When the pump standard became too diverse: How one pharma customer standardized its diaphragm pumps
In pharmaceutical production, every part of the process must work reliably, all the way from raw material to pump. Reliability, hygiene and traceability are essential to keep production running without interruption. It's something many maintenance managers, process engineers and technical managers in pharma recognize.
At a pharma customer, the customer installed pumps in several stages over time. New applications were added, and as they did, the customer also brought different pump types into the plant. Eventually, the pump fleet consisted of several models and configurations. It worked, but it made both maintenance and spare parts management more extensive than it really needed to be.
To get a better structure in the plant, the customer therefore began to look at the possibility of standardizing their pumps and contacted us at Colly Flowtech.
The challenge: multiple pump brands made maintenance more complex
In production, the customer used diaphragm pumps in several different parts of the process and in different types of applications. Over the years, the customer installed new pumps as production changed. The result was a plant with several different pump brands.
This made everyday life more complex than necessary, both in terms of servicing, spare parts and the overview of the pumps in operation.
The customer therefore set a goal: to standardize the diaphragm pumps in production and create a more uniform pump park in the plant.
It would make it possible to:
- simplify preventive maintenance
- reduce the stock of spare parts
- get a better overview of the pumps in operation
- reduce the risk of misassembly during servicing
At the same time, the requirements were high. Since production takes place in pharmaceutical manufacturing, the pumps had to meet strict requirements for hygiene, material selection and operational safety.
In addition, the customer used the pumps in several different applications where different media passed through the system and where the operating conditions differed. This made it more difficult to find a solution that worked across the entire plant.
Ronnie Häggström, pump salesman at Colly Flowtech and responsible for the project at the customer, describes the initial situation:
“The customer had several different pump brands in operation, which made both maintenance and spare parts management more extensive than it needed to be. It also made the overview of the pumps in the plant more difficult, creating unnecessary complexity in both maintenance and spare parts management.”
A solution based on flexibility and standardization
At Colly Flowtech, we entered the dialog early when the customer started to review its pump range.
Together, we went through the different applications in the plant and took a closer look at how the pumps were actually used in the process. After the analysis, we ended up with a solution based on our air-operated diaphragm pumps for pharmaceutical production in P18SBT- and P38SBT series.
An important factor was that the pumps could be configured with several different material choices. This meant that the same pump size could be used on several of the customer's applications, despite different media being handled in the process.
In this way, the pump configuration could be standardized in the plant.
By using the same configuration in several pumps, the customer could:
- reduce the number of spare parts in stock
- simplified service and maintenance
- reduced the risk of incorrect parts being fitted during servicing
In addition, since the diaphragm pumps are developed and manufactured in our technical center in Jönköping, the work could be kept in-house, making it easier to quickly provide technical support when needed.
A clearer pumping environment
Once the solution was in place, the customer had a more uniform pump fleet and a better overview of the equipment in the plant.
Standardization has led to:
- fewer pump models in operation
- simpler preventive maintenance
- a small stock of spare parts
- reduced risk of errors during servicing
The solution also makes it easier to work with redundancy in the system. If one pump needs to be taken out of service, another can quickly take over, minimizing production downtime.
For the customer, this means more stable operation, better control of the pumps in the plant and more predictable maintenance.
Stable operation through better structure
Standardization has meant that the customer today has a more transparent pump fleet and a more structured approach to maintenance and spare parts.
In facilities where many different applications need to work together, a clear pumping strategy can make a big difference in everyday life. It is not always about more advanced technology, but rather about creating structure in the systems and choosing solutions that work in actual operation.
By combining technical expertise with an understanding of the customer's process, we at Colly Flowtech were able to contribute to a solution that simplifies maintenance, strengthens operational reliability and creates better conditions for production.
Do you want to ensure smooth operations and reduce the risk of production downtime?
Our specialist, Ronnie Häggström, will help you evaluate your pump fleet, standardization, and technical requirements.
Schedule a consultation with RonnieAbout Dominator Pump
Since 1981, Dominator Pump has been a leader in the manufacture of air-operated diaphragm pumps and today holds a strong position in the Swedish market. The company has unique experience and expertise in the field. Manufacturing, warehousing and service are centrally located in Jönköping and offer a complete range of pumps and spare parts for fast deliveries. Since April 2019, Dominator Pump is part of Colly Flowtech.
Through Dominator Pump, Colly Flowtech has its own production of air-operated diaphragm pumps. In addition, we are a distributor for Versamatic and Albin Pump. We have the market's most complete range of diaphragm pumps.
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