One of Sulzer’s key clients from the Midlands operates a small sewage treatment works (STW) for a population of 5000 people, with an inlet works pumping station.
It had 2 originally fitted dry well submersible pumps. Their hydraulic ends had heavily worn overtime, and the customer was facing a 16-week delivery on the new replacement or spare parts. The risk of failure was looming…
They sought help from Sulzer. Mitch Davidson – UK Technical Manager was contacted and asked to attend the site. The team measured up for the installation of 2 new XFP pumps and associated pipework modifications, replacing 2 competitor pumps. Sulzer held stock in the UK and ordered the pipework to allow the supply and installation within a 7-day period.
Doing the due diligence
In general, submersible pumps fail from an array of problems. One of the common issues can be overheating, a sudden change in the liquid’s flow or they can suffer from the repeated ragging and subsequent tripping issues or similar, occurring at the end of operating life. At this point, Sulzer’s job is to assess the situation and to develop a solution. Usually, it is a standard project with some pipework adaptation to be done, in order to accommodate new pumps fitted. From the initial call for assistance to a survey followed by a quote, arrival of the pumps to client’s site, installation, testing and signing over the project, it takes, on average, 7-10 days.
Winning the customer with reliability and efficiency
The biggest issue for the client at this stage was the risk of the pumps failing. Had the original assets failed, an overflow and pollution could have resulted in a heavy fine from the Environment Agency. Water quality is a non-negotiable subject, and the responsible decision was made by the customer to replace the pumps proactively. The factor that won this customer over a competitor was the assurance and trust that Sulzer could replace the equipment very quicky. Mitch Davidson received an e-mail with an enquiry, a site visit was arranged for the following day and a quotation provided by the end of the same day. The customer then followed with an order, and a week later 2 XFP’s were installed. The only waiting time was the delivery of the pipework from a supplier.
Sulzer’s Technical Manager comments: “We were delighted to be able to offer a turnkey solution for the failing historic assets and to be the customer’s first port of call. In our industry, this recognition means a lot. The Sulzer team scoped, supplied, and installed the full package within a week. This dramatically reduced the risk for the customer. We are happy to say that our UK stock has the capacity to mitigate future pump failures and reduce risk’’.
Fitting solutions around the clock
Sulzer supports customers with a large stock portfolio. In this case it helped reduce a 16-week lead time to 1 week.
“In fact, some of the jobs have even a quicker turnaround” – says Davidson. “We offer an accelerated service from call to installation when time is of the essence. Pumps ordered on a Friday can be installed on a Saturday or Sunday if there is a threat of failure and pollution”
Sulzer customers benefit from the strategic support centres located in Southeast, West and North of the UK, where the organisation holds a stock of pumps with installation accessories. This network is supported by the Sulzer Global Logistics with daily re-supply from Euro Hub facility to ensure the constant demand is fulfilled.
