Resources

The problem is that the instantaneous shifting of a hydraulic cylinder from one direction to the other while under high pressure causes tremendous hydraulic hammer shock - so great that hydraulic system components could not stand up to the abuse. This shifting shock problem has been the single biggest barrier to developing a successful hydraulic drive system.

Solution: Our patented shock suppression hydraulic shifting system has tamed the hydraulic hammer shock problem. Our shifting system can shift at hydraulic oil pressures of up to 5000 psi - producing mud pressures up to 800 psi without encountering the deteriorating shock that has stumped so many other attempts at making a direct hydraulic drive.

Multi cylinder fluid ends with cylinders aligned side by side had to be synchronized to avoid excessive discharge surges. This meant either cumbersome gear synchronizers or hydraulic synchronization systems. Developing a dependable hydraulic synchronization system proved to be an elusive goal.

Solution: Why overcome a problem when you can simply go around it? Our patented "Matched Displacement Ratio" technology has eliminated the need for a synchronization system. This technology allows our pumps to deliver smooth, constant discharge flow without the use of a synchronization system.

The drilling industry demands a mud pump that will operate day in and day out without continual down time maintenance. Off the shelf components that would produce such a hydraulic drive system were not to be found. A new generation of components would have to be developed to meet the demands of this service.

Solution: To make a hydraulic drive system that will stand up to the duty our industry demands, every component in our hydraulic system had to be custom engineered - developed exclusively for our pumps to stand up to a level of duty that off the shelf hydraulic components would never stand up to. Everything from the allow used in the valve castings, the design of the valve components, the hydraulic cylinder design and the type and material of the seals, were specifically engineered for use in our pumps - engineered for a 60,000,000 cycle life under high pressure reciprocating duty.
 

Developing new fluid end expendables that will stand up to the duty in our industry the same way that mechanical drive pump expendables hold up is a tall order. How do you improve on the one thing that has made mechanically driven mud pumps the backbone of the industry

Solution: Honestly, we couldn't develop better fluid end expendables than those used in mechanical pumps - so we used theirs. Our fluid end expendables are the same components that have been used in mechanical pumps for decades. These expendables are proven, reliable, and available - how could we improve on that? Well, actually, by using bigger pistons and running them at half the speed of mechanical drive pumps we can get about twice the life from them!

Developing respect for a new mud pump technology doesn't come easy. Despite their weight, size and performance limitations, the mechanical pumps that had been the standard of the industry had been getting the job done for over 50 years. How could we convince our industry to adopt our pump as the new standard for our industry?

Solution: We can claim that our pumps perform like no other pump on the market. We can claim that we use the best components and materials. But in the end, respect only comes from earning it. It doesn't matter what we say. What matters is what our customers say. Centerline pumps are getting the job done from Canada to Australia. Are you ready for the mud pump you've always needed?