Project management gets new company off the ground

Pumpflow was looking for a supplier who could do more than sell flowmeters and pressure transmitters: "We wanted someone to take control of the whole project, not just supply equipment but to work with us to develop our ideas. We knew roughly how we wanted it to function but we were less sure how to actually generate that and how to get all the equipment talking together." The process involved a number of potentially difficult metering issues, such as complicated power metering.

The company also wanted to be able to present the results generated from the test bed to their customers on-site in Manchester. One of the key objectives was being able to present complex data in a simple and visual way. "The key to our business is having a good test bed," confirms Stephen Egerton. "We have to be confident in the results we get from it – and of course everything has to be documented and traceable."

As well as project management, design and commissioning services, Endress+Hauser supplied Pumpflow with flowmeters, temperature transmitters, pressure transmitters, three bespoke panels, an electricity meter and an HMI data logger. Solutions were found to all Pumpflow's difficult metering solutions, allowing them to integrate automated power metering measurements with all other data logs to bring the information together in a single system.

Now the system has been installed, commissioned and tested, regular calibration of the instrumentation incorporated into the rig will be carried out on an ongoing basis.

On many test beds, measurements are taken manually but Pumpflow’s rig is fully automated. This saves time and reduces the risk of operator error. "With manual measurements, testing a pump can be quite a long process and you don’t necessarily get true readings," explains Stephen Egerton. "Now everything’s instantaneous and it’s all logged so we can identify any problems quickly."

The test bed has given Pumpflow confidence in the results. Stephen Egerton: "People trust us with their equipment and we've got to be 100% certain that the results we're getting are accurate. It can be the difference between, for example, a pump going offshore or not, potentially holding up production on an oil platform." And the customers can see the results for themselves, from the comfort of a conference room on a television screen, thanks to the remote visualisation of the HMI.

Being able to engage our solutions team to look after the project was the biggest benefit. "We saw the value in having one company looking after the entire project that could problem solve and take that responsibility away from us," explains Stephen. And it’s proved to be a successful working relationship: "The customer service we've had from Endress+Hauser has been perfect, spot on. As a new company we knew we'd hit a few problems but the response has been way beyond what you'd expect."