Emergency Pump Repair to Keep the Cheese Flowing

Being able to inspect, diagnose, and repair a unique pump in less than a week was no small feat, but our customer had an emergency, and we had an opportunity to become a cheese hero.

One of our fluid process engineers, Ben Christensen, received a call from a cheese plant in Appleton, Wisconsin on a Wednesday afternoon in early September. A piece of metal just went through one of their twin-screw pumps in a series that is connected to their cheese cooker, and they desperately needed help.

A Critical Pump Breakdown and Swift Restoration

Without this pump, their process is down… which is never a good situation for a dairy processor. They needed it back up and running as soon as possible. Ben immediately picked up the pump and brought it to our repair facility in Kimberly, Wisconsin so our technicians could begin the teardown process.

During inspection, we found that the rogue piece of metal caused extensive damage to the feeder screws, shafts, and other pump components.

Just to reiterate the importance of this pump, hot mozzarella cheese flows through this pump in Wisconsin. If we were unable to expedite this repair, the moral repercussions of a cheese pump outage in Wisconsin may be as damaging as the loss of product our customer is experiencing!

Pump Repair: Crane Engineering Goes the Extra Mile

The parts necessary for repair were immediately expedited and received the next morning so we could begin reassembly. We worked overtime to make sure the timing of the gears lined up with the feeder screws, properly torqued all bolts, and used feeler gauges for precise spacing between the screws.

The final part needed to finish the repair was delivered on Saturday morning, but we didn't want the customer to wait until Monday to get their process back up and running. So, one of our service coordinators, Troy Blake, volunteered to come in on Saturday, which was also his birthday, to receive the part from UPS, finish up the re-assembly, and hand-deliver it to the customer.

We were able to save the day and get cheese flowing again, and Troy became our mozzarella hero!

A few weeks later, we received another call from the same customer. They had a different pump on the same series that was leaking and needed the mechanical seals replaced. This time they attempted to replace the mechanical seal themselves, but ran into difficulties and needed assistance completing the repairs.

We immediately brought in the pump, inspected it, expedited parts, repaired it, and sent it back. All in 4 days, from start to finish. The cheese plant was thrilled with the service we provided both times and we earned their trust for future repairs.

Rapid Repairs Beyond Our Linecard: How Crane Engineering's Stocked Parts and Certified Technicians Ensure Swift Service

With standard lead times being 4-6 weeks on some pump components and longer on others, it is reassuring to our customers that we stock a wide variety of standard parts in our repair facility. This helps us deliver fast repair turnaround times and efficient service.

We have the knowledge and experience to work on all pump designs, regardless of manufacturer. We can service anything for our customers with our extensive repair capabilities.

Our technicians are certified experts with the ability to diagnose, inspect, and repair any type of rotating equipment quickly and efficiently. The Crane Engineering team prides ourselves on being a one-stop-shop for keeping the cheese flowing and customers happy!

Questions? Reach out to our team today or request a quote online.