Emergency Pump Restoration: How OTC Revived Damaged API Pumps in Just Two Weeks | OTC Industrial Technologies

Overview

A large Midwest refinery encountered an urgent situation when two API pumps arrived with significant damage and questionable structural integrity. The customer needed to get their pumps back online as soon as possible to avoid costly downtime.

In response, OTC initiated a priority inspection to assess the structural condition, determine the extent of wear, and perform a detailed measurement analysis to provide a solution.

• Customer: Large Midwest Refinery
• Relationship with OTC: 20 years

Challenges

Two API pumps arrived in poor condition, requiring an immediate and thorough inspection to assess structural integrity and measure wear. With the customer needing the pumps back online as soon as possible, OTC faced a tight turnaround challenge.

Each unit demanded PEEK WR-525, a specialized material for the wear rings, which required experienced machining and rapid procurement to prevent extended downtime. Choosing the optimal repair location became another factor in getting the pumps repaired. While the customer typically would have taken the job to a shop in closer proximity, the specialized nature of the repairs demanded a shop with more advanced capabilities.  Finding a shop that had the skills needed to complete the job quickly was crucial to their success.

Solution

1. Prioritized Inspection & Rapid Procurement - OTC immediately performed a comprehensive inspection and purchased all critical components at the customer’s discretion.
2. Centralized Shop Expertise - Although another repair shop was geographically closer, they didn’t have the capabilities required to complete the job. The customer turned to Lee’s Summit, MO shop due to its machine shop capabilities and immediate material availability. The availability of PEEK WR-525 at the Lee’s Summit shop enabled quick machining, minimizing material lead times. A dedicated application engineer  and a flexible cross-trained team ensured continuous and efficient workflow.
3. Specialized Machining & Collaborative Team Effort - Skilled machinists at the Lee’s Summit facility used existing material stock and their experience with WR-525 to quickly produce new wear rings. Dedicated engineering support ensured correct measurements, machining procedures, and logistics, preventing downtime due to missing information or delayed coordination.
4. Implement Daily Reports & Weekend Work - The OTC team provided daily (Monday through Sunday) progress reports to keep the customer informed. Staff worked weekends to maintain the accelerated timeline, demonstrating the location’s capacity to handle emergency jobs rapidly.

Results

The repair effort resulted in both API pumps being completed in just two weeks, despite the need for complex inspection, specialized machining, assembly, and testing. With critical materials readily available and an expert team dedicated to working overtime, the pumps were fully restored and returned to operation, effectively reducing costly downtime for the customer. Daily progress updates ensured consistent communication, and the assignment of a dedicated application engineer provided a single point of contact who could rapidly address any technical or logistical concerns. By leveraging the resources and capabilities of the Lee’s Summit facility, OTC successfully met the tight turnaround goal, leaving the customer satisfied with the quick, high-quality result.

Contact one of our experts today about how OTC can help solve your unique operational challenges.