Pumps are used to transfer fluids or semi-solids from their source to the required destination, across industries. They function on a continual basis, driven by a motor, as per the requirement. However, at times, it is likely for a pump to malfunction or undergo mechanical failure due to a number of reasons. The damage could be to the pump or motor. In any case, early detection plays a crucial role to save permanent damage to the pump or motor, costs of replacing it with a new one, and hampering production. Most of these issues are related to power consumption. There are tools, such as Techna-Guard, which are designed to guard the machines by checking the power consumption of their motor and offer outputs on load and performance. This post discusses the probable causes of mechanical failures of motors and pumps and Techna-Guard help early mechanical pump failure detection.
A Few Common Causes of Mechanical Failures of Pumps
Pumps may transfer liquids and semi-solids. Some liquids may be viscous and difficult to draw. Naturally, transferring of viscous fluids and semi-solids require mores energy. Based on this the type of pump and motor are decided as they should have the capacity to take the required load. Irrespective of all these factors, pumps and motors may fail. There are a number of reasons why pumps as well as motors can fail to function. Here are some of them:
- Voltage Issues: In case of lack of voltage or constant voltage fluctuation, the motor may fail to function. This is because it will consume increased amount of power and generate excess heat.
- Cavitation: This is one of the important reasons of pump failure. Cavitation occurs, when liquid in the pump gets converted into vapor at low pressure. When this happens, air bubbles are produced. When the liquid flows from the suction of the impeller to its delivery side, these air bubbles implode. This implosion produces a shockwave that affects the impeller, and produces pump vibration as well as mechanical damage.
- Dry Running: This occurs when the pump is operated without sufficient liquid. Dry running may lead to overheating or raised pressure or flow, subsequently leading to pump failure.
In addition to these, many pump failures are attributed to jamming and suction loss. However, these problems can be easily rectified by monitoring the power of the pump. Techna-Guard helps with the same. The next section focuses on the beneficial features of Techna-Guard and how it helps avoid the pump failure.
Use of Techna-Guard to Detect Early Mechanical Failures
For a pump to function properly, the power consumption aspect of the motor is crucial. Tools such as Techna-Guard come with power sensors which can detect changes in terms of load and performance and help mechanical motor failure detection. They help with the early detection of mechanical failures of pumps and motors. Installing them saves on excess costs, time, and productivity as they monitor the motor power and the overall performance. So, how do they exactly help? Here are a few pointers:
- Techna-Guard accurately measures the power instead of the current. Power is directly proportional to the load you apply on the motor. More the load, more the power required. Any change in the load will change the amount of power required. Some motors, at times, may be minimally loaded and have minimal amount of current flowing through them. Power is more sensitive in case of lightly loaded motors, and this is where such tools help.
- Techna-Guard is provided in two models – TechnaGuard CT and TechnaGuard S. Thus, it has a Shunt sensor or a current transformer depending upon the model. This helps sense the load and send the output to the controlling device such as a computer or a smartphone.
- The tool comes with machine safeguarding features such as stopping the machine urgently if required to prevent any accidents and damages. They have built-in relays to alarms, changing feed rates, stopping the machine, and so on.
- The tool offers protection against dry running, jamming, cavitation, and so on. It has alarms for dry running, as well as overload.
- Techna-Guard can be connected through the mains or a variable frequency inverter.
- You can operate it with the help of just four controls on the panel— Up, Down, Mode, and Reset.
- Size of the motor or variable frequency drive (VFD) is not an issue for this tool.
If you think your pumps need to be guarded from mechanical failures, you can consider installing Techna-Guard. Also, if you require any specific information regarding Techna-Guard, you can reach the Techna-Tool team on phone or email.