FBCN Centrifugal Pumps in Rio Vermelho

Yes. As a Brazilian manufacturer accredited in FINAME — the BNDES Special Industrial Financing Agency —, FB Bombas qualifies equipment supplied to Rio Vermelho for BNDES Finame financing lines (Industrial Working Capital, Modernization, Capital Goods), with preferential conditions for national industry. On the technical proposal, the commercial team includes the product's FINAME code to enter the customer's financial plan.

The portfolio covers four in-house series: FBE (external gear) for viscous fluids, FBEI (internal gear) for low-pulsation services, FBCN (standardized centrifugal) for water and light fluids and FBOT (dedicated centrifugal) for thermal oil — plus complete fire-fighting systems per NFPA 20 and NBR 16704.

They do. The FBCN series dimensionally meets ASME B73.1, the North American standard for horizontal end-suction process centrifugal pumps. In practice, a Rio Vermelho plant running a normalized pump of the same designation achieves retrofit on the already-installed baseplate: since shaft dimensions, suction/discharge flanges, casing feet and impeller centerline follow the same standard, the FBCN pump takes the place of the previous one — piping and baseplate stay intact. Hydraulic equivalence (Q×H and NPSH) is checked separately, on the data sheet.

Mechanical seal configuration is defined by engineering according to the fluid, temperature and operating pressure. Options include single seals, double seals (tandem or back-to-back), cartridge seals and packing glands for specific applications. For hazardous fluids, double seals with barrier are recommended.

FB Bombas' rotating set balancing follows ISO 21940 G2.5 — a grade equivalent to the API 610 requirement for heavy-duty service. It is the level demanded in critical Rio Vermelho projects: continuous regime, plants with online vibration monitoring or operations where unplanned downtime is expensive. Above 3,600 RPM or with rotating mass beyond 50 kg, balancing is done on two planes, with a piezoelectric sensor.

For critical parts (mechanical seal, impeller, shaft, wear ring, bearings) during a plant shutdown in Rio Vermelho, FB Bombas runs an emergency flow: pre-invoicing, priority dispatch and alternative modal (express road or air transport depending on distance and criticality). Typical lead time varies by region, with a window negotiable case by case. For customers with an installed base and scheduled PM, part of the stock can be kept on consignment at the plant.

Yes. A complete technical Data Book accompanies each FB Bombas pump that reaches Rio Vermelho: hydraulic test certificate, material certificates (stainless steel, duplex and ductile cast iron per spec), ISO 21940 G2.5 balancing report, characteristic curve measured on the test bench, API 682 mechanical-seal data sheets, operation and maintenance manual and as-built drawings. The unit serial number traces all this documentation.

Yes — and the secret lies in correct sizing, the main lever for energy efficiency. Both an oversized and an undersized pump waste energy. That is why FB Bombas engineering determines the optimal operating point from the actual process conditions in Rio Vermelho, balancing the flow/pressure/power ratio.

Yes. The design of the FBE and FBCN lines favors direct access to wear-prone components — disassembly and inspection are done with conventional tools. The routine gets even simpler with detailed technical manuals and replacement parts supplied straight from the factory.

The FB portfolio handles an extensive spectrum of fluids. The FBE series takes mineral and synthetic oils, asphalt (CAP), BPF fuel oils, petroleum derivatives, molasses, resins plus viscous chemical and hydraulic products; the FBCN series works with raw and treated water, process fluids and industrial effluents; the FBOT series is dedicated to thermal oil at elevated temperatures. Each case is sized considering viscosity, temperature and chemical compatibility.