Flowserve Corp., a global provider of fluid motion and control products and services, has opened new Learning Resource Center (LRC) instructional labs, which offer hands-on technical facilities for pump, valve and seal system optimization and maintenance training. The LRC is an innovation in the industry, offering hands-on training in a simulated plant environment that features complete pumping systems and equipment from both Flowserve and other manufacturers.
The LRC, part of Flowserve Educational Services, sets a new standard in technical education, with up to 50 percent of training time spent working in the operational labs with the pump, valve and seal systems plant professionals use every day. Courses are specifically designed to increase participants' skill levels in equipment selection, installation, repair, failure analysis, and troubleshooting. Participants return to work with practical knowledge to improve plant performance, increase machine availability, lower the cost of maintenance, and improve plant safety.
"The Learning Resource Center presents another opportunity for Flowserve to help customers achieve success in their businesses," said John Jacko, chief marketing officer for Flowserve. "Utilizing equipment from Flowserve as well as other manufacturers enables our state-of-the-art training center to create a real-world environment that demonstrates our commitment to our customers and validates Flowserve as a thought leader in the fluid motion and control industry."
Three of the center's training labs, totaling 4,300 square feet, enable participants to analyze equipment failures and determine their causes, learning first-hand how to prevent pump, seal and control valve failure. The inclusion of equipment from various manufacturers ensures that learning takes place in a real-world environment.
Four 900-square-foot power labs feature 26 operational pumping systems, many with transparent piping and housings so participants have a real-time view of fluid motion and typical pumping system failures. Participants also learn to create pump curves, troubleshoot cavitation problems, and perform "dead head" tests and other vital diagnostics.
The LRC's instructional team - experts in pumps, valves and seals - have more than 100 years of combined experience in industries from water treatment to aerospace. Because of this breadth of experience, trainers have handled many specific engineering, operator and mechanical problems, and are able to recreate and then solve many of those problems in the operational labs.
Class size at the LRC is limited, providing ample opportunity for participants to experiment and test the "what-ifs" of the equipment they use every day, as well as ask questions and discuss theoretical topics.
The Learning Resource Center is located in Irving, Texas, in the heart of the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex. Courses are also offered at Flowserve Learning Centers across the U.S. and on-site at plant locations around the world.
For information about Flowserve Educational Services and the Learning Resource Center, contact Juliette Rowe, director, customer training, by phone at +1 (972) 915-1626 or by e-mail at [email protected]. Visit Flowserve Educational Services online at www.flowserve.com/education.
