To support a Midwest steel mill’s descaling pumps Hydro installed the Centaur condition monitoring service on five of their pumps machine trains. Hydro used wireless sensors which continuously collect real-time vibration and surface temperature levels on their pumps, gearboxes, and motors. The goal of this monitoring service is to work directly with the end user to improve rotating equipment maintenance strategies through better, more frequent data collection and Hydro’s subject matter expertise in rotating equipment.

The value of having continuous monitoring was proven during a vibration event that occurred shortly after the installation of a newly refurbished rotor on one of the pumps. After noticing a concerning upward trend in vibration, Centaur’s engineering team suspected that the pump was suffering from structural looseness in the outboard bearing housing.