A single image covering the usage of mechanical seals for all many pumps.

A centrifugal pump has experienced three mechanical seal failures within six months.
How would we determine whether the root cause is hydraulic, mechanical, operational, or installation related?

I would recommend you to follow NACE requirements as-is to apply any corrosion coupons.
And yes, you can install while in operation as well. In fact, many facilities introduce coupon monitoring later due to:
RBI recommendations
Unexpected corrosion findings
New damage mechanisms
Process changes ...

Should we be running some sort of an inspection plan on similar welds in similar piping system installed at the same time, if a design deficiency is picked?

The key is to ensure that corrosion loop boundaries, damage mechanisms, inspection data, and RBI assessments are all linked in a structured asset hierarchy.

Are you looking for any direct digital monitoring tool to report you live creep damage?

Very good one.

arcpro wrote: 19 Jun 2026, 11:08 This guide should cover all.
Metal_Dusting_Guide.png

What about an inherent weld defect or design deficiency itself?

You know what I was thinking, the actual PSV lifts place substantial stress on bellows.
Frequent lifting may indicate operating close to set pressure, control system instability, process upsets, plants often discover that valves with repeated lift histories have significantly shorter bellows life ...

That is a challenge, yes.
A diagnosis of metal dusting becomes highly credible when all of the following are present:
✓ Syngas/CO-H₂ environment
✓ 400–800°C operating temperature
✓ Localized pitting or crater morphology
✓ Black graphitic deposits
✓ Metallographic evidence of graphite-filled pits ...