Imo High Pressure Screw Pump Replacement and Refurbishment

The Advantages of Regular Maintenance

Maintenance of pumps is often overlooked by engineers and larger equipment within the system is prioritised, however the pump is one of the key components for any installation involving fluid. Whether it is supplying fuel to a burner or cooling a piece of machinery, the complete system and production can grind to a halt if the pump is neglected and left to fail. 

If performed regularly and competently, preventative maintenance can reduce downtime and costs significantly, simply replacing the mechanical seal, gaskets and O-rings at regular intervals can stop further damage as a result of their failure. Regularly, we see pumps that have not been serviced and the complete pump is beyond economical repair due to basic neglect, by not replacing low price components, damage can cascade and lead to costs of thousands of pounds. 

We were approached by the engineer at a power plant that required a replacement for their existing BG12 DBS-137 DeLaval Imo pump, an old pump that was manufactured in the 1980’s. The pump has been responsible for fuel injection for their combustion gas turbine for almost four decades, providing evidence of the robustness, quality, and reliability of Imo screw pumps. 

The Imo BG12 series of triple screw pumps is unique as it can perform high pressures up to 152 bar while handling lube oils, hydraulic oils, and fuels. Typically installed for applications such as crude oil pipeline service, fuel atomisation for burning in steam boilers and fluid power service for hydraulically operated machinery, these pumps must be reliable and also serviced regularly as these are crucial applications where downtime costs can be significant. 

Supply of a New Bareshaft Pump and Inspection and Overhaul of the Original Pump

We supplied a replacement bareshaft pump to this customer but also recommended that they send the existing pump to us for an inspection. For such a vital application, it is always recommended to either have spare parts in stock or a complete backup pump to ensure there is no loss of production in the event the main pump fails. 

We received the original pump and our engineers performed a detailed inspection and produced a report for the customer, our recommendation was for an overhaul to be completed. We refurbished the pump by replacing the screw set (driving screw and idler screws), the mechanical seal, gaskets, O-rings, rotor housing and ball bearings. Our engineers also resprayed the casing and performed hydrostatic testing, the repair was completed at a much lower cost than a new replacement and the plant now has a fully assembled standby pump that can be installed quickly in the event the main pump fails or is off site for maintenance.