Pumps: Pumping ideas into the mix

Innovating new technology and finding ways to gain further fuel efficiency isn’t the only thing on the minds of pump manufacturers across Europe, as UK-based ECS Engineering Services is taking a look at what is already on the market, and is focusing on ways to ensure such products are used to their full potential.

The company said that the simplicity of the Archimedes screw pump – a machine historically used for transferring water from a low-lying body of water into irrigation ditches – continued to make
it one of the most efficient pumping methods over short distances, but it added that the efficiency of the pump should not be taken for granted.

It said that implementing a comprehensive maintenance regime would ensure continued reliability and efficiency levels, noting that machines like these are often running 24 hours a day.

Dave Bennion, project manager at ECS Engineering Services, said, “The Archimedes screw pump is renowned for reliability and efficiency, which is why it is employed in so many applications, especially in the water treatment industry and drainage environments.”

He said that it was ideal for maintaining water levels and pumping water contaminated with debris that would seriously damage a centrifugal pump.

“The maintenance regime for a screw pump is considerably less complicated than that for a centrifugal pump which, unlike Archimedes’ design, can become blocked or overheat if it runs dry. Modern bottom bearings, such as the eco-friendly bearing from Landustrie, which locates the screw position in the trough, are now sealed for life, removing the need to check grease pumps and lubrication lines regularly.”

He said that, while the lower bearing was usually submersed in water and inaccessible, the top bearing, which is located close to the motor drive and gearbox, would require maintenance checks to be carried out.

“Automatic grease cartridges are often employed on these bearings as well as on the gearbox, so a simple inspection of the grease level is all that is required, with replacement of the cartridge as necessary.”

ECS Engineering Services is able to offer an on-site inspection service, carried out by its engineers to assess the condition and expected lifetime of any screw pump installation. The company said that, if any maintenance was required, it delivered a complete service, including renewal of the screw itself with support from its long-established partner Landustrie, if necessary.

Solids handling

Among the new products on the pumps market, UK-based Pioneer Pump has launched a new range of solids handling pumps in Europe, as well as Africa and the Middle East. They feature the company’s vortex technology and are said to improve the handling of large solids.

The new 100VM medium head pump is capable of flows of more than 200m3/hr and the pump will reach flows of 445m3/hr with heads of 35m. The 200VM – the largest pump in the range – offers a discharge size of 200mm, handling flows of up to 600m3/hr with heads of over 35m. The 200VM is capable of passing solids greater than 125mm.

Simon Ruffles, managing director of Pioneer Pump in Europe, said, “Our vortex pumps provide efficient solids handling and a low fuel burn to a range of sectors, including sewage treatment and wastewater management. After several years of extensive research and testing, we are confident that we have developed a market-leading product.”

He added, “When designing these pumps, we spoke to customers and incorporated what they needed in a solids handling pump. We looked at using other designs such as a screw impeller or a chopper pump, but we found that for tough applications such as ragging (pumping fibrous materials) our vortex design was superior, passing large solids effectively while withstanding wear and damage.”

The company has also launched a new hydraulic submersible range in the form of the fully bonded, sound attenuated HYPP30 Hydraulic Power Pack, together with the 150HSS and the 100HSS solid handling submersible pumps.

Pioneer Pump said the new range featured a Perkins 404D-22T engine and delivered hydraulic flow up to 60 litres/m and hydraulic pressure up to 200 bar, the new HYPP30 can be coupled with solid handling, chopper and heavy sludge submersible pump ends.

Commercial sales director Paul Skippins said the new range was designed for those applications where suction lift was greater than 8.5m, making them the preferred choice for quarry dewatering, sludge and slurry transfer.

“The hydraulic hoses can be extended up to 80m, making those difficult to get to applications possible,” he added.

And the company also introduced its new 150 Hydredge, which it said incorporated a 6 screw type pump and a single rotor agitator unit, designed for desilting and sludge removal applications with stubborn sediments.

The 150 Hydredge can be operated using a single HYPP30 powerpack and Hydredge control panel. The controller gives the operator flexibility to choose between pumping and agitating, which ensures efficient sediment and sludge removal, said Pioneer Pump.

18 additions

Atlas Copco, meanwhile, has launched 18 new additions to its open frame diesel-driven centrifugal dewatering pump range. The PAS range of pumps focus on high fuel efficiency and cover a full spectrum of sizes from 105m3/h to 630m3/h, and discharge size ranging from 3in (76mm) to 8in (203mm).

Designed for multiple applications, from dewatering on construction and mining sites to solids removal, drainage and even emergency situations involving flooding and shipping, the company said the PAS open-frame system included both wet and dry prime options, and the modular design allowed many different configurations.

Wim Moors, vice president of pumps within Atlas Copco’s Portable Energy division, said, “The new PAS dewatering pumps meet the five key criteria that Atlas Copco sets for the development of new machines – compactness, versatility, durability, efficiency and simple service.

“They are easy to transport to wherever you need them, tested in the toughest conditions, efficient in fuel consumption and able to cover multiple applications with a focus on modular design.”

The wide range of sizes in the new PAS portfolio starts with the 6.4kW PAS3 – a wet prime pump offering a maximum flow capacity of 120m3/h, a discharge size of 76mm and a maximum head of 24.5m. It is able to handle solids of up to 40mm and benefits from an air cooling system and 4.5 hours of fuel autonomy.

At the other end of the spectrum, the dry-prime PAS8 operates at a head of up to 30m, offers a discharge size of 8in (203mm) and handles solids of up to 76mm with a maximum flow of 630m3/h

Atlas Copco also offers a range of portable electrical submersible pumps. The WEDA range can manage flows from 225 to 16.500 litres per minute with a maximum head of 85m.

Within 24 hours

Another manufacturer busy expanding its business and its product range is Tsurumi, which moved into its new 800m2 European headquarters in Düsseldorf, Germany, earlier this year, and doubled its supply depot – claiming that most of its pumps could be on their way to customers within 24 hours of ordering.

As well as a new electric contactor’s pump, the LH4110W, with 110kW power and ability to pump waste water with 8mm particles up to 216m vertically, Tsurumi has also embarked on a large waste water product expansion campaign, starting with the 50GY series.

The manufacturer said its delivery programme was planned to double to around 500 pump types by the start of 2017. The smallest of the new pumps has a motor output of 150W, the largest more than 160kW. This is the first step by Tsurumi in its goal to become the market leader in the waste water sector.

The 50GY is a series comprising 12 electrical waste water submersion pumps made of sturdy grey cast iron that can be installed in a free-standing position. With a motor output varying between 1.1 and 9.5kW, they can pump up to 510 litres/m to pumping heights of 68m.

To ensure that the waste water can flow without blockages, Tsurumi uses an open multi-vane impeller that turns at a speed of 2,850rpm. The grinder mechanism with its stationary cutting ring and rotating blade, chops the solids in the waste water in fractions of a second.

This development works so efficiently that the manufacturer said it was able to make the outlet diameter just 50mm to allow pipe cross-sections down to DN50, which in turn keeps materials and installation costs low. The cutting mechanism itself is a solid design made of just two parts, and is therefore very maintenance-friendly, according to Tsurumi.

Elsewhere, Xylem has also been busy expanding its business – it signed a deal to buy smart meters, network technologies and advanced data specialist Sensus for US$1.7 billion (€1.5 billion) earlier this year.

Xylem said the deal advanced its strategy to be a leading provider of systems intelligence solutions in the global water sector. It said Sensus’ had more than 80 million metering devices installed globally, while its FlexNet communications network technology uses licensed spectrum in the US and other parts of the world to provide secure connectivity solutions that support multiple applications.

Xylem said FlexNet network technology provided a platform for its future growth. It is acquiring Sensus from investment funds affiliated with The Jordan Company and GS Capital Partners 2000.

Patrick Decker, Xylem president and CEO, said the deal was an important milestone for the company’s strategy to move forward with technology.

Elsewhere, there is a new pump on the market from UK-based SPP in the form of the E Series autoprime pump.

SPP said that its dewatering pump came with an optional single vane open impeller for handling raw sewage containing stringy/fibrous solids and semi solids up to 100mm in diameter.

It was also developed to be portable and lightweight, featuring a compact manoeuvrable design to allow models to be trailer transported and easily shipped. SPP said the company had also worked hard to reduce the number of components in the latest pump, as well as simplifying servicing and maintenance access.

Rental surge

Meanwhile at Selwood, Mark Page, managing director of pump sales said the company had seen a surge in demand for pump rental in the UK, but this was also evident around the globe.

He said, “As the market grows, Selwood, with its extensive and expanding pump range and a long-established distributor network, significantly strengthens its presence worldwide. Contractors’ need for operational efficiencies increasingly drives them to choose rental as a more attractive option than capital purchase.

“This works in tandem with Selwood’s
pump sales business. The durability and longevity of its products – and the fact that they are designed with strong input from colleagues in the company’s pump rental division – make them ideally suited for the rental market.”

He said Selwood had plans to expand in the next 12 months with a specific focus on France and Spain where there are many opportunities for growth, working with distributors DMTP in France – Selwood partners since 1998 – and ABIN in Spain, who’ve worked with the company for more than 20 years.

“The increased network across both countries plus new branches in the South of France and Madrid will allow increased national coverage in the pump rental market. DMTP’s new branch in Marseilles has been a hive of activity thanks to the region’s high concentration of industrial, petro-chemical and infrastructure demand.

“DMTP also recently opened a branch in Angers in western France, and plans to relocate its current Paris branch to larger premises in early 2017. These developments are part of a strategic growth plan to provide a network of pump rental branches across France,” he said.

“ABIN’s main office is based in La Coruña and the additional new branch opening soon in Arganda Del Rey, close to Madrid, is welcomed by its key customers where the majority of head offices are located. Many of these customers already own Selwood pumps, creating a regular stream of service and repair works for ABIN.”

Page added, “Both DMTP and ABIN have placed significant orders that include Selwood’s highly regarded super silent pumps, which are the quietest on the market, making them particularly suited to work in urban areas.”

He said Selwood also continued to invest heavily in its Super Silent range and offered its entire pump range for rent – either directly from its distributors’ own fleet or supplied quickly from the UK fleet of more than 3,000 units.

Page said, “Continuing to expand our rental offering is a key element of Selwood’s strategy for the coming year – and its position as one of the few British pump companies to design, manufacture, rent and sell its own range of surface diesel and hydraulic pumps is a major strength.

“This year saw the launch of a new pump, the S150M, a medium head addition to Selwood’s solids handling range which is to be introduced for rental worldwide, allowing new pump applications to be targeted.

“As the global pump rental market continues to develop, Selwood relishes the opportunities and challenges of a very competitive market.”