5 DISTINGUISHING QUALITIES OF A PUMP SHAFT QUALITY (PSQ) BAR
‘Industrial pumps’ is an umbrella term that covers a wide variety of machinery used to move fluid from one place to another. These machines use a rotating mechanism that increases the internal pressure of the system and accelerates the fluid. Different industries use distinct pumps that serve their processes efficiently. The only common factor in these pumps is the rotating shaft, which stimulates their functionality. And just like most other crucial machine parts that are required to be sturdy and reliable, pump shafts are also made from stainless steel alloy bars.
Since the pumps’ mechanism demands high precision and durability under exhaustive working conditions, their shafts also demand to be designed with specified standards and criteria in place. Hence, a pump shaft quality (PSQ) bar is manufactured with utmost accuracy while it is turned, ground and polished to achieve a form that is suitable for rotating applications. What differs these PSQ bars from the others is their unique physical and structural properties, which include:
For any metal to maintain its structure under high-stress forces, it needs to have a higher degree of uniformity in its molecular structure. The quality is ingrained in the PSQ bars when they are heat-treated under constant high temperatures. With perfectly uniform microstructure, these bars can be easily formed into any length and diameter to suit distinct pumping requirements.
PSQ bars are manufactured with a minimum yield of 75 KSI and tensile strength of at least 100 KSI. With such specs, they can easily bear extreme loads at high rotation speeds. Unlike other metals, they can maintain their performance for various lightweight and dense fluids used within the same industry. They are also able to withstand high-stress forces when installed in unfavorable positions and conditions.
One of the most common reasons for pump failures in any industry is the vibration that shafts experience while rotating at extremely high speeds. This is why PSQ bars are manufactured with such a degree of straightness that the shafts made from them would experience minuscule to no vibrations even when rotating at high speeds. Ideally, this vibration tolerance in PSQ bars is 0.005 TIR (total indicator run-out) in the first 3 ft. of the shaft and 0.0015 TIR at each foot after it.
The pump shafts must have precise surface finish and dimensions throughout their length to work in synergy with the entire system. Their diameter, especially, is ground to the exact circumference of the pump to nullify any movements while rotating and exerting consistent pressure on their respective fluids.
Since PSQ bars are made of stainless steel, they also inherit the SS properties of being highly ductile, malleable, and alloyable. With such mechanical properties, they can easily be customized to suit any pumping machinery with excellent form and benefits.
Stainless steel bright bars that are manufactured to be PSQ bars also carry the SS qualities of corrosion-resistance and are best suited for pumping fluids that chemically react with other metals. Hence, these shafts tend to perform with consistent precision for as long as their lifespan. And since stainless steel performs exceptionally in cryogenic as well as heated temperatures, you can always find the best SS grade for your industrial pump applications irrespective of its location. All in all, they require minimal maintenance and are more profitable in the long run.
We, at Venus, are one of the leading stainless steel bright bar manufacturers in India who can design a pump shaft quality bar for both standard and non-standard applications. With most of our exports in European, North American, and Asian countries, we’ve developed a vast knowledge of designing a range of PSQ bars for multiple industrial applications. To know more about my PSQ bar manufacturing process and how we can help you get the best quality raw material for pump shafts, visit the Venus website and reach out to our industry experts today!