PC-JUN24-PG08.1_Layout 1 12/06/2024 10:01 Page 8
PUMPS, VALVES & ACTUATORS PUMP SUPPLIERS RISE TO CUSTOMER CHALLENGES
According to Joe Keenan, managing director at RMI Pressure Systems, the design and implementation of high pressure pump solutions provides low cost of ownership, on- schedule delivery and flawless commissioning and maintenance
n a world where technology and sustainability are front-of-mind factors, the pump solutions market is finding innovative ways to respond to opportunities and the market’s rising expectations.
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“In most parts of the world, the economic mood is uncertain, and project champions are less tolerant of delays and budget over- runs,” said Joe Keenan. “Pump solutions partners are expected to sharpen their pencils and offer solid value-adds with their offerings.” Severe supply chain disruption, which began with the Covid-19 pandemic, has continued with the conflict in Russia and Ukraine, and the Red Sea region. In many cases, this is leading original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) to draw non-traditional suppliers into their supply chains. “While this can add to supply chain complexity, it is among a range of strategies to keep production and delivery timelines stable, and to reduce turn-around times,” Keenan explained. “Certainly, in the high- pressure pump segment, customers look to us to help iron out supply chain fluctuations as far as possible.”
He added that the geopolitical instability, has driven OEM manufacturers towards localisation to mitigate the potential of disruption for long lead items.
“Customers are prioritising predictability of
fulfilment as a value driver during the procurement process,” he said, “as delays drive up their costs and impact their project delivery.”
Given the lower margins that have generally resulted from current global economic conditions, pump markets are looking for high levels of system quality to underpin operational performance and reliability. This procurement foundation must ideally stretch into the future, giving users an asset that pays its way through optimal uptime and long-life. Keenan also noted that pump technology
8 JUNE 2024 | PROCESS & CONTROL
and engineering development have resulted in larger pumps with increased outputs – as larger pumps reduce the number of units required to meet customers’ fluid needs. “This reduces the overall maintenance cost and improves the efficiency of the systems,” he said. This links to another key trend: a growing preference for system solutions rather than ‘loose pumps’.
“In recent years, we have tended to receive very few requests for stand-alone pumps,” he said. “Rather, customers prefer to procure a system that delivers a certain pressure and flow for their specific industrial or mining application.”
Indeed, the expectation is increasingly that the OEM’s functional system will be quickly commissioned and regularly maintained by the OEM – at least for the first year or two. Thereafter, there is growing interest in longer term service contracts to ensure that the solution continues to operate optimally. “When you combine the high pressure pump equipment longevity requirement with the growing focus on sustainability, it translates into demand for efficiency in the short term, and minimised waste in the longer term,” said Keenan. “Where mechanical solutions can be refurbished instead of replaced, for instance, this contributes positively to customers’ triple bottom line accounting.”
Quality assets last longer and save on capex, while there is less need to dispose of large equipment components early which are resource-heavy and energy-intensive to manufacture. As an indicator of this quality, customers are looking more closely at the standard and extended warranties that OEMs offer – as they work towards a more sustainable supply chain.
Customers are also paying more attention to the sustainability performance of OEMs themselves. Companies like RMI have installed solar energy facilities on their manufacturing
sites, for instance, and the carbon impact of these initiatives is being well documented so that customers can record and benefit from these carbon reductions in their own supply chain reporting.
Another important factor behind pump system reliability is the global skills landscape. Keenan pointed out that a significant portion of a workplace generation had their retirement hastened by the Covid-19 pandemic, leaving gaps in many companies’ trade skills and in- house maintenance and repair expertise. “This has occurred at a time when digital and other technologies are increasingly being incorporated into high pressure pumping solutions – creating demand for both new and cross-disciplinary skill-sets,” he said. “More of the highly technical aspects of equipment customisation and maintenance are therefore falling to the OEM, allowing the customer the benefit of outsourcing these requirements. “Customers will come to us for the expertise required to optimise their systems after installation, and to work with them to ensure that our solution continues to serve their needs as their own technology evolves,” Keenan explained.
Controls have become central to the sustainability drive in the pump solutions field, whereby variable speed drives control pumps’ energy consumption and prevent the traditional over-pumping that leads to water leaks and wastage. This helps companies save on the costs of power and maintenance while striving to meet environmental goals; there can even be reductions in noise emissions. In closing, Keenan noted that OEMs like RMI also value the opportunity of working with engineering, procurement and construction contractors in forging innovative solutions for end-customers.
RMI Pressure Systems
www.rmipsl.com
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