor centrifugal pump performance and the effect of the process conditions on pump flow rate are the major contributors to centrifugal pump mechanical component failure (seals, bearings, wear rings and impeller).
Most plant condition monitoring programs do not integrate centrifugal pump performance (operating point and produced head) with mechanical condition (vibration and temperature). Neglecting pump performance, in FAI experience, neglects consideration of approximately 80 percent of the potential root causes for mechanical seal failure.
This best practice has been used since the mid-1990s to recommend plant PDM practices for pumps with mechanical seals to optimize plant centrifugal pump safety and mechanical seal reliability (MTBFs above 48 and as high as 80 months).
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