Preventive maintenance is a key component in maximizing a pump’s lifespan, not to mention cost savings, increased profitability, increased pump availability, improved productivity and decreased repair costs. Thus, it makes sense for pump owners and users to implement a comprehensive service and maintenance program.

To yield maximum profit, equipment must be operated properly. Effective service and maintenance keeps equipment working at peak efficiency; so service and maintenance should not be viewed as a strain on income. Rather, they should be considered a contribution to output. The key to a good service and maintenance program is preventive maintenance. This includes adjusting and tuning up equipment and detecting and correcting small problems before they become major problems.

Scheduled preventive maintenance is typically viewed as oil, fuel and air filter changes every 200 to 250 operating hours, as recommended by the manufacturer. While this is necessary, it also provides an excellent opportunity to perform a general machine audit that includes inspection of all wear components and to make replacements or adjustments as needed.

Good equipment maintenance requires that everyone shares the responsibility. Field operators and mechanics must make sure the equipment is operated properly and that required maintenance intervals are performed. The supervisors must ensure that the proper maintenance schedule and procedures are completed by the mechanics. Finally, the purchasing or parts department must procure necessary parts, in advance, to avoid delays and downtime.

Having a manufacturer’s trained service technician perform these tasks may increase the initial cost of the service when compared to using on-staff personnel. However, a trained technician will do the job correctly and also identify components that are susceptible to failure, which avoids downtime and damage to other parts. This will reduce repair costs throughout the life of the equipment and result in savings much more than the initial cost of a service call.

More Specifically, For Aggregates
During visual inspection of the pump, all areas of material buildup should be noted and removed after the unit is shut down. Look for and remove dust especially around the alternator, radiator and control panel. Especially with aggregates, dust can create waterways and channels affecting electronic and non-electronic components. An air hose is the most effective tool to remove the dust buildup.

Often with the aggregates market, the substance being pumped has varying pH levels. These high or low pH levels can cause extra wear on the pump. Thus, some pump manufacturers offer pumps with special materials such as bronze or stainless steel or with special coatings to prevent added wear, depending on the application. Hardened impellers, wear plates and volute rings can also be helpful to lengthen the life of the pump.

For pit dewatering, always be sure to use a strainer. This keeps unwanted foreign materials out of the pump. Some of the most common pumps used in pit dewatering are high head, high-pressure pumps (such as the Thompson Pump JSC series). Hydraulic submersible pumps also provide pumping power for common aggregate applications.

Please dispose of used oil in a manner that is compatible with the environment. We suggest you take used oil in a sealed container to your local recycling center or service station for reclamation. Do not throw it in the trash; pour it on the ground, or down a drain as oil can be harmful to the environment.

Items to Monitor
To perform general maintenance properly, it is important to pay close attention to the pump while it is running. The following are items to monitor: heat, pressure, vibration, noise, flow, speed, strain, liquid level, power consumption, product contamination, leakage and emissions.

Serious items to watch for — cavitation and water hammer — occur frequently in the aggregates market. To prevent cavitation, run the pump at the proper speed or provide a larger suction hose to handle the fluid. Water hammer, which is a spike in discharge pressure and often the cause of blown seals, can be prevented by starting the pump and slowly throttling up to recommended max speed. Multiple check valves in the discharge line can also provide relief to water hammer.

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Kirsten Petersen Stroud is the marketing manager for Thompson Pump. For more information, visit www.thompsonpump.com.

Mining inspectors will conduct a blitz of pits and quarries across Ontario in July. The increased enforcement is part of the province's Safe At Work Ontario strategy, launched in June 2008.

The inspectors will focus on hazards involving the crushing and screening of rock and ore and the conveying of these materials from one location to another inside pits and quarries. These hazards can endanger the health and safety of surface mine workers.

Aggregate material — made up of stone, sand and gravel — is mined at thousands of pits and quarries in Ontario. This material is used to build roads and in nearly all residential, commercial and industrial construction.

Since 2000, eight workers have died in pits and quarries in Ontario. Two of them were in incidents involving rock crushing, screening and conveying processes.

During the same period, 60 workers were seriously injured in pits and quarries. Four workers were in incidents involving rock crushing, screening and conveying process.

The biggest hazards at pits and quarries involve equipment such as belt conveyors, rock crushers and vibrating screens used in crushing, screening and conveying processes. Hazards can include:

• Lack of adequate guarding and conveyor shutdown devices
• Lack of adequate lock and tag procedures
• Poorly maintained equipment
• Lack of fall arrest equipment
• Exposure to live electrical equipment
• Inadequate ladders, platforms and walkways
• Exposure to dust, and
• Exposure to noise.

Inspectors will take enforcement action, as appropriate, for any contraventions found under the Occupational Health and Safety Act and its regulations.

Mining inspectors will focus on the following key priorities:

• Guarding: Inspectors will check for the presence, adequacy, and use of guarding devices to protect workers from rotating parts or other equipment. Guarding must conform to the requirements of the Regulation for Mines and Mining Plants (Reg. 854).

• Written Lockout Procedures: Inspectors will check if crushing, screening and conveying equipment is being properly maintained and whether there are written lockout procedures.

• Dust Control: Inspectors will check if measures to control dust from crushing, screening, stacking, conveying and transporting activities are adequate. In some cases, hygienists will accompany inspectors to sites.

• Hearing Protection: Inspectors will check if hearing protection devices (HPD) are available and used at worksites to control excess exposure to noise from crushing, screening and conveying activities.
ontario.ca/labour