Coupling for 1500 H.P. Motor/Boiler Feed Pump

Problem:

The Gear type coupling for one of the main boiler feed pumps driven by a 1500 H.P. / 3600 R.P.M. Motor at a major paper mill upstate N.Y. needed to be serviced at least twice during a one year period.

This meant that the produciton people could not achieve their desired goal of (1) year between schedueled shut downs.

Possible Solutions:

The plant maintenance people tried various other coupling designs such as a grid and a shim pack type and none would last for a full year. The grid type required re-lubrication before the year was over, the disc pack type started failing due to fatigue of the discs.

Frontline Solution:

Frontline was called in and provided a custom spacer type coupling with 14" O.D. hubs and about a 10" spacer. At "start-up" one of the comments of the chief engineer was "I never heard this feed pump starting so quietly".

(8) Eight years later the same coupling is still on the pump. The pins and bushings were replaced once, after about (5) five years of service.

Coupling for I.P.

The Results Were:

  • The customer was able to meet the desired goal of (1) one year between shut downs.
  • Saved a considerable amount of money & man power, especially when considering
    that a new coupling was being installed every (2) two to (3) years.
  • Saved also a considerable amount of money in spare parts.
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