Sentrimax overhauls legacy Sharples decanter and tricanter centrifuges used by Richmond, Virginia-area pulp and paper, chemical and general manufacturing plants, shipping units to its Kitchener, Ontario facility for teardown, inspection, parts replacement, gearbox work, balancing and a full test run before the machine returns to service.
Coverage for Virginia’s Industrial Corridor
Richmond sits within a Mid-Atlantic industrial corridor that includes pulp and paper
mills, chemical manufacturing plants and general manufacturing facilities, several of which
run Sharples decanters and tricanters that have been in service for decades. Sentrimax does
not operate a facility in Richmond. Equipment from this region typically ships to the
Kitchener, Ontario facility – 2300 Shirley Dr, Unit 3, Kitchener, ON N2B 3Y2, 877-741-0118 –
which handles the Mid-Atlantic corridor as part of its regular workload. Sentrimax is an
independent MRO provider founded in 2002; it is not authorized, certified or partnered by
Sharples or any other centrifuge manufacturer.
Pulp and Paper Duty on a Sharples Decanter
Pulp and paper mills use decanter centrifuges primarily for effluent clarification and
solids recovery from process water, separating fiber and other solids before water is
recycled or discharged. That duty is generally lower in abrasive wear than an oilfield or
mining application, but it is hard on seals and internal surfaces in a different way: process
water carries fine fiber and chemical residue from the pulping process, which can foul
internal clearances gradually rather than eroding them outright. A Sharples unit in this
service often shows reduced separation efficiency – cloudier effluent, more fiber carryover –
well before it shows a mechanical symptom like vibration.
| Application | Typical wear pattern | What the inspection focuses on |
|---|---|---|
| Pulp and paper effluent clarification | Fine fiber and chemical residue fouling internal clearances | Separation efficiency check, precision fit measurement |
| Chemical manufacturing solids separation | Corrosion or chemical attack on wetted surfaces | Material condition assessment, coating evaluation |
| General manufacturing process solids | Variable wear depending on the specific process stream | Full teardown measurement rather than assumed wear rate |
Chemical Manufacturing Duty and Material Compatibility
Chemical plants running Sharples centrifuges for process solids separation put a
different kind of stress on the machine than pulp and paper duty does. Depending on the
specific chemistry involved, wetted components can be exposed to corrosive or reactive
process fluids that attack standard materials faster than an inert process stream would.
Sentrimax assesses material condition during every teardown and can recommend coating or
material upgrades where a documented pattern of chemical attack, rather than simple mechanical
wear, is the dominant failure mode – a distinction that matters because a chemical-resistant
coating solves a different problem than the hardfacing used against abrasive wear.
Parts for an Aging, Multi-Application Fleet
- Measurement of the worn or damaged component against its original design tolerance
- Design or reverse-engineering of a replacement where the OEM original is unavailable
- Machining to meet or exceed OEM specification
- Coating or material upgrade evaluation where chemical attack, not just mechanical wear,
is driving failures - Dynamic balancing to ISO G 0.5 once the rotating assembly is reassembled
Sharples has changed ownership and product lines multiple times over its history, and
older bowl, scroll and gearbox designs are not always fully supported through current OEM
parts channels. Sentrimax’s engineering services and machine shop – milling, lathe-turning,
precision-grinding – can design new or reverse-engineered parts to fill that gap, keeping a
mechanically sound unit in service rather than treating parts scarcity as a reason to replace
equipment that has not reached the end of its working life.
Gearbox Rebuilds and Controls Work
Sentrimax repairs planetary two- and three-stage gearboxes and CYCLO gearboxes as well as
hydraulic backdrives, common on legacy Sharples equipment, and treats a gearbox inspection as
a standard part of every teardown rather than a separately requested service. On units where
the original control panel has become unreliable after decades of service, PLC and HMI
upgrades, VFD troubleshooting and replacement, and brake system integration are available
alongside the mechanical rebuild.
Inspection Through Delivery
- Receiving and inspection. The unit is documented, disassembled and
steam-cleaned for a 75-point technician inspection, with an oil sample sent for third-party
analysis. - Quotation package. Inspection findings, scope of work, required parts,
photos, pricing and an estimated delivery time are prepared for approval. - Réparation. Approved parts are machined to meet or exceed OEM tolerance, and
the rotating assembly is reassembled and balanced to ISO G 0.5. - Test run and delivery. A full performance test run precedes shipment
through Sentrimax’s broker network, with a detailed report of parts, labor and analyses
completed.
Stop the machine if
Effluent clarity drops sharply without a
corresponding process change, a bearing runs hotter than its normal range, or the gearbox
produces a new grinding or whining sound. Continuing to run an aging Sharples unit through
these symptoms risks converting a seal-and-clearance repair into a full rotating assembly
rebuild.
Deciding Between Rebuild and Replacement
A Sharples unit that has been through several rebuild cycles, particularly one exposed to
chemical attack rather than purely mechanical wear, eventually reaches a point where the
underlying castings and housing have absorbed enough cumulative damage that another repair no
longer makes economic sense compared to a refurbished replacement. Sentrimax sells new and
refurbished centrifuges and ancillary equipment, including gearboxes and electrical
components, and the inspection data from a current teardown is useful evidence for making
that comparison rather than guessing at remaining service life from the outside without
opening the machine up first.
Keeping a Process Running During a Rebuild
Rental centrifuges are available for pulp and paper or chemical manufacturing facilities
that cannot idle a process while a Sharples unit is being inspected, repaired or rebuilt.
Arranging that coverage at the same time a unit is scheduled for shipment is generally more
practical than requesting it after a process has already lost its centrifuge capacity and
production is already backing up.
Balancing After a Parts Replacement
Replacing a bowl, scroll section or other rotating component changes the mass
distribution of the assembly even when the new part is machined to the same nominal
dimensions as the original. A rotating assembly that goes back into service without being
rebalanced will run rougher than it did before the repair, undermining the benefit of
replacing the worn part in the first place. Sentrimax balances every rebuilt rotating
assembly to ISO G 0.5 on a three-plane balancing setup before it ships, regardless of whether
the job started as a single parts order or a full inspection – a step that matters as much on
a pulp mill’s low-abrasion decanter as it does on an oilfield unit running weighted mud.
Building a Maintenance Record Across a Mixed-Use Facility
Manufacturing sites in the Richmond corridor that run more than one Sharples unit across
different process lines benefit from treating each machine’s inspection report as a separate
record tied to its specific duty, rather than assuming shared maintenance needs because the
equipment carries the same brand name. The 75-point inspection, oil sample analysis and
annotated photographs generated at each teardown reflect that unit’s actual condition and
process exposure, which is a more reliable basis for prioritizing maintenance spending across
a mixed fleet than treating every Sharples machine on site as functionally identical. Over
several service cycles, that record also clarifies when a specific unit has crossed the point
where a rebuild no longer makes better economic sense than a refurbished replacement.
What a Nameplate Cannot Tell You
A Sharples nameplate identifies the model and, where still legible after decades of
service, a serial number – but it does not indicate how much wear has actually accumulated on
the bowl, scroll or gearbox internals. Two units with identical nameplates running in
different parts of the same facility can need very different parts depending on their
individual process exposure and service history, which is why Sentrimax measures precision
fits during the actual teardown rather than quoting parts from the model number alone. That
measurement step also catches wear that has not yet produced an obvious symptom, which
matters for equipment old enough that the original manufacturer’s own service records may no
longer exist anywhere, at Sentrimax or otherwise.
Wider Coverage for Sharples Owners
This page covers full Sharples repair for Richmond-area pulp, paper and chemical plants.
For parts availability and reverse-engineering options specifically, see the
pièces de centrifugeuse page. The general decanter and tricanter
rebuild process that applies once a machine is opened up is covered under
réparation de centrifugeuse décanteuse, and this page sits
under the broader Sharples centrifuge repair hub.
Coverage across the rest of North America, including the Mansfield and Edmonton facilities,
is detailed on the centrifuge service areas page.
Get a Sharples Unit Evaluated
Sending the model and serial number, along with a description of the process fluid and
recent symptoms, helps the Kitchener facility scope the inspection before the unit ships.
English, French and Spanish-speaking representatives can help coordinate shipment logistics
for the Mid-Atlantic corridor, and a rental centrifuge can be arranged in advance for a
facility that wants coverage in place before the inspection findings are known.
Foire aux questions
Does Sentrimax have a facility in Richmond?
No. Sentrimax's Kitchener, Ontario facility handles the Mid-Atlantic corridor as part of its regular workload, and equipment ships there and back through Sentrimax's dedicated broker network.
Is Sentrimax authorized or certified by Sharples?
No. Sentrimax is an independent MRO provider and is not authorized, certified or partnered by Sharples or any other centrifuge manufacturer. The brand name describes equipment serviced, not an affiliation.
How is pulp and paper duty different from chemical manufacturing duty on a Sharples unit?
Pulp and paper duty tends to foul internal clearances gradually with fine fiber and chemical residue, reducing separation efficiency before any mechanical symptom appears. Chemical manufacturing duty can expose wetted components to corrosive process fluids that attack materials directly.
Can Sentrimax recommend a coating or material upgrade for chemical attack rather than mechanical wear?
Yes. Sentrimax assesses material condition during teardown and can recommend a coating or material upgrade where a documented pattern of chemical attack, rather than abrasive wear, is the dominant failure mode.
Can Sentrimax find parts for an older Sharples unit no longer supported by the manufacturer?
Often, yes. Sentrimax's machine shop can design new or reverse-engineered components machined to meet or exceed OEM specifications when an original part is discontinued, common on legacy Sharples product lines.
Can we get a rental centrifuge while our unit is being rebuilt?
Yes. Sentrimax offers rental centrifuges to keep a process running during a repair, overhaul or period of peak demand, best arranged before the unit ships rather than after coverage is already needed.
Parlez à un spécialiste des centrifugeuses
Envoyez-nous les détails de la machine et nous vous ferons parvenir un devis et une description du périmètre d'inspection.