Amarinth completes state-of-the-art pump testing facility

Amarinth has completed its new test facility providing additional capacity to handle its ever increasing order book.

With a full order book and no signs of any slowdown, last year Amarinth started a major investment in a new test facility to enable the company to meet anticipated demand and needs of customers over the coming years. A new building at the Rendlesham site now houses this new state-of-the-art test facility providing a significant increase in throughput through the innovative use of technology. This not only enables the company to lead the industry on delivery times, but also provides an environment that exceeds all health and safety standards and ensures pumps are not damaged during the test procedures.

The new facility has a comprehensive test rig with multiple connections to the main test tank which can cope with flows of up to 1650m3/hr. The multiple connections allow pumps to be prepared for test or disassembled after tests whilst another pump is undergoing testing, saving hours of idle test time and increasing throughput significantly.

The test process is fully automated, with electronic valve actuators enabling the whole rig to be controlled via a single push button at the master test desk. All test telemetry is captured electronically using state-of-the-art digital test instrumentation and delivered to the testing desk, again improving efficiencies.

Large vertical pumps provide a real challenge for most manufactures to test. In the new facility Amarinth has constructed two 5 metre deep sumps allowing for full length testing of vertical sump pumps up to 7 metres. Again, one pump can be prepared whilst the other pump is operating and being tested. An innovative hydraulic system has also been designed which quickly and effortlessly lowers the pumps into position at the push of a button, eradicating the need to use multiple cranes and ensuring the job can be completed in complete safety by just one operator.

Building on its web-enabled order processing and documentation systems, Amarinth has also embraced the internet for pump testing. Using web video cameras on the test rigs, witness testing can now be carried out without the inspector or the customer travelling to the factory. Video witnessing of pump testing is now being allowed under the latest issue of the API 610 standard (ISO13709).

Amarinth used video witness testing to good effect on a recent contract from Larsen & Toubro for low shear API 610 OH2 A-series centrifugal pumps destined for an existing Produced Water Treatment Plant on a platform in the Mumbai High North field in the Arabian Sea, operated by Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC). When it came to testing the pumps, delays waiting for visas to be granted was impacting the critical path and threatening delivery. Using the web video camera the test process was witnessed over the internet in the presence of Larsen & Toubro’s designated inspector from Bureau Veritas Inspection agency. This proved very successful and enabled the pumps to be tested on-time. Additionally, a significant cost saving was made by removing the need for someone to come over from India.

Oliver Brigginshaw, Managing Director of Amarinth commented: “Our new state-of-the-art test facility reflects our drive to retain our position as the leading company in the industry to deliver bespoke API 610 pumps on short leadtimes whilst continuing with our significant growth. We can now test all of the units going through the factory without having to extend any of our delivery times, ensuring that we can undertake an increased number of prestigious contracts, particularly those with tight deadlines. We have seen our order book continue to grow over the past year, despite the difficult economic conditions, and this significant investment reflects our confidence in the expected growth of Amarinth in the years to come.”