Pumps and Systems Report low start-up pressure. Conventional market variants require a start-up pressure between 1.5 and 2 bar for the pump to even run at all; the solution requires only 0.7 bar to operate reliably even at 1 bar pressure. This results in significant medium- and long-term energy savings as well as efficiency benefits: Compared to market competitors, the double diaphragm pump from the supplier consumes up to 50 percent less compressed air. This results from optimized air channels, the ceramic spool snap-action valve and the shortstroke principle. Another advantage is sustainable use of materials. For application rollers the pumps work in a circulating system: The medium is pumped between the application roller and the dosing roller, excess material runs back into the tank and is reused. Thanks to the circulation system there is no paint loss and the manufacturer of wood-based materials saves valuable material and it also saves costs. Moreover, the proven control valve technology developed by the pump manufacturer and used in its pumps, enables lower pulsation and this is incredibly important for wood coating processes: high pulsation often results in an uneven paint pattern that causes shadowing on the engineered wood. Due to the fast changeover time of the valve and the short-stroke principle the pump generates a lower pulsation, so that the medium flows uniformly through the roller in a fine stream. This means that even minimal quantities can be input into the process; this is not the case with conventional double diaphragm pumps. “For our customers it is particularly important that the surface of the wood always has the same appearance – with a uniform paint application, the same layer thickness and the same colour pattern. Consequently, the high reproducibility that the pumps make possible is critically important for us”, states the technologist. The supplier’s solution enables the company to achieve far less microfoam in the paint system which can lead to the formation of small air bubbles that impair the surface result. The advantage is that the use of an additive is omitted, which protects the entire tubing and the paint flow. Now you don’t have to add anything and can work without foam. Even with low-viscosity fluids or varnish, there are significantly fewer medium splashes, thanks to the pumps from the supplier in Neuenkirchen. Maximum process reliability and easy maintenance Furthermore, the possibility of pump standstill is excluded. This is ensured by a special, lowwear, ceramic latching valve. All valve plates in the heart of the pump are made of ceramics in conjunction with precisionground, high-performance plastics. This results in minimum wear in the valve itself. In addition, a short-stroke principle is used; the diaphragm executes shorter strokes and therefore it is subject to less wear. Also a flow monitor indicates when varnish is no longer being pumped – this is a customer-specific function that is a special feature for the wood-based panel manufacturer. This prevents dry-run of the application roller. Another advantage: The double diaphragm pumps are extremely easy to maintain and they are quite simply structured. Because the valve is separated from the medium, the diaphragms can be quickly replaced when performing maintenance without having to replace the air valve. Ball replacement and cleaning are also quite simple. If specific pumps must be inspected, they can be removed, i. e. dismounted, very quickly and very easily. The pumps are so easy to maintain that they sustainably increase the process efficiency in the production and thus reduce costs long-term. Pump convinces The surface coating of wood elements, for which the high-performance double diaphragm pumps are important components, quickly led to the desired results: The company was able to optimise the quality and the appearance of the coatings and use the efficiencies to save valuable resources. The pumps were optimally tailored to the process. The product quality and the minimal service and maintenance effort required for the pumps convinced and in addition the short delivery times, the service and reachability. With this modernisation of the painting lines the wood-based panel manufacturer and the pump manufacturer are laying the foundation for further collaboration that will be continued and expanded in the future. “We are constantly developing our capabilities as a company in the wood coating industry. Naturally more systems and pumps will be required”, says the technologist. The Author: Olaf Beckmann, Head of Marketing, Timmer GmbH, Neuenkirchen, Germany Pumps, motors and digital solutions for industrial applications With a complete range of powerful pump solutions based on centrifugal pumps or screw pumps, we ensure more efficiency, more safety and more performance. BRINKMANN PUMPEN | K.H. Brinkmann GmbH & Co. KG T +49 2392 5006-0 | sales@brinkmannpumps.de | www.brinkmannpumps.de
