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07/06/2010
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Thread locking and sealing components manufacturer Prelok reports that installing 521 series pumps from Watson-Marlow, in combination with Gore Style 400 high resilience tubing, has solved problems caused by previous pumps circulating its adhesive coating fluids.
 Andy Jones, Prelok site services manager and maintenance co-ordinator, says that earlier impeller- or diaphragm-based pumps were damaging the fluid, or being damaged by it.
"The problem focused on micro capsules that are suspended in the adhesive coating fluid," explains Jones.
"We found that the impellor type pumps damaged the capsules, while a subsequently installed diaphragm pump could not work with the sometimes small amount of fluid. It was also hard to get the specific diaphragm material resistant to some of the aggressive chemicals we use," he adds.
Jones says he then recalled using Watson-Marlow peristaltic technology in another process – solving similar problems because, in peristaltic pumping, nothing but the hose or tube touches the fluid, meaning that neither the fluid nor the pump can be damaged.
Also, the complete closure of the tube gives the pump a positive displacement action, so preventing backflow and eliminating the need for check valves when the pump is not running.
A Watson-Marlow 521 Series pump was duly installed at Prelok's Willenhall factory, and so impressive was its performance that the company now has a total of four at Willenhall, with a further four across its European operations.
All of the units use an inverter to control speed, and all run continuously throughout the production period. Despite this demanding workload, Jones says that maintenance tasks extend to no more than "spraying some lubricant on the rollers and springs every now and again".
He also advises that, because of the aggressive nature of some of the chemicals used within Prelok's adhesive coating fluids, the conventional Marprene and Tygon tubing deployed initially exhibited short working life – leading to short life and sometime ruptured tubes.
"Since switching to the Watson-Marlow peristaltic pumps this at least meant it was easier to clean and get the process up and running again. However, it was still an issue [so] I contacted Watson Marlow about alternative tube materials and our local sales engineer sent me a sample pack to test.
"He followed up with a site visit and suggested we use a new type of pumphead [with quick release couplings] and Gore Style 400 tubing. So far we haven't had a tubing rupture in the months it has been running."
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Author
Brian Tinham
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