Industrial Filtration Application
Protecting pumps from pipeline debris during commissioning, start-up, shutdown and normal operation can help reduce impeller damage, blockage, seal problems and unnecessary maintenance.
Monarch Asia Pacific supplies and manufactures temporary and permanent strainer solutions for pump protection, including cone strainers, plate strainers, suction strainers, basket strainers and custom fabricated designs.
Pumps depend on a reliable supply of liquid to operate correctly. Foreign material entering the suction line can damage the impeller, obstruct internal passages, affect seals and increase wear. In severe cases, contamination can contribute to unplanned shutdowns and expensive equipment repairs.
The risk can be particularly high during commissioning, start-up and after maintenance or pipeline modification. New or disturbed pipework may contain weld slag, rust, scale, gasket material, construction debris and other solids that need to be removed before they reach rotating equipment.
A correctly selected pump protection strainer captures this material while providing sufficient effective open area to keep pressure loss within acceptable limits.
The appropriate strainer depends on whether the contamination is expected mainly during start-up or will continue during normal operation.
Temporary strainers are commonly installed during pipeline flushing, commissioning and start-up to capture debris remaining from construction, fabrication or maintenance.
Once the system is considered clean and stable, the temporary strainer may be removed in accordance with the plant commissioning procedure.
Common options include temporary cone, basket and plate strainers installed to suit the pipeline and flange arrangement.
A permanent strainer may be required where solids can continue to enter the suction or process line during normal operation.
Depending on the application, permanent protection may use a suction strainer, simplex basket strainer, duplex basket strainer, Y strainer or another filtration technology.
Maintenance access, pressure drop, solids loading and whether continuous flow is required are important selection factors.
Monarch can assist with temporary, permanent and custom strainer designs depending on the stage of the project and expected debris loading.
High-area temporary strainers for commissioning, start-up, flushing and post-maintenance duties where construction debris must be captured before reaching the pump.
View Temporary Strainers
Compact temporary protection where installation space or project requirements favour a plate-style element. Pressure drop and available open area require careful consideration.
View Temporary Strainers
Custom suction and foot strainers for intake, tank, sump and other pump suction applications where larger debris must be stopped before entering the suction line.
View Suction Strainers
Permanent simplex or duplex basket strainers provide greater solids-holding capacity and convenient basket access for ongoing process and pump protection duties.
View Basket Strainers
A compact permanent option for compatible services where solids loading is relatively low and the screen can be inspected or cleaned at suitable intervals.
View Y Strainers
Custom strainers can be manufactured for non-standard line sizes, unusual flange arrangements, special materials, replacement duties or project-specific open-area requirements.
Custom Fabricated Solutions
Suction-Side Design
A strainer installed in a pump suction line introduces additional hydraulic resistance. If the element is too restrictive, or becomes heavily loaded with debris, suction pressure can fall and pump performance may be affected.
For this reason, pump protection strainers should be sized with adequate effective open area and a suitable allowance for fouling. The clean and dirty pressure-drop condition should be considered together with the pump's suction requirements and available NPSH margin.
Fine mesh linings can significantly reduce effective open area compared with the perforated support alone. Where mesh is required, the total strainer area should therefore be assessed using the effective open area of the complete filtration construction.
Temporary strainers provide a practical safeguard while the cleanliness of new or modified pipework is being established.
Install the selected temporary strainer before the pump or other critical equipment in accordance with the system design.
Monitor suction conditions and differential pressure as flow is established and debris begins to accumulate.
Inspect and clean the temporary element at intervals appropriate to the debris loading and allowable pressure loss.
Once the system is clean, determine whether the temporary strainer can be removed or permanent protection is required.
The strainer should be selected around the pump, fluid, expected debris and operating conditions. Temporary commissioning duties may require a different design from ongoing process protection.
Line size alone is not enough to correctly size a strainer. Flow rate, effective open area, solids loading and allowable pressure drop are important, particularly when the strainer is installed on the suction side of a pump.
Monarch can review the available process information and assist with strainer type, perforation or mesh, material selection, reinforcement and fabrication requirements.
Pump protection strainers are used across new projects, plant upgrades, shutdowns and normal industrial operation.
Australian Manufacture + Engineering Support
Monarch Asia Pacific manufactures filtration and strainer components from our Brendale workshop, allowing us to support standard and non-standard pump protection requirements.
Custom manufacture can be useful for urgent shutdown work, replacement strainers, unusual dimensions, non-standard flange arrangements and applications requiring specific perforation, mesh, open-area or reinforcement requirements.
Send us your pump details, line size, flow rate, fluid service, flange standard and expected debris information for application review.
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