PUMPS, VALVES & ACTUATORS PERFECTING PUMP PERFORMANCE
The root causes of pump under-performance are rarely linked to the pump itself. Armstrong Industrial’s Michael Cline (left), General Manager and Ian Holland (right), Sales Manager EMEA, outline the factors to blame, and what can be done about them
W
hile modern pump technology has offered significant efficiency gains over past decades, most real-world installations still underperform
to some extent, with five persistent factors standing out. “Today’s models deliver markedly higher
efficiencies than their predecessors,” said Cline. “Yet, despite these inherent gains, under- performance remains a costly and ongoing challenge.”
A leading factor is the oversizing of equipment, where pumps are frequently selected with excessive capacity margins – often as a precautionary measure. While seemingly prudent, this practice results in systems operating far from their best efficiency point (BEP), leading to energy waste and increased wear.
“Compounding this is the tendency for multiple stakeholders – including consultants, contractors, and end-users – to each add their own safety margins,” Cline argued. “The cumulative effect is a system that is significantly over-engineered and inherently inefficient.” A third contributor is operating pumps below
their recommended minimum flow rate. In such conditions, internal recirculation, heat build-up, and hydraulic instability can occur, all of which degrade performance and shorten equipment life. “Similarly, selecting pumps to be most efficient at a theoretical design duty – rather than the actual, often variable, operating conditions – can lead to sub-optimal performance once the system is in use,” he said. A fifth factor is the failure to implement optimised staging of pumps in parallel systems, which can lead to unnecessary energy consumption and uneven load distribution. “Any loss of energy efficiency means the energy will be dissipated in another form, such as cavitation, vibration or noise, and ultimately result in higher energy costs and maintenance requirements,” said Cline. “What we consistently see is that decisions made early in the project, particularly around sizing and system design, lock in inefficiencies that are very difficult to recover from later.”
The selection and specification phase is
therefore critical, explained Ian Holland: “One of the most frequent errors is the failure to accurately calculate system pressure drops,” he said. “Without a clear understanding of actual system resistance, pump selection becomes an exercise in approximation, conducted without the necessary professional selection tools.”
Holland pointed out that this can lead to
incorrect decisions regarding the number and configuration of pumps required. Efficiencies can be further exacerbated by the selection of pumps at the end of their performance curve, which leaves little operational flexibility. “Collaboration with experienced pump specialists, using advanced selection tools, is really important at this stage,” he said. “This ensures that systems are designed around real operating conditions, not assumptions – which is a key alignment to achieving sustained efficiency.” Even with correct selection, Cline noted that poor installation and commissioning practices can undermine performance from day one. Misalignment, improper pipework design, inadequate system flushing, and incorrect control settings are all common issues that can compromise efficiency. “If these problems go unnoticed during commissioning, they will manifest later as persistent operational inefficiencies,” he said. He also highlighted the perennial challenge of operational drift, which overtime affects even well- installed systems. This drift occurs due to factors such as changes in system demand or general wear and tear, but it shifts a pump away from its optimal operating point. “Traditionally, maintenance strategies have
been reactive – addressing issues only after failure occurs,” Cline said. “This approach is increasingly being replaced by proactive performance management, using platforms like Armstrong Envelope.”
Digitalisation is playing a central role in
addressing this shift, with advanced platforms now delivering real-time monitoring, data analysis and predictive maintenance. These technologies generate actionable insights into system performance, allowing operators to identify inefficiencies and implement corrective measures before problems escalate. Armstrong’s Envelope platform includes three levels of functionality. Envelope’s digital active performance solutions core and adviser tracks and analyses performance data to identify and predict performance issues and provide actionable insights. Envelope Advisor allows performance auditing at the building and portfolio level to provide analysis and recommended actions, while Envelope Optimiser is an integrated performance management system – providing analytics and insights through a cloud-based user interface. “Pumps are dynamic assets operating within dynamic systems,” observed Holland. “If you’re not actively monitoring performance, you are effectively allowing efficiency to degrade unnoticed. The industry is moving towards continuous optimisation
rather than periodic intervention.” Another strategy to achieve immediate efficiency
improvements for existing installations is to upgrade to high-efficiency pumps equipped with variable speed drives (VSDs). This technology allows pumps to adjust output in line with actual demand, significantly reducing energy consumption. “When applied in parallel with active performance management through digital monitoring platforms, users can continuously optimise their systems,”said Holland. “The systems do this by detecting deviations from expected performance, recommending adjustments, and supporting data-driven decision-making.” “Looking ahead, the integration of digital tools and smarter system design will be essential in avoiding lifecycle inefficiencies,” concluded Holland. Technologies that combine hardware, software and analytics are enabling a more holistic approach to pump management – one that considers not just individual components, but the entire system in which they operate.
Armstrong Industrial
armstrongfluidtechnology.com
APRIL 2026 | PROCESS & CONTROL ENGINEERING 39
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