Page 24 - Practical Machinery Management for Process Plants Major Process Equipment Maintenance and Repair

Installation, Maintenance, and Repair of Horizontal Pumps 9

tion is critical. Be sure to consult the manufacturer's instruction
manual for details.
9. Pump mechanical seals are precision components and therefore re-
quire special handling during transport and installation. When mov-
ing pumps with seals, the pumps should be securely restrained to
prevent excessive vibration and/or damage to the shaft and seal by
dropping or bumping the shaft. When installing or lifting the pump,
do not use the shaft as a leverage or lifting point.
On new installations, if a mechanical seal is to fail, it normally
will do so within the first few hours of operation. The primary
causes can often be traced to improper installation of the seals, or
mishandling of seals during pump installation.

Foundation And Anchor Bolts
The design of equipment foundations and the different characteristics
of concrete and grouts are thoroughly discussed in Volume 3 of this se-
ries, so we will not go into great detail here. However, there are some
general guidelines to follow that will ensure a good installation.

1. Assuming that the forms and steel reinforcing rods are all sized and
placed according to approved drawings, the next most important
step is the placement of the anchor bolts. Prior to the actual con-
crete pour the anchor bolts should be:

a. Accurately set according to the foundation drawings and firmly
secured to prevent shifting during the pouring process.
b. Dimensionally checked (and rechecked) versus the foundation
drawings for proper length, diameter, thread length, etc.
c. Checked for proper projection; Le., checked for correct eleva-
tions as referenced to an established benchmark. It can be very
embarrassing to set a baseplate on a new foundation and find that
the anchor bolts are not long enough to pass through the base-
plate and the hold-down mats.
d. Install metal or plastic anchor bolt sleeves. Remember, sleeves
are not intended to encourage careless positioning of the anchor
bolts. However, they will allow for slight errors in baseplate
hole layouts and small shifting of the anchor bolt during the con-
crete pouring process.
e. Ensure that the exposed threads are protected by coating with
heavy grease or with paste wax. The exposed bolts should be
covered with plastic wrap and the wrap firmly secured with
wire.