Getting the right pump advice for sanitizing a food industry processing plant

One of Canada’s leading manufacturers of primary and further processed protein products, required advice on maintenance for its existing set of pumps.

It reached out to Wajax for maintenance on their Roto-Jet pumps, a high-pressure, single-stage centrifugal pump with advanced pitot tube technology, often touted as a “backward pump” due to its unique rotating case design. It is extremely efficient for tough applications across a range of industries, Wajax says, making it a top choice for numerous high-pressure liquid applications.

The Edmonton-based facility was experiencing a catastrophic failure of one of two pumps they had been using for the past several years. The Roto-Jet pumps are imperative for sanitization of the processing plant. With the high-pressure pump out of service, the company was at a risk by not having a back-up unit. If the other pump, which was also due for maintenance, were to fail, the entire facility would be required to shut down.

THE NEED

Wajax representatives were quickly on-site to further investigate and gather essential information prior to making any recommendations. Technicians suggested process piping improvements to their facility, to prevent unnecessary damage to the pumps. A redesigned system to modern recommended standards was required for enhanced equipment reliability and to ensure safe operations. With this knowledge, the company’s maintenance manager opted to correct the piping issue by replacing and rerouting the entire system. While this was a larger endeavor, it ensured that the newly installed pump would have the correct mechanism for optimal performance.

THE SOLUTION

The old Roto-Jet pump was assessed and deemed beyond economical repair, therefore Wajax recommended that it was in the customer’s best interest to invest in a new pump. The team began to assemble the engineered Roto-Jet pump package with the goal of delivering it when the piping system was reinstalled.

The new Roto-Jet pump installation.

According to Jared Schmidt, service supervisor at Wajax, “being the exclusive distributor for Roto-Jet and having our facility certified, not only means we are well trained technically, but that we also have the manufacturer support for this product line.

“We are very confident in our knowledge and ability to provide our customers the correct solution to maintaining best practices when it comes to industrial pumps.”

The Wajax team remained available for questions and advice during the planning and installation of the pump, piping changes and tank installation. An afterhours call helped to get the pump running before the end of a shift, ensuring the sanitation team could use the pump for cleaning, minimizing downtime.

THE IMPACT

The company’s maintenance supervisor said, “Wajax ensured that we were selecting the appropriate equipment and installing it correctly.

“They were patient and took the time to explain our options and recommended solution, and they treated us like friends which had led to a great working relationship. I was pleased with the level of service and knowledge and the pricing equally impressive.”

Personal communication and site visits were an integral part of building a positive customer experience. Ensuring the customer had the right equipment and installation at the right time contributed to the successful execution of the project.

This article was contributed by Wajax.