When a pump fails, utilities have two choices: replace or repair. But what if there is a third option – reviving old assets to perform better than ever?
Embracing circular economy and waste-reduction principles means making the most out of existing assets. But, while a ‘repair over replace’ mindset helps reduce unnecessary waste and delays the need for a major investment in new equipment – it’s not necessarily always the most cost-effective solution.
The costs of repeated repairs on ageing assets add up, and, over time, these interventions often become more frequent. Older pumping solutions are also usually less efficient, and consume more energy to do the same job.
It seems like a lose-lose situation, but what if the solution isn’t a replacement? What if the right coating system could rewind the wear, rebuild the performance and reset the clock?
From scrapyard to service
The legacy mindset for degraded pumps or fan housings was simple: replace worn metal. However, this incurs costs, delays and repetitive problems.
Rotating equipment rebuilds offer a smarter way forward. A simple polymer-ceramic coating can restore an assets structural integrity, reclaim hydraulic efficiency, and offer greater resistance than the original design. It’s not just about running old assets – it’s about improving them.
These coatings give rotating equipment a second life, and at the forefront is Chesterton’s ARC coating technology, designed to rescue, reinforce, and future-proof pumps and fans in harsh conditions.
Where hydraulics meet high-performance
Let’s start with ARC 858. This coating isn’t just tough – it’s smart tough. Formulated to smooth internal surfaces of pumps and flow equipment, it reduces turbulence, enhances flow and resists erosive wear from suspended solids or cavitation.
Maintenance teams use ARC 858 to resurface volutes, impellers and casings, where micro-erosion affects performance. Chesterton said that operators can see immediate improvements in efficiency, reporting up to seven per cent energy savings and significant extensions in mean time between failure (MTBF) – a crucial metric in environments where community reliability depends on asset performance.
The ARC BX series offers heavy-duty rebuild composites to replace lost metal quickly and permanently. Whether volutes are corroded or fan blades eroded, BX coatings fill, reinforce and restore the geometry for safe operation. Rather than new parts, teams adopt a new mindset: restore and reinforce with a material that firmly bonds and lasts longer than welded overlays or epoxy fillers.
Ready for the worst-case scenario
Pumps handling abrasive slurries or aggressive chemicals often require coatings with high wear resistance. In one mining application, a tailings pump lost more than 12mm of material in six months. A repair using ARC MX1, BX2, and a topcoat of ARC 855 extended the pump’s service life by more than 12 months. Repairs were minimal, the pumps returned to service within 72 hours and the company say annual savings of approximately $13,700 per unit.
ARC coatings replace reactive patchwork with engineered resilience. This isn’t just a repair: it’s a redesign, with reliability in mind.
For more information, connect with an expert at enquiries_apac@chesterton.com
