FEATURE BOILERS, PUMPS & VALVES Stay in control with PC pumps by Lesley Easton, business development and marketing manager SEEPEX
RIGHT FIRST TIME, EVERY TIME There are many benefits to using PC pumps for dosing. By providing an accurate, linear flow they dispense the correct amount of ingredients every time, maintaining the product quality. This accuracy also reduces wastage and means that overdosing is not needed, helping to keep down the cost of materials. As an automated process, it also saves on labour and forms part of a system that can help to control an inventory. They are also highly flexible and can be
specified according to customer demand. The SEEPEX D range of PC dosing pumps is not only modular – meaning it can be scaled up or down as required – it can also be specified to handle extremely viscous products; tailored for hygenic or industrial applications; or be made from chemical-compatible materials depending on the final use.
D
osing pumps are an important piece of equipment for manufacturers and
processors across a whole range of industries. For continuous processing and in-line blending, when it’s necessary to dispense a constant, accurate amount of product every time, dosing pumps are essential. But not all dosing pumps are the same – while most positive displacement pumps are capable of dosing, progressive cavity (PC) pumps are fast becoming the dosing pump of choice for customers looking for superior performance. Dosing pumps are specified when
accurate control of dispensing ingredients or products is required, for example in the food and beverage and water treatment industries. It’s essential that the ingredients or products being added are dispensed at a constant, proportionate rate to ensure even mixing and distribution, in order to guarantee a high-quality product to control costs. However, many traditional dosing
pump designs such as piston pumps, air diaphragm pumps and peristalic pumps have a pulsating action. This pulsed flow that means that once the pump has dispensed a product, there is a pause before it can dispense again. This results in a gap in the process and can cause uneven distribution of ingredients. Furthermore, some of these pump designs require check valves; if solid or viscous particles get caught behind the valves it can cause them to
18 JUNE/JULY 2018 | IRISH MANUFACTURING
stick, blocking the pump and halting the process. In contrast, PC pumps are virtually
pulsation-free. They use a rotor/stator pumping action which delivers a continuous flow into the product stream, compared to the start/stop action of piston or other positive displacement pumps. In the case of SEEPEX’s PC dosing pumps, this produces a stable flow rate with a linear accuracy of +/-1 per cent.
A STICKY SITUATION Another benefit of PC dosing pumps over the alternatives is their ability to handle highly viscious or sticky products and those that contain solid particles. Rather than just dispensing simple, free-flowing liquids such as sauces and flavourings, PC pumps can dose sauces containing herbs and spices or even abrasive pastes directly onto dough sheets. In fact, a variety of different products or differing viscosity of solidity can be dosed by a single pump, since the flow rate of PC pumps is not affected by pressure or product viscosity. Just as importantly, due to the
constant, pulse-free action of PC pumps, the use of flow control valves and ball valves is not required, allowing them to be used in complex applications. Chemical particles can settle at the bottom of tanks and block valves, preventing other positive displacement pumps from doing their job, but not so in the case of PC pumps.
The SEEPEX Smart Dosing Pump where users input just one parameter
PUMPED UP ABOUT INDUSTRY 4.0 Whatever your reason for specifying a dosing pump, it’s important to keep in mind the impact that Industry 4.0, or the connected factory, is set to have on UK manufacturing in the near future. There’s a general misconception that enhanced connectivity, smart manufacturing and Industry 4.0 are for big operations with ultra-sophisticated data capture strategies but all processes, no matter how simple, can benefit from preparation for future proofing – and this includes when selecting a dosing pump. To this end SEEPEX’s range of PC dosing
pumps includes a Smart Dosing Pump (SDP). Users input just one parameter – the proportional flow ratio – and the pump, featuring an integrated PLC monitor, will then make any necessary adjustements automatically. Once set, the flow rate is monitored and controlled entirely by the pump drive, which adapts to variations in operating conditions to ensure accurate, repeatable dosing. The SDP is easy to operate, comprising
a PC pump with an intelligent inverter drive which is programmed locally or centrally. Ultimately, it provides all the benefits of a PC dosing pump with ensanced control options, future proofing your dosing system as we move towards the fourth industrial revolution.
SEEPEX
www.seepex.com T: 01935 4752376
/ IRISHMANUFACTURING
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36
