PSS Group

We are pleased to showcase another successful upgrade delivered by the PSS Engineering team—a comprehensive redesign of the bearing housing for a BB4 Boiler Feed Pump.

The original housing required cooling water for operation, but suffered from poor internal circulation. Using our 3D scanning and 3D modeling expertise, PSS reverse engineered the part and redesigned the internal cooling flow channels, resulting in significantly improved water distribution and more uniform cooling.

In addition to flow improvements, we also upgraded the material from cast iron to cast steel, providing enhanced mechanical strength and improved resistance to thermal stress and fatigue—critical for demanding boiler feed service.

Key Highlights:
★ 3D Scanning and CAD modeling performed entirely by PSS
★ Cooling water channels redesigned for optimal circulation
★ Material upgraded from cast iron to cast steel
★ Fully redesigned and manufactured within 2 months
★ Casting-ready model developed with foundry and machining in mind

This is a prime example of how PSS leverages engineering, materials, and manufacturing to modernize and improve the performance of legacy rotating equipment.

Details and insights at: https://onepss.com/bb4-boiler-feed-pump-bearing-housing-redesign/
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เรายินดีที่จะแชร์อัปเกรดที่ประสบความสำเร็จอีกหนึ่งโครงการโดยทีมวิศวกรรมของ PSS กับการออกแบบใหม่อย่างครอบคลุมของ Bearing Housing สำหรับ BB4 Boiler Feed Pump

Bearing Housing เดิมจำเป็นต้องใช้น้ำหล่อเย็นในการทำงาน แต่มีปัญหาเรื่องการไหลเวียนภายในที่ไม่ดี ทีม PSS ได้นำความเชี่ยวชาญด้านการสแกน 3 มิติและการสร้างแบบจำลอง 3 มิติมาใช้ในการย้อนรอยชิ้นส่วน (Reverse Engineering) พร้อมออกแบบช่องทางการไหลของน้ำหล่อเย็นภายในใหม่ ส่งผลให้การกระจายน้ำดีขึ้นอย่างชัดเจนและมีความเย็นที่สม่ำเสมอมากยิ่งขึ้น

นอกจากการปรับปรุงเรื่องการไหลเวียน เรายังได้อัปเกรดวัสดุจากเหล็กหล่อธรรมดาเป็นเหล็กหล่อคุณภาพสูง (Cast Steel) ซึ่งให้ความแข็งแรงทางกลที่ดีกว่า และทนต่อความเครียดจากความร้อนและความล้าของวัสดุได้ดีขึ้น เหมาะสำหรับการใช้งานที่หนักหน่วงในระบบป้อนน้ำเข้าหม้อไอน้ำ

ไฮไลต์สำคัญ:
★ การสแกน 3 มิติและออกแบบ CAD โดยทีม PSS ทั้งหมด
★ ออกแบบช่องทางน้ำหล่อเย็นใหม่ให้ไหลเวียนได้อย่างมีประสิทธิภาพ
★ อัปเกรดวัสดุจากเหล็กหล่อเป็นเหล็กหล่อคุณภาพสูง
★ ออกแบบและผลิตใหม่ทั้งหมดภายใน 2 เดือน
★ แบบโมเดลพร้อมหล่อที่ออกแบบโดยคำนึงถึงการหล่อและการกลึง

นี่คือตัวอย่างที่ชัดเจนของการที่ PSS นำความเชี่ยวชาญด้านวิศวกรรม วัสดุ และการผลิต มาใช้ในการพัฒนาและยกระดับสมรรถนะของอุปกรณ์หมุนรุ่นเก่าให้ทันสมัยและมีประสิทธิภาพยิ่งขึ้น

PSS recently completed a critical upgrade on a 6” Kingsbury thrust bearing system, replacing traditional steel center-pivot pads with copper offset-pivot pads and installing dual temperature sensors for improved monitoring.

Working with our engineering partner Gulf Coast Bearing and Seal (GCBS), we performed detailed thermal modeling of the bearing under 14,000 rpm operation. The analysis confirmed that copper pads offer significantly better heat dissipation—keeping pad temperatures well below the Babbitt limit even under full load.

The result:
✅ Improved reliability
✅ Better thermal stability
✅ Enhanced diagnostic capability

To understand more details, please click on this link: https://onepss.com/pss-upgrades-kingsbury-compressor-bearing/

PSS Successfully Re-Engineers and Restores Sea Water Pump Impeller at a Power Plant in the Philippines
In March 2025, one of the six installed circulating water pump units at a power plant in the Philippines tripped due to high vibration. Subsequent inspection revealed a catastrophic impeller vane failure on a 5-vane vertical mixed-flow pump supplied by the OEM. The pump handles 16,900 m³/hr of seawater at 700 rpm, with no redundancy. This failure resulted in a significant energy generation loss.

Root Cause Analysis:
Our Engineering Team at PSS conducted a detailed and methodical Root Cause Analysis (RCA) to identify the true origin of the failure. The process included:

▪️Reviewing DCS motor vibration data and pump operating logs.

▪️Disassembling the pump and inspecting all internal components, where one vane was found completely broken and another showed major cavitation damage.

▪️Carefully examining the pump suction chamber, which confirmed that vortex breakers were installed correctly and there were no signs of vortex formation.

▪️Confirming that the traveling inlet screens were functional and not blocked.

▪️Ensuring that no foreign objects or debris were present in the pump sump to rule out foreign object damage (FOD).

▪️Verifying that inlet water levels during operation provided sufficient NPSHa to eliminate insufficient NPSH as a root cause.

Following elimination of all these potential contributors, our team turned to the impeller geometry. 3D laser scanning and CAD analysis of the failed impeller showed:

▪️Severe cavitation damage localized on two of the five impeller vanes, including the fractured one and an adjacent vane.

▪️The unique and uncommon cavitation pattern was traced to vane geometry inconsistencies likely due to multi-section casting and aggressive hand grinding.

▪️Non-uniform vane mass and volume led to uneven flow patterns and localized pressure drops, contributing to high cavitation erosion.

These flow disruptions created micro-implosions that eroded the metal over time and eventually caused vane fracture.

Engineering and Repair Approach:
This was an emergency repair to restore pump operation while PSS completes manufacturing of a new re-engineered precision investment cast impeller for future installation.

Step 1 – Failure Inspection:
One vane was found to be completely broken. Another vane showed significant cavitation damage. No major damage from domestic object impact was found on the remaining vanes.

Step 2 – Reverse Engineering:
Using 3D scanning and CAD modeling, our team recreated the original vane profile with accurate curvature and flow passage geometry.

Step 3 – Precision Weld Build-Up:
The broken vane section was rebuilt using our 3D model as reference to restore the original geometry with high accuracy. A custom weld repair was performed on-site using super duplex filler compatible with the original impeller material. As the required TIG welding wire was not available locally, PSS urgently hand-delivered the material to site. Our technicians shaped the weld buildup using the digital model, ensuring the restored vane matched the original vane profile. This eliminated distortion and enabled efficient flow restoration.

Step 4 – Final Machining and Balancing:
Dynamic balancing was conducted to eliminate vibration. The repaired impeller passed PSS's strict QA/QC validation checks.

Result:

▪️Impeller successfully re-installed.

▪️The pump has been returned to service.

▪️The client avoided extended downtime and maintained operational continuity until the new impeller is ready.

Conclusion:
This project demonstrates PSS’s unique capability to respond to emergency failures, reverse engineer damaged components, and restore large critical rotating equipment. Our in-house 3D scanning, modeling, and welding repair capabilities enabled a fast turnaround and ensured temporary but reliable performance. A precision investment cast impeller is under production for long-term solution implementation.

Trust PSS for your rotating equipment challenges.

Contact us to learn more about our impeller repair and upgrade services.