Asset monitoring / Centrifugal pumps

Hear the pump
from the panel.

Rotor defects, cavitation, bearing wear and coupling problems change the current your pump motor draws. Artesis reads those changes at the motor control cabinet, so nothing has to be fitted to the pump.

Discuss your pumps ↗See the 11 kV case ↓

11 kVHighest motor voltage in the cases below

6 field casesPower, steel, oil & gas, utilities and marine

0 sensors on the pumpCurrent and voltage measured in the MCC

01 / The challenge

Pumps rarely fail
where you can see them.

Cooling water, condensate, process and fire water pumps run around the clock, often in pits, basements, hazardous areas or behind guards. Route-based vibration rounds catch a snapshot every few weeks; a developing fault can grow in between.

Because the pump and motor are mechanically coupled, what happens in the impeller, bearings and coupling shows up as small, characteristic changes in motor current. That is the signal Artesis follows continuously.

Connect at the motor control cabinet

e-MCM clips onto the existing current and voltage signals. No work on the pump and no cabling out in the field; installation is planned electrical work inside the cabinet.

Learn how this pump normally behaves

Electrical Signature Analysis and machine learning build a baseline for the specific motor–pump set under its real operating conditions.

Act on clear findings

Deviations are classified by fault domain — electrical, mechanical, hydraulic — and explained in plain language with maintenance guidance.

02 / Featured case · Power generation

Two identical pumps.
One had a rotor problem.

DOCUMENTED FIELD CASE

CONDENSATE PUMP 13 vs PUMP 12 / POWER SPECTRAL DENSITY

Power spectral densities of condensate pump 13 (top) with a rotor-related pattern, and identical pump 12 (bottom) without it

Top: Pump 13, with a rotor-related pattern. Bottom: identical Pump 12, without it. Select to open full size.

3×

Repeated test, consistent result
A dedicated rotor evaluation test was run three times on Pump 13; the rotor-bar indicator stayed at alarm level each time.

A rotor fault, isolated by comparison.

11 kVNominal voltage

32 ANominal current

510 kWMotor rating

The findingOnline monitoring flagged a spectral pattern on Pump 13 associated with rotor bar defects.

The cross-checkPump 12 is identical in every respect and runs the same duty. Its spectrum showed no such pattern, ruling out supply or process effects.

The confirmationAn offline rotor evaluation test indicated cracked or defective rotor bars. The test was repeated three times with consistent results.

1Online alert on Pump 13
2Twin comparison with Pump 12
3Offline rotor test, repeated 3×

Source: Artesis Case Study 2024, slides 81–87. Customer name withheld.

03 / More field cases

From cavitation
to bearing faults.

5 INDUSTRIES

Artesis high-frequency power spectrum of a 6.6 kV pump

Power generation · Hydraulic

Cavitation on a 6.6 kV pump

The high-frequency spectrum showed the typical signature of cavitation. The customer’s vibration check on the pump side agreed.

Rating: 6,600 V · 81.5 A
Outcome: Cavitation confirmed on site

Artesis power spectral density with bearing-related and flow-turbulence indicators above the learned envelope

Steel · Mechanical + hydraulic

Three faults on one cooling pump

Bearing-related components rose above the learned envelope and the spectrum also pointed to flow turbulence. Teardown found a worn bearing, broken coupling rubber and cavitation dents on the vane.

Rating: 480 V · 130.7 A · VFD
Outcome: All three found at teardown

Artesis power spectrum of a fire water jockey pump with an automatic bearing analysis

Oil & gas · Bearing

Bearing fault on a fire water jockey pump

The automatic bearing analysis, based on the bearing model, matched the observed spectrum and pointed to an outer-race fault.

Rating: 415 V · 75 A
Method: Automatic bearing analysis

Utilities · Maintenance QA

Checking the repair, not just the fault

On a diesel fuel pump, spectrum trends were followed through several shaft adjustments until the alignment was confirmed as correct.

Marine · Seawater pumps

Monitoring beyond the CM programme

On two seawater pumps aboard an LNG carrier, monitoring pointed to rub, misalignment and impeller issues. Repair returned the pumps to normal efficiency.

Cases are individual outcomes from Artesis field deployments between 2005 and 2024. All visuals are from Artesis software. Customer names are withheld.

04 / What we detect

Fault modes, signals
and evidence strength.

Evidence strength reflects how reliably a condition produces an observable electrical pattern in typical pump installations — not a guarantee of detection.

Condition	What changes in the signal	Evidence	Field case
Motor · electrical
Broken or cracked rotor bars	Rotor-related pattern in the current spectrum	Strong	11 kV condensate pump →
Stator winding and insulation	Internal electrical fault indicator and phase balance	Strong	—
Supply and connection issues	Voltage imbalance, harmonics, RMS deviation per phase	Strong	—
Drive train · mechanical
Bearing wear	Bearing-related pattern in the current spectrum	Good	Jockey pump, cooling pump
Misalignment and coupling	Coupling and alignment-related pattern	Good	Cooling pump, fuel pump
Unbalance and looseness	Unbalance and looseness-related patterns	Good	—
Pump · hydraulic and process
Cavitation	Characteristic hydraulic pattern in the spectrum	Good	6.6 kV pump
Flow turbulence, impeller damage	Flow-related pattern in the spectrum	Good	Cooling pump
Dry running, blockage, operating point drift	Load level and stability versus learned baseline	Good	—
Early seal wear	Only visible once leakage changes the load	Limited	—

05 / Outside the envelope

Where electrical signatures are weaker.

We state the limits up front, so monitoring is set up where it adds most and paired with the right complementary checks.

Very low speed

Below about 20 Hz on a VFD, or on slow-running pump bearings, signatures can fall under reliable thresholds.

Early seal wear

Seal degradation without a measurable load change leaves little electrical trace. Use process instrumentation or visual checks.

Slow erosion and corrosion

Gradual material loss without hydraulic impact may not be observable until it affects performance.

Detailed bearing grading

For fine bearing assessment, a portable vibration check adds sensitivity — without permanent sensors.

Observed patterns are interpreted by qualified personnel; they guide investigation rather than replace it. AMTPro spot tests need near-constant speed (±1% frequency) during capture.

06 / How you deploy it

Continuous where it matters.
Portable everywhere else.

Online · permanently installed

e-MCM

Critical and hard-to-reach pumps
24/7 learning, trending and alarms
Supports VFD applications
Results in OmniSight across sites

Portable · route-based

AMTPro

Balance-of-plant and spare pumps
Spot tests from the MCC in minutes
Automatic condition report per test
Energy impact estimate in every report

Artesis Insight explains the finding.

Artesis Insight turns spectra and trends into plain-language explanations and next steps. Your team does not need to be an ESA specialist to act on a result.

Illustrative maintenance guidance

Inspect for cavitation.

A cavitation signature in the spectrum suggests cavitation. Check suction pressure, NPSH margin and strainer condition, and compare with the pump’s operating point.

After action
Compare the trend under similar flow and load, and confirm with a vibration measurement if needed.

Example wording only; not a live alarm or a reproduced AI report.

07 / Applications

Across your pump fleet.

Cooling water pumpsCondensate extraction pumpsBoiler feed water pumpsProcess and transfer pumpsChilled water pumpsFire water and jockey pumpsSeawater lift pumpsTreated water pumps

Do I need sensors on the pump?

No. Artesis measures three-phase current and voltage in the motor control cabinet. Nothing is mounted on the pump, motor or pipework.

Can pumps on variable frequency drives be monitored?

Yes. e-MCM supports VFD applications. The initial baseline is best established at a fixed speed for about five hours before multi-speed learning is added. Diagnostic confidence is reduced below roughly 20 Hz.

Can medium-voltage pumps be monitored?

Yes. The cases on this page include pumps at 6.6 kV and 11 kV, measured through the existing CT and PT secondaries.

Does this replace vibration analysis?

It complements it. ESA gives a continuous, global view of motor and pump health from the panel. Portable vibration testing remains useful to confirm specific bearing or hydraulic findings.

What information is needed to start?

Motor nameplate data, pump type, typical operating current, the starter or drive arrangement and the available measurement points in the cabinet.

Related assets

Other equipment we monitor.

Bring your critical pumps into view.

Tell us about your pumps and drives. We’ll suggest where online monitoring pays off and where portable testing is enough.

Talk to Artesis ↗

Iron & Steel

Where continuous operation is crucial for maximum productivity, any failure in the smelting process can lead to substantial production delays and significant material costs. Artesis emerges as the ideal ally for the iron and steel industry, offering unparalleled condition monitoring tailored for challenging environments.

Energy

Artesis is here to support the energy sector with our advanced system for monitoring and predicting issues. In an industry where a steady power supply is crucial, our technology plays a key role in ensuring things run smoothly. Our special software is great at spotting potential problems early in rotating equipment, acting like an important early warning system. This is especially important in the energy sector, where unexpected breakdowns can lead to disruptive power outages affecting businesses, homes, and critical infrastructure. Artesis significantly contributes to the reliability of the energy sector by offering an effective predictive maintenance solution. By looking at patterns over time, our technology gives an early sign of possible issues. This helps grid operators plan ahead, taking actions to prevent power disruptions and ensuring a constant energy supply to industries and communities.

Logistic & Transportation

The logistic and transportation industry faces significant challenges when it comes to downtime costs, with unplanned disruptions leading to schedule delays, missed delivery dates, and additional charges. Artesis plays a crucial role in minimizing these challenges by providing continuous monitoring of asset health, offering timely insights into the need for repairs.

Automotive

Artesis introduces an advanced Predictive Maintenance (PdM) solution tailored for the automotive industry. Our system, Artesis e-MCM, is designed for simplicity, requiring minimal installation efforts and offering low start-up costs. With no need for sensor installation on equipment and the ability to function in non-EX areas, Artesis e-MCM is an ideal solution for inaccessible automotive equipment.

Food & Beverage

The food and beverage industry faces unique challenges, particularly concerning hygienic standards and safety. Artesis condition monitoring products emerge as a solution, offering a distinctive advantage—no sensor installation on the equipment itself. This not only ensures uncompromised hygiene but also addresses safety concerns seamlessly.

Pharmaceutical

Artesis’s condition monitoring and predictive maintenance solutions offer a comprehensive approach, encompassing failure prediction, fault diagnosis, failure-type classification, and recommendations for relevant maintenance actions. This empowers pharmaceutical equipment manufacturers, engineers, and process plant owners and operators to proactively identify and address potential issues, enhancing the efficiency of their maintenance services and improving equipment uptime.

Water

Artesis empowers water companies with continuous monitoring of aerators, centrifugal pumps, positive displacement pumps, mixers, clarifiers, and submerged equipment, preventing potential failures and optimizing asset performance and energy consumption. In the water industry, system downtime is both disruptive and costly. Artesis’s predictive maintenance and power monitoring solutions enhance operational efficiencies, prevent unplanned downtime, and extend the economic life of critical assets.

Oil & Gas

Knowing how rotating equipment is performing, predicting failures, improving asset utilization, and finding productivity enhancements in challenging environments are particular challenge for Oil & Gas companies. Artesis helps oil and gas companies predict their rotating equipment failures and prevents the unplanned downtime where the cost of downtime is extremely high. When oil and gas operations break down, it can have a significant domino effect on energy supply – making predictive maintenance technology a key ally for companies in the sector.

Hear the pump
from the panel.