PUMPS, VALVES & ACTUATORS FEATURE MAKE CREAM WHILE THE SUN SHINES


Inoxpa Sanitary Lobe pumps, supplied by Michael Smith Engineers, have replaced troublesome flexible impeller pumps at a sun cream processing facility in St Albans. As a result, the production process now runs much more smoothly


M


alibu Health Products is a private manufacturer of sun care and


related products based in St Albans, Hertfordshire and well known for brands such as the sun cream ‘Malibu Sun’. The company’s sun creams and lotions are designed to absorb or reflect some of the sun’s ultraviolet radiation, offering the wearer protection from the sun’s damaging rays. For these products to work effectively they must be free from contamination, so manufacturing processes must be as hygienic as possible. An important stage of the process


requires the transfer of sun care creams and liquids from 1000 litre vessels, which was being handled by flexible impeller pumps. However, there were issues with the pump impellers wearing rapidly due


to the viscous nature of the process fluids. The resulting pump failures led to plant downtime, unplanned maintenance costs and product contamination caused by rubber particles entering process liquids from worn impellers. Furthermore, the use of flexible impellers pulled air into the process and also imparted excessive levels of shear stress onto the liquid, both of which could degrade the end product. The solution came in the form of the


Inoxpa SLR 2-50 sanitary lobe pumps constructed in hygienic 316L stainless


MAINTENANCE SOLUTION FROM A NEW ANGLE


Within a very confined bunded area at Severn Trent Water’s Minworth Sewage Treatment Works, the upright design of Borger’s recently installed rotary lobe pumps has helped reduce maintenance costs and downtime. Working with the global engineering, construction and management organisation MWH Treatment,


Borger’s Maintenance-In-Place (MIP) pumps have replaced progressive cavity units that had to be completely removed to be repaired or serviced. Installed with angled (helical bevel) direct drive gearboxes (rather than belt drives) to allow installation, the energy-efficient 5.5kW PL200 Borger pumps can have all of their wear parts replaced in situ by the maintenance team, without dismantling any pipe or drive systems. This new order for Borger follows the


success of its previous rotary lobe installation at Minworth, where its pumps also reduced maintenance requirements in a difficult belt thickener sludge discharge application. The jetting out of fat has been reduced from around every three weeks (when progressive cavity pumps were in operation) to intervals of just every four months by using Borger’s rotary lobe pumps. Borger


www.boerger.com/en_uk/


The pumps are designed to handle even the most viscous fluids, without the risk of contaminating or degrading sensitive products


steel, which were supplied by Michael Smith Engineers. These pumps replaced the flexible impeller pumps, and are designed to handle even the most viscous fluids, such as the sun creams being produced at Malibu Health Products, without the risks of contaminating or degrading sensitive products. The lobe rotor design ensures smooth,


shear-free pumping and low operating speeds provide immediate energy savings. George Mears, technical manager at Malibu Health Products (Sun Protection) said: “We are happy with the Inoxpa Lobe pumps supplied by Michael Smith Engineers, as we now have minimal air ingress into the process, no product contamination and reduced maintenance downtime.” Inoxpa SLR Rotary Lobe suit applications


which involve liquids that are highly viscous such as creams, syrups and gels, or those containing solid particles. The positive displacement, sanitary construction meets the strict requirements for processing sensitive, hygienic end-products. The lobe rotor design features large


cavities between the lobes to ensure easy handling of viscous liquids with virtually no shear onto the product. No parts can wear into the process liquid, so the risks of product contamination are eliminated. Furthermore, low operating speeds enable smooth flows, reduced wear and more efficient operation, which together contribute toward longer pump life and reduced energy savings.


Michael Smith Engineers www.michael-smith-engineers.co.uk


 PROCESS & CONTROL | NOVEMBER 2016 9


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