Boulden Company, Inc.

How much are your pumps 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 costing you? A typical 1,400 hp boiler feed water pump runs 8,000 hours per year. If you’re operating with traditional metal wear components, you could be leaving $43,000 per pump per year in wasted energy on the table. The fix? Upgrading to Vespel® CR-6100 wear rings, throttle bushings, and center bushings. ✔ Up to 4% efficiency improvement with reduced clearance ✔ Lower power consumption = major cost savings ✔ Extended pump life reduces maintenance costs Multiply this by the number of pumps in your facility, and the savings add up fast. Want to see how much you could save? Contact Boulden today: https://bit.ly/4blB2Vh · · · #PumpEfficiency #EnergySavings #ReliabilityEngineering #PumpSolutions #RotatingEquipment #BouldenCo

Metal vs. Composite Wear Components: Which is Right for Your Fertilizer Plant? Fertilizer production involves aggressive chemicals like ammonia, nitric acid, phosphoric acid, and slurries, which can severely damage traditional metallic pump components. The corrosion, galling and seizing, and need for frequent replacements can lead to premature wear, higher costs, and even catastrophic failures. Upgrading to composite wear rings, bushings, and labyrinth seals improves pump performance and longevity by operating more reliably under extreme conditions, thus reducing the need for frequent replacements. Boulden has the materials, expertise, and inventory to upgrade your fertilizer plant’s pumps with composite wear components. •Vespel® CR-6100 – High-performance wear rings & bushings •B-Series Composites – Reliable, cost-effective solutions •Metcar® Carbon Graphite – Heat-resistant bushings for high-temp applications Looking to improve your pump reliability? Contact Boulden today: https://lnkd.in/gNg7CbHx. ᐧ ᐧ ᐧ #FertilizerIndustry #PumpSolutions #RotatingEquipment #MaintenanceManagement #ReliabilityEngineering #BouldenCo

In this month’s Ask the Experts, Clark Maloney, Boulden’s Vice President and President of Gulf Coast Bearing & Seal, answers a key question: What’s the advantage of using a thermoplastic labyrinth seal over a more traditional labyrinth seal? The short answer? Less clearance, less leakage, more efficiency. Ready to reduce losses and improve machine reliability? Watch now to learn why plants are making the switch to thermoplastic labyrinth seals. What are YOU wondering about? Drop your questions in the comments, and we’ll feature them in a future Ask the Experts video! ᐧ ᐧ ᐧ #AskTheExperts #BouldenCo #ManufacturingIndustry #PumpSolutions #RotatingEquipment #MaintenanceManagement

Fertilizer production demands high-performance machinery to handle aggressive chemicals, high temperatures, and continuous operation. At Boulden, we provide proven material solutions to help ammonia, nitric acid, and chemical plants improve compressor efficiency, reduce pump failures, and extend equipment life. Where we can help: •Centrifugal Compressors – Upgrade from aluminum to composite labyrinth seals to boost efficiency and throughput in syngas, air, and ammonia compressor trains. •Custom-Engineered Bearings – Drop-in replacement tilt-pad bearings to reduce temperatures, increase load capacity, and minimize wear. •Pump Upgrades for Critical Services – Composite materials for Benfield Solution, boiler feed water, and nitric acid applications. •Oil Housing Seals & Spare Parts Kits – Stop oil leaks and streamline turnaround planning with custom spare parts solutions. Ready to reduce downtime and improve reliability in your fertilizer plant? Contact Boulden today: https://bit.ly/4blB2Vh ᐧ ᐧ ᐧ #IndustrialMaintenance #IndustrialEquipment #AmmoniaPlant #Fertilizer #PumpSolutions #BouldenCo

In rotating equipment, small changes can lead to big improvements, and wear ring clearance is a perfect example. When your pump's wear ring clearance is too wide, shaft deflection increases, which directly impacts mechanical seal reliability and overall pump performance. But why does this happen? •The wear rings create a force called the Lomakin Effect. As wear ring clearance increases, this force disappears, leading to more shaft deflection and higher vibration. •Excessive shaft deflection misaligns mechanical seal faces, increasing leakage and wear. •The industry recognizes that excessive shaft deflection is a reliability risk. API 610 requires pump designers to limit deflection to 50μm (0.002 in) at the seal faces for satisfactory performance. There are ways to reduce wear ring clearance, including upgrading to non-seizing composite wear rings. Materials like Vespel® CR-6100 allow for clearance reductions of up to 50%, increasing the Lomakin Effect and reducing shaft deflection. Upgrading to composite wear rings–a simple, cost-effective solution–reduces vibration and seal leaks while also improving energy efficiency. The bottom line? Reducing wear ring clearance is one of the easiest ways to improve pump reliability and efficiency. For your multi-stage pumps with long, thin shafts, this upgrade can make a huge difference in reliability and performance. If you’re ready to optimize your pumps, contact Boulden today: https://bit.ly/4blB2Vh ᐧ ᐧ ᐧ #ProactiveMaintenance #AssetReliability #ReliabilityEngineers #PumpSolutions #PumpSystems #MaintenanceManagement #BouldenCo

Did you know? Boulden isn’t just an aftermarket solutions provider. While we’re known for upgrading pump wear components with advanced composites, we also manufacture new bearings and labyrinth seals for turbomachinery. •OEM-Quality Bearings & Seals – Designed to exacting specifications •Upgrades & Replacements – Enhance reliability with premium materials •Fast Delivery – We stock materials and machine components quickly Recently, our team completed a new set of radial bearings for a large pump manufacturer, proving once again that Boulden delivers—whether it’s an urgent replacement or a brand-new component. Need new bearings or labyrinth seals fast? Contact us today: https://bit.ly/4blB2Vh ᐧ ᐧ ᐧ #MaintenanceManagement #ReliabilityEngineering #PumpSolutions #RotatingEquipment #BouldenCo

Maximize mixer and agitator performance with Vespel® CR-6100 bearings! Compared to traditional PTFE bearings, Vespel® CR-6100 offers superior dimensional stability, reduced wear, and extended service life—even in harsh conditions with heavy loads, extreme temperatures, and aggressive chemicals. Say goodbye to premature wear and equipment damage. Ready to upgrade? Contact Boulden today: https://bit.ly/48q4h6t ᐧ ᐧ ᐧ #MaintenanceManagement #ReliabilityEngineering #PumpSolutions #RotatingEquipment #BouldenCo

At the end of the year, Boulden often receives urgent delivery requests from our customers. Last year was no different. In December 2024, we had a very specific challenge: An API pump OEM urgently needed two pump shaft bearings. Their customer wanted delivery before the end of the year. To meet their customer's demand, the OEM needed the Vespel® CR-6100 bushings and 420-grade stainless steel housings machined, assembled, and delivered in one week. As always, Boulden had the Vespel® CR-6100 in stock. We were able to fabricate the 420SS parts and Vespel® CR-6100 parts, assemble them together, and final machine the bearings in just a few days. The parts arrived at the OEM exactly one week after their order. Facing urgent equipment challenges? Be a hero for your customers with Boulden! https://bit.ly/3dvHHlD · · · #MaintenanceManagement #ReliabilityEngineering #PumpSolutions #RotatingEquipment #BouldenCo

The Boulden team received some photos from a pump fitted with carbon-filled PEEK® wear rings. The images are shocking, but we’ve unfortunately seen this issue dozens of times. If you want to make your pumps more reliable and efficient with simple installation, fast delivery, and great support from Boulden, contact us today: https://lnkd.in/gGRN53iW! · · · #MaintenanceManagement #ReliabilityEngineering #PumpSolutions #RotatingEquipment #BouldenCo

“View every maintenance event as an opportunity to upgrade.” -Heinz P. Bloch, Mechanical Engineer and Pump Industry Legend At Boulden, we wholeheartedly agree. That’s why we recommend upgrading pumps with composite materials to improve pump life and efficiency. This simple change, which you can implement at the time of repair, significantly improves pump reliability. How? Because our composites can run dry without galling or seizure, and wear ring clearances can be reduced. Reduced clearance increases the Lomakin Effect which adds to pump rotor stability. The net result is higher rotordynamic stiffness and damping, which generally lead to lower pump vibration, reduced shaft deflection, and longer pump life. The result? Longer life for seals and bearings and lower operating costs. Upgrade to composite materials and improve your pump’s reliability and efficiency today: https://bit.ly/3dvHHlD ᐧ ᐧ ᐧ #MaintenanceManagement #ReliabilityEngineering #PumpSolutions #RotatingEquipment #BouldenCo