: In the future, the new pump will take over the automated and process safe transportation of finished bulk cargoes from the agitator to the tank farm. From there, filling takes place on different filling lines. The choice falls on the twin-screw PDSP pump of LEWA NIKKISO Switzerland AG (in the photo: installed state). (Image source: Steinfels Swiss)
Due to the continued strong demand, as a certified manufacturer of hand and surface disinfectants, Steinfels Swiss decided in mid-2020 to update the existing production plant of the Winterthur production facility under ATEX conditions and use it for the production of gel products. In the process of taking these measures, a new pump was purchased to take over the automated, process-safe transportation of finished products from the mixer to the tank farm. From there, filling takes place on different filling lines. The twin-screw PDSP pump from LEWA NIKKISO Switzerland AG was selected. The pump can run at high speed, so it can easily transport media with a viscosity ranging from 1 to 6,000 mPa required for gel production. In addition, due to the pumping principle, even if the flow rate and viscosity change, it can ensure consistently high and continuous performance. Since March 2021, Steinfels Swiss’s new progressive cavity pump has ensured that the ATEX-compliant disinfectant meter is 15 m³/h and the pressure is 3 bar.
“Due to the coronavirus, the demand for disinfectants has skyrocketed, so in 2020, we decided to refurbish our entire ATEX production area that has aged and expand our production capacity,” explained Beat Brogli, Technical Director of Steinfels Swiss. After the market's demand for disinfection gel has also increased significantly, the company decided to design a new mixing tank for the production of gel products and integrate it into the manufacturing process during the conversion measures. A PDSP twin screw pump from LEWA NIKKISO Switzerland AG was purchased to automatically pump the finished product into the tank area. "In the past, we used mobile pumps and hoses to transport many products," Broly added. "The new device is now permanently installed and integrated into the cleaning process." The automatic transfer of the finished product in bulk enables a safe, ATEX-compliant process.
A device suitable for media with a wide range of viscosities Steinfels Swiss decided to adopt PDSP based on detailed recommendations provided by LEWA NIKKISO Switzerland AG and a very successful pilot project in which the existing device was replaced by a customized twin-screw pump. Due to its high-pressure stability, this type of device can use pressures up to 16 bar at temperatures up to 136 °C and achieve a maximum flow rate of 90 m³/h. Twin screw pumps can run at very high speeds up to 3,600 rpm. This makes them particularly suitable for transporting thin bodies to highly viscous fluids, and they can also be used as CIP pumps to transport media. “They are very suitable for applications such as metering finished gel products at Steinfels Swiss because they cover the required viscosity range from 1 to 6,000 mPa,” confirms Pietro Pettoruto, Managing Director of LEWA NIKKISO Switzerland AG.
For reliable and efficient operation, these pumps are equipped with two precision-designed screw spindles that provide optimized tolerances. This series is especially suitable for sensitive and shear-sensitive products because the screws do not touch. Instead, the product is pushed forward without pulsation through the thread. Each pump size can be operated with two different spindles. There are two different spindle types for each size, each with a specific pitch. Steinfels Swiss uses hardened spindles in gel applications. The free ball channel can reach a maximum of 30 mm, depending on the type, and can uniformly transport media with large differences in viscosity. "The screw pump offers the advantages of the linear flow principle. This allows simple, cost-effective flow rate control through motor speed, and consistently high and continuous output, even when the flow rate and viscosity change," Pettoruto concludes.
Possibility for sealing materials Compared with screw pumps, these models are very compact and do not require elastomers as stators. "This eliminates several problems, such as elastomer wear during the compression of the pipeline with the rotor and expensive elastomer replacement or replacement," Pettoruto said. In addition, PDSP is self-priming, which means that it can discharge the suction line of the pump independently without external auxiliary equipment. These devices are designed with minimal dead space and are made of high-quality stainless steel. The roughness of all parts in contact with the product <0.8 µm is the standard, and can be polished to a value of <0.5 µm. The gears, base plate and coupling guard are made of stainless steel, making the pump easy to clean from the outside. Single or double mechanical seals made of SIC, tungsten carbide or PTFE lip seals are used for shaft seals. For example, O-rings are made of FKM, EPDM, PTFE or FFKM. Since the pump cover can be easily unscrewed, the equipment can be easily opened for maintenance work.
"In order to be used in Steinfels Swiss's ATEX area, the pump is equipped with dual mechanical seals that comply with FDA and EC1935/2004 and an O-ring made of EPDM, and the bottom plate is manufactured according to the customer's specifications," Pettoruto said. Since March 2021, the device has been reliably delivering 3 bar gel disinfectant at a rate of 15 cubic meters per hour. In the first six months after the renovation of the entire ATEX production facility, a total of approximately 700 tons of disinfectants were produced there.
LEWA's new monitoring system allows operators to sleep more soundly and prepares the pump for a smart factory: In addition to detecting faults and process deviations, smart monitoring also provides important key data for the economic evaluation of the factory. LEWA provides additional support for operational analysis of runtime data. Data sovereignty always belongs to the operator.
Although various localities have achieved some success in fighting the coronavirus, research and deployment of suitable vaccines are still the focus. In order to ensure the reliable production of sufficient quantities of vaccines, appropriate technical equipment, such as hygienic, high-precision pumps, are required according to the production method.
Jan Talkenberger has been the domestic and international sales director of Pumpenfabrik Wangen GmbH since July 1, 2021. He brings to the company many years of experience in internal and field sales as well as sales activities and the development and expansion of international partner networks.
The tried-and-tested M900 pump head has the characteristics of tightness, high metering accuracy and a particularly robust hydraulic system. However, so far, this type of pump head can be used in the two smallest sizes of the LEWA Ecoflow series, which can only reach 100 and 150 bar respectively.
The tried-and-tested NIKKISO centrifugal canned motor pump is mainly used in the transportation and circulation of highly flammable, explosive or toxic fluids in the chemical and petrochemical industries.
NETZSCH Pumps & Systems has developed a multi-screw pump for sanitary applications and has expanded its previous sanitary pump portfolio with the new model series NOTOS® 2NSH.
impeller.net-notice. choose. purchase.
International information and sales platform for centrifugal pumps.