A MAINTENANCE MANAGER’S GUIDE TO

CREATING A PUMP
RELIABILITY STRATEGY

IN THIS BOOK
Looking for better pump reliability but not sure how to get there?

Check out this book for ideas on how to get started with a pump reliability strategy that
helps maintenance teams get ahead of unplanned maintenance.
 METERINGGUIDE
A MAINTENANCE MANAGER’S WITH GEAR PUMPS
TO PUMP RELIABILITY STRATEGY

About the Authors

RICK OGLE
Rick Ogle is a Fluid Sales Engineer at Crane Engineering with a long history of pump
reliability experience. He helps customers across Wisconsin improve pump reliability in a
variety of industries including pulp & paper, food, beverage, and general industry.

JOHN GEIGER
John Geiger is Crane Engineering’s Service Center Manager. Previously, John was a
maintenance manager at a predominant food condiment manufacturer.

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 A MAINTENANCE MANAGER’S GUIDE TO PUMP RELIABILITY STRATEGY

UNPLANNED MAINTENANCE IS DRAINING BUDGETS

(AND MAINTENANCE TEAMS)
Unplanned maintenance accounts for approximately 60% of maintenance department
budgets. It’s no wonder maintenance managers are searching for ways to increase pump
reliability.

Maintenance managers face two challenges when devising a reliability strategy: the time to
actually sit down and write the plan, and the opposition when requesting funds to execute
it. Thus, maintenance teams are trapped in the reactive maintenance cycle. Though they
desire a predictive and preventive maintenance strategy focused on reliability, they spend
too much time in fire fight mode. They continue to do all they can to keep heads above
water as they drown in work orders, struggling to keep production lines operating. It’s a
tough cycle to break, but it can be done.

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 METERINGGUIDE
A MAINTENANCE MANAGER’S WITH GEAR PUMPS
TO PUMP RELIABILITY STRATEGY

Over Crane’s 80 years in business, we’ve serviced thousands of pumps at hundreds of

companies across Wisconsin. We’ve seen reliability programs that work, and we’ve helped
those whose programs failed. We’ve cracked the pump reliability code, and we’ve broken it
down into 5 steps.

1. ASSESS CURRENT SITUATION

To get to the destination, we need to understand where we’ve been, and where we are
today. Establishing baseline metrics helps determine where to make improvements.

Choosing Metrics
Not everything measurable is important to improving reliability. Stay focused on metrics
that will make an impact on reliability.

Also, not every metric is something a maintenance team has the authority to change.
For example, though the ultimate goal is growing production by increasing uptime, units
produced is not a good metric for maintenance. Too many outside factors will affect this
metric. Instead, choose a metric such as machine availability. The maintenance team has
significant impact on this metric and can take ownership of it.

To measure a reliability program, select a group of metrics that:

• Are important
• Hold potential for improvement
• YOU or YOUR TEAM have the ability and authority to affect the result
Here are some ideas for metrics to start with:

• What percentage of the maintenance budget is spent on unplanned maintenance?

• How many times was the maintenance team’s workflow interrupted because of an
unplanned breakdown? (Unplanned Incident)
• What is the percentage of total available hours spent working on unplanned tasks?
• How many hours was each machine available to work this week?

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 A MAINTENANCE MANAGER’S GUIDE TO PUMP RELIABILITY STRATEGY

2. DETERMINE GOALS
Metrics are no good without goals to measure them against. Set a goal for this year, but also
set a goal for 5 years out. Share this plan with the team! Metrics and goals should not live
in a notebook or spreadsheet on a computer. Share them with those who matter most, the
team. When the vision for improvement is shared, they will do what’s necessary to achieve
goals in front of them. They may even bring ideas to improve the strategy. Post the goals in
a space where the entire team can see them, make them part of weekly meetings.

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 METERINGGUIDE
A MAINTENANCE MANAGER’S WITH GEAR PUMPS
TO PUMP RELIABILITY STRATEGY

Creating Great Team Goals

Remember to follow SMART rules when setting goals. Goals should be:

Specific
What’s the end game? The more specific you are, the higher chance you’ll get the results
you were expecting. Specificity is the difference between “I want to increase reliability”,
and “I want to reduce my time between failures by 50% over the next 12 months by using a
combination of vibration analysis, laser alignment, and preventive maintenance tactics.”

Measurable
This goes back to the metrics piece discussed in point 1. SMART goals need concrete
evidence that progress is being made. “Less stress on the team” is tough to measure
and subjective. “Reduce the number of stress inducing emergencies by 50% through a
comprehensive PM/PdM strategy” is better.

Achievable
This one is important. Is this goal achievable? Is it unrealistic? Are the funds/people
resources available to pull this off? After spending time and money to achieve this goal, will
there be profit to show for it? It’s great to have lofty goals, but if a goal looks too unrealistic,
the team will feel defeated before they’ve even started. Consider implementing a “stretch
goal” on top of the existing goal in case the team meets or exceeds the goal.

Relevant
Is the goal relevant to the team? Do other teams have a large effect on the outcome of this
goal? If so, you may want to be more specific, or change it completely.

Timebound
Deadlines are what make things happen. Open time frames do not drive a sense of urgency.
Set an achievable time frame for the team to work towards.

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 A MAINTENANCE MANAGER’S GUIDE TO PUMP RELIABILITY STRATEGY

3. PERFORM A PUMP AUDIT

Does documentation for the entire pump population exist? Have serial numbers, accurate
maintenance records and O&M manuals? If not, take some time to walk around with a team
member (or delegate!) to get this information on every pump:

• Equipment Tag # • Size

• Pump location • Impeller diameter
• Application • Mechanical Seal Info
• Manufacturer • Motor HP
• Serial number • Motor RPM
• Model • Motor frame size
This information will help vendors and the team put together an inclusive maintenance plan.
Using this list, vendors may make suggestions to consolidate spare parts.

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 METERINGGUIDE
A MAINTENANCE MANAGER’S WITH GEAR PUMPS
TO PUMP RELIABILITY STRATEGY

Add a column to rank the importance of the

pump to the process. Not every pump is as
important as others, so not every pump will
receive the same reliability plan. It wouldn’t
make sense to spend time and money on
vibration analysis for a pump in a non-
essential application. Categorize each pump
into one of the following categories:
FREE DOWNLOAD!
Get started with a pump audit
by downloading our Pump Audit
spreadsheet!
It includes everything you’ll need to
document a pump population.
Download at:

• Critical – This category means if this https://tinyurl.com/cranepumpaudit

pump goes down:
ƑƑ It is CATASTROPHIC for your facility or process
ƑƑ The effects could be dangerous or even deadly
ƑƑ A violation of governmental regulations could result
ƑƑ There is no backup
• Essential – If this pump goes down:
ƑƑ Production may cease on this line
ƑƑ Parts for this pump may be unavailable or have a long lead time
• Non-Essential
ƑƑ A backup pump exists
ƑƑ The pump is operating in a non-essential application
• Other

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 A MAINTENANCE MANAGER’S GUIDE TO PUMP RELIABILITY STRATEGY

4. DEVISE A PLAN FOR EACH EQUIPMENT CATEGORY

A solid reliability plan will include varying degrees of the following tactics:

Regular PMs
Regularly maintaining pumps will extend the life of your
pump. When a pump is properly maintained, the parts that
need replacing are usually the less expensive wear parts.

A pump PM usually includes checking off the following

points:

• Bearing/lubricant condition – check the bearing

temperature, lubricant level, and vibration
• Shaft seal condition – mechanical seals to show no
sign of leakage, packing to leak at the rate of 40-60 drops/min
• Overall vibration – visual, sound, touch analysis
• Discharge pressure – check to ensure gauges are reading at acceptable levels

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 METERINGGUIDE
A MAINTENANCE MANAGER’S WITH GEAR PUMPS
TO PUMP RELIABILITY STRATEGY

On a quarterly basis, check the following items:

• Equipment foundation – check anchor bolts for tightness

• For oil or grease-lubricated equipment, change the oil or re-grease every three
months or 2,000 operating hours, whichever comes first
• Check shaft alignment – believe it or not, shaft alignment can change! Thermal
growth and machine movement due to load shifts can cause pumps to move out of
alignment. (Read more about this on our blog: blog.craneengineering.net/how-do-
laser-aligned-pumps-become-misaligned-during-operation)
• Re-grease the motor bearings according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
This is a general checklist. Reference the O&M manual for items specific to each machine.

Laser Alignments
Up to 50% of damage to rotating machinery is directly
related to misalignment. That’s huge. Machine vibration,
bearing damage, premature seal wear, and coupling
damage are all examples of issues pumps experience
when misaligned. There are 3 common methods of pump
alignment, straight edge, reverse dial indicator, and
laser align. For the most accurate alignment, we always
recommend laser alignment. It’s the most accurate
method available (to .0001), and once familiar, an operator
can align a pump/motor very quickly. It is the most expensive method to get into if doing
alignments in-house, and can be difficult to learn at first. But when looking for long-term
results, the laser align method is far and away the better choice.

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 A MAINTENANCE MANAGER’S GUIDE TO PUMP RELIABILITY STRATEGY

Precision Rebuilds
Precision rebuild or precision maintenance is the practice
of rebuilding a pump to the highest standards, or as
close to OEM specifications as possible. Many details are
addressed in this type of rebuild. Ignoring one can have a
drastic impact on the life of the pump. Precision rebuilds
are proven to reduce failures and should be a central piece
of a pump reliability strategy. If the team does not have
the capacity, tools, or expertise to rebuild pumps to OEM
standards, look for a local shop that does.

Installation & Start-Up

Following proper pump installation procedures is the
first step in ensuring the most energy and cost efficient
operation possible.

For best reliability from the start, follow these rules at

install and start-up:

• Add taps with isolating ball valves into piping on

the suction and discharge sides of the pump. Use
these to mount pressure indicators to ensure pump
is performing properly.
• Never use force to connect a pump to a pipe. This causes pipe strain and a myriad of
issues that come with it.
• Laser align before start up.
• Proper lubrication – new pumps arrive without lubricant inside. Make sure pumps
have the proper amount of the correct lubricant before turning on.
• Check the pump manual. The procedures therein give the best possible instruction for
long and trouble-free life for the pump. Read it and follow each step in the procedure.
• Upon start-up, record the pump performance baseline data – amps, suction

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 METERINGGUIDE
A MAINTENANCE MANAGER’S WITH GEAR PUMPS
TO PUMP RELIABILITY STRATEGY

pressure, discharge pressure. This is handy when troubleshooting issues, should they
arise.

Vibration Monitoring
Vibration monitoring is a very helpful tool for predicting
pump failures. Some manufacturing facilities have
a vibration technician on staff to take readings on
critical pumps. These technicians may read the results
themselves or send them to a firm that can interpret the
readings and provide a report.

Unfortunately, this is not a skill easily attained by a

maintenance team. It requires expensive equipment
and a great deal of training to be an effective vibration
technician. Unless the facility has a large population of critical equipment, this is a service
best hired out.

There’s an alternative available, condition monitoring technology. Technology like ITT’s

ProSmart or i-Alert2 can take readings on equipment 24/7 and alert the team to problems.
Reading results still requires a professional eye, but this technology can at least give you a
heads up that a problem exists.

Training
Arguably the most important piece of a reliability plan...
The TRAINING! We’re not talking about training for only
the team, we’re talking about training for everyone who
is in contact with pumps, operators especially! Reliability
can be everyone’s responsibility. To borrow a phrase from
a customer we interviewed, “EVANGELIZE RELIABILITY!”
The maintenance team is the keeper and protector of
equipment in the facility. Train operators on the signs of
failure so they can report it quickly. Show them how to

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 A MAINTENANCE MANAGER’S GUIDE TO PUMP RELIABILITY STRATEGY

properly start-up or shut down a pump and how their actions will affect other parts of the
system. The buck may stop with the maintenance team, but it doesn’t mean others can’t
play a role in the company’s success in this area.

Hire outside help when needed

If all these steps were do-able by a maintenance team
alone, everyone’s reliability goals would be already met.
Some of the steps we’ve laid out require specialized
training, tools, or specialized training on tools to make
them effective. It’s likely the team doesn’t possess all
these, and how could they? They’re expected to know
how to fix every machine from raw material handling to
packaging. Hire outside help where it makes sense.

5. SHARE RESULTS WITH LEADERSHIP

Want to get more funding to keep making improvements? Report results to the leadership
team. Translate the findings to dollars and show how driving down unplanned maintenance
helped increase production time. Team up with a production supervisor to see how uptime
has affected their outputs. Presenting metrics together gives leadership a complete picture
of the program’s affect on the company. Showing how an investment in the maintenance
department can produce bottom line results may encourage leadership to increase funding
to continue improving the program.

CONCLUSION
You CAN reduce costs and stress on the maintenance team by getting pump reliability under
control. Evaluate the current situation to see where to make improvements, set goals to
share with your team and the organization and devise a plan for each piece of equipment
to reach those goals. Raise awareness (EVANGELIZE RELIABILITY!) within the organization
about the importance of your program, and don’t be afraid to reach out to vendors who are
experts in the industry for extra help. Leaning on them when time is short will keep you on
the path towards your goal.

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 GOAL PLANNING WORKSHEET
MAINTENANCE BUDGET
Current maintenance budget:

Estimated budget spent on

unplanned maintenance:

Unplanned maintenance reduction goal:

ACTION STEPS TO REACH THIS GOAL

1.

2.

3.

METRICS RESOURCES NEEDED

TARGET DATE

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 GENERIC ROUTINE PM CHECKLIST
(Not all elements of this list will apply to every piece of equipment.)

Machine name/number:
Date:
Inspected by:

Routine preventative and protective maintenance practices should, at a minimum,

include the monitoring of:

Bearing and Lubricant Condition – bearing temperature, lubricant level, and

o vibration check
Shaft Seal Condition – mechanical seals should show NO signs of leakage and
o any packing should leak at the rate of about 40 to 60 drops per minute

o Overall Vibration – visual, sound, and touch analysis

o Discharge Pressure – check to ensure gauges are reading at acceptable levels

Quarterly

o Check the equipment’s foundation and hold-down bolts for tightness

For oil or grease-lubricated equipment change the oil or re-grease every three
o months or 2,000 operating hours, whichever comes first

o Check shaft alignment

o Re-grease the motor bearings according to the manufacturer’s instructions

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RESOURCE LIBRARY
www.craneengineering.net/resources
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