Pumping sandpaper grit – aka aluminium oxide – can be really challenging for some pumps.  Obviously, aluminium oxide is really abrasive which can be a huge problem for a lot of pumps.

Recently, our engineering team upgraded a customer’s peristaltic pump as their existing solution wasn’t very reliable and was failing regularly.

The existing pump in place had a fixed shoe design and the problem with this is the high levels of friction which reduces the life span of the peristaltic hose pump and extra friction + an abrasive material = more heat and extra wear and tear on the pump parts, neither of which are good for the long-term lifespan of a pump.

With aluminium oxide, a peristaltic pump is the only real choice.

The new replacement pump features:

• A roller shoe design
• Silicon lubrication
• The ability to change the ‘pinch’ level of the roller

Benefitting from:

• Savings on replacement parts
• Lower maintenance costs
• Less downtime
• Increase in hours of operation

In addition to this, the pump’s control system was re-engineered so the pump can be run in reverse to clear any blockages.

Did it work?

Having been in situ for almost a year without any problems, this solution has already proved itself more reliable than the existing pump.

What are the main benefits of peristaltic pumps?

Peristaltic pumps are a great choice for slurries, sludges and highly viscous fluids – commonly being able to handle between 15% and 80% solids (depending on the solution) – without issue – the solution doesn’t make contact with the moving parts of the pump.   Also, there’s no need for the pump to be primed with a service liquid and dry-running is not a problem either.

Another benefit of peristaltic pumps is metering.

The ability to move a specific amount of fluids in a set timeframe is important for a lot of applications.  Metering pumps can:

• Discharge a set volume of fluid at defined intervals
• Maintain a steady rate of flow

If you have a similar troublesome application, our engineers would love to discuss the problem and help engineer out a problem.