By
Alex Smith |
After investing in an IRON Pump for water pumping onboard their vessel, some shipowners may think about allowing third-party overhauls with non-genuine parts. However, by using non-genuine and less expensive spare parts, they might face serious consequences for pump installation. This can ultimately create high costs, not only in the direct cost of spare parts but also via indirect costs related to breakdowns, docking time and labour.
“In our service department, we see some disastrous examples of bearing heating problems, for instance, because of poorly executed pump overhauls with non-genuine parts,” said Per Gudmand Jensen, service manager at IRON Pump. “It may be that internal measures do not comply with standards or IRON Pump construction design, or that the impellar has lower corrosion resistance than our aluminium bronze. Perhaps a poor coating causes flakes of coat to float in the system, causing clogged coolers, valves, filters and other system components.”
Often, pumps are modified to fit the non-genuine parts, and this can mean that neither new non-genuine parts nor genuine parts will fit. Crew will therefore have to spend time modifying parts and the pump again, meaning other crucial maintenance tasks might be neglected. Ultimately, this can cause the pump to break down with no option for repair.
“Thankfully, we have many loyal customers who understand the value of genuine parts,” said Susanne Dall Qvist Jensen, sales representative for after sales at IRON Pump. “But we do come across non-genuine and copy parts. Customers must understand that all IRON Pumps’ products are made to order. This means that every pump is designed to match the customer’s needs and this, of course, goes for our genuine spare parts as well. With non-genuine parts, you can never be sure that the parts fit. So why invest in such a high-end product only to allow third-party overhauls with non-genuine parts?”