The failure of a cargo pump onboard a newbuild tanker has highlighted the need for crews to regularly monitor rotating machinery for excessive wear and vibration, if unnecessary downtime and costs are to be prevented.
The German owner took delivery of a 2021-built chemical tanker from a Chinese yard in 2021, but the long shaft driving the cargo pump’s impeller was not correctly installed, destroying the pump beyond repair and delaying cargo loading operations.
CM Technologies’ Sales Director Uwe Krüger cites other examples where ships’ pumps appeared to be in sound condition, but were in fact close to being written off.
“During the physical inspections of three pumps aboard a 58,000dwt containership, initial checks indicated acceptable values for balance and shaft alignment, but a second test using our Vibration Meter Marine immediately alerted the crew to a bearing close to seizure,” he said.
The bearings on all three cargo pumps were found to have the same potentially catastrophic pitting damage, requiring costly overhaul.
“Ships’ fire, freshwater, cargo, sewage and ballast water pumps are critical but often overlooked pieces of machinery,” said Krüger. “Yet, despite the importance of the humble pump to ship operations, rotating machinery is still often only monitored and serviced on fixed maintenance schedules. Pump failure can place the can place ship, cargo and crew at risk.”
CMT recommends that regular vibration analysis should start at system commissioning and continue throughout the operational life of the vessel. “An on-going monitoring strategy is crucial to maintaining the service life of rotating equipment, troubleshooting problems, and preventing failures, and subsequent costs,” he said.
CMT’s Managing Director Matthias Winkler furthered: “A replacement bearing can cost as little as US$20. But finding out you needed one after the motor has burnt out could easily cost thousands of dollars to put right. And Murphy’s Law dictates that this is likely to happen in a Port Said or somewhere while the next available motor can be found in Rotterdam or Singapore, so you can add significant logistics and agent costs on top of that.”
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Source: Seaborne Communication
