1098 XXXI International Mineral Processing Congress 2024 Proceedings/Washington, DC/Sep 29–Oct 3
PUMPS CONDITION MONITORING
SERVICE
Recognizing the current market maturity for digital service
in the mining industry being in its infancy, and customer
requirements for asset health reliability remain a top prior-
ity, we focused on building a strong foundation before scal-
ing up. Our vision, as illustrated in Figure 4, is to transform
the business model from a product-centric approach—as we
have today—to a performance-based delivering pumping
through Pump as a Service (PaaS). This brings us closer to
customers who seek the service (pumping) rather than the
pump or its spare parts. Historically, OEMs have not fully
ventured into operational data collection that distinctly
identifies normal behaviours and potential faults. Various
factors, like different mindsets, different business models,
inadequate technology and ownership or risk uncertainties
contributed to this deficiency.
The journey towards PaaS begins with basic condition
monitoring. Condition monitoring is the heart of predic-
tive maintenance by detecting potential issues before the
equipment failure happens. This is a considerable step
forward—a transition from reactive and preventive main-
tenance commonly employed today. While reactive and
preventive maintenance may be suitable for some assets,
properly identifying the optimal reliability strategy mini-
mizes overconsumption of resources (e.g cost, spare parts,
labour etc.) and unplanned downtime, ultimately delivering
maximum operational efficiency and reducing downtime.
For the condition monitoring of rotating equip-
ment, vibration and temperature analyses remain effective
and widely used techniques. According to Truempi and
Yarmoluk (2020), 67% of rotating equipment failures stem
from lubrication or bearing issues, often triggered by shaft
vibration. Similarly, seal failures top the list for pumps they
are often caused by shaft deflection or vibration. Common
causes include
• Design—over/undersized pump (running away from
best efficiency point), process variations, and variable
speed drives.
• Installation issues—pipe strain, misalignment, reso-
nance, thermal growth and poor foundations
• Operational problems—deadheading, starving,
incorrect header operation, plugged strainers/filters,
overpressure, and debris in the line.
• Lubrication—washout, contamination, and the lack
of proper lubrication
• Wear challenges—bearing, impeller, and case
clearances.
Moreover, the latest wireless sensors have been game
changers for data collection. Unlike traditional condition
monitoring that relies on labour-intensive manual data col-
lection, which could take weeks, the new wireless sensors
can allow data streams to flow in minutes. This reduced
data collection frequency allows experts to focus on assets
that truly need attention. Hence, instead of reinventing the
wheel, we believe collaborative industry efforts are crucial
and we partner with technology suppliers like Dynamox
for vibration and temperature monitoring. An example
of installation is highlighted in Figure 5A. The system
Figure 4. Product vs Performance focused business model
PUMPS CONDITION MONITORING
SERVICE
Recognizing the current market maturity for digital service
in the mining industry being in its infancy, and customer
requirements for asset health reliability remain a top prior-
ity, we focused on building a strong foundation before scal-
ing up. Our vision, as illustrated in Figure 4, is to transform
the business model from a product-centric approach—as we
have today—to a performance-based delivering pumping
through Pump as a Service (PaaS). This brings us closer to
customers who seek the service (pumping) rather than the
pump or its spare parts. Historically, OEMs have not fully
ventured into operational data collection that distinctly
identifies normal behaviours and potential faults. Various
factors, like different mindsets, different business models,
inadequate technology and ownership or risk uncertainties
contributed to this deficiency.
The journey towards PaaS begins with basic condition
monitoring. Condition monitoring is the heart of predic-
tive maintenance by detecting potential issues before the
equipment failure happens. This is a considerable step
forward—a transition from reactive and preventive main-
tenance commonly employed today. While reactive and
preventive maintenance may be suitable for some assets,
properly identifying the optimal reliability strategy mini-
mizes overconsumption of resources (e.g cost, spare parts,
labour etc.) and unplanned downtime, ultimately delivering
maximum operational efficiency and reducing downtime.
For the condition monitoring of rotating equip-
ment, vibration and temperature analyses remain effective
and widely used techniques. According to Truempi and
Yarmoluk (2020), 67% of rotating equipment failures stem
from lubrication or bearing issues, often triggered by shaft
vibration. Similarly, seal failures top the list for pumps they
are often caused by shaft deflection or vibration. Common
causes include
• Design—over/undersized pump (running away from
best efficiency point), process variations, and variable
speed drives.
• Installation issues—pipe strain, misalignment, reso-
nance, thermal growth and poor foundations
• Operational problems—deadheading, starving,
incorrect header operation, plugged strainers/filters,
overpressure, and debris in the line.
• Lubrication—washout, contamination, and the lack
of proper lubrication
• Wear challenges—bearing, impeller, and case
clearances.
Moreover, the latest wireless sensors have been game
changers for data collection. Unlike traditional condition
monitoring that relies on labour-intensive manual data col-
lection, which could take weeks, the new wireless sensors
can allow data streams to flow in minutes. This reduced
data collection frequency allows experts to focus on assets
that truly need attention. Hence, instead of reinventing the
wheel, we believe collaborative industry efforts are crucial
and we partner with technology suppliers like Dynamox
for vibration and temperature monitoring. An example
of installation is highlighted in Figure 5A. The system
Figure 4. Product vs Performance focused business model