Cost efficient centrifugal pump use and maintenance in the beet sugar industry

Investment, use and maintenance of centrifugal pumps in the beet sugar industry are often based on the lowest purchase costs of pumps available. In the long run higher initial cost could be justified considering all the relevant criteria in pump selection. Such criteria are material , energy savings in terms of better pumping efficiency, reliability, lower maintenance labor costs and quality aspects. The most important tool in making a pump or a pumping system selection should therefore be life cycle cost analysis (LCC). Some future trends in pump development, operation and maintenance are also outlined.