How E-Series AODD Pumps offer advantages
for reliably safe handling of hazardous liquids
In the previous article, we introduced how one type
of pumping technology—positive displacement
(PD) solid-body plastic air-operated double diaphragm
(AODD) pumps—possesses the design and
construction features that are necessary to guarantee full
containment of dangerous chemicals, while also offering
working characteristics that enable the highest level of
operational efficiency to be achieved. While safety in
handling these chemicals is a top concern for those who
come in contact with them, there is also a secondary
one: these chemicals are often very expensive and any
loss due to leakage or release has a direct effect on the
manufacturer’s bottom line. In this concluding piece, we
will offer a list of features and benefits for handlers of
dangerous chemicals need to look for when selecting
an AODD pump, as well as compatibility and volumetric
consistency concerns presented by some types of
pumps during operation.
THE SOLUTION
While other PD-pump technologies have shortcomings
when handling dangerous chemicals, the AODD pump
does not come with such concerns. Specifically, plastic
solid-body AODD pumps are the preferred choice over
their injection-molded cousins. In general, solid-body
AODD pumps are stronger and have a longer life cycle
with less required maintenance. Injection-molded plastic
pumps, on the other hand, can have small cavities or
crevices in the body where liquids can accumulate
and potential leak paths can be created. During their operation, injection molded
pumps can also
bounce more than solidbody
models, which can
loosen pipework and
increase the chances for a
product leak.
Plastic AODD pumps
can also be constructed
of materials that are
specifically compatible
with the chemicals that
are being handled, which
eliminates corrosion and
leak concerns. The overall
design and operation
of AODD pumps gives
them dry-run capability
and good controllability,
while they are seal-less.
Their compressible drive
medium permits gentle
delivery with attenuated
pressure peaks. Start-up
is simple and the space
required is considerably less than in the case of piston actuated
diaphragm pumps or
eccentric screw pumps.
E-SERIES AODD PUMPS
Almatec® Maschinenbau GmbH,
Kamp-Lintfort, Germany, is a
premium manufacturer and the
actual inventor of plastic solidbody
AODD pumps and offers an
extensive product range. In the
handling and transfer of dangerous
chemicals, Almatec, which is a
product brand of PSG®, a Dover
Company, recommends its E-Series
AODD Pumps. E-Series pumps offer
a long list of features and benefits
for handlers of dangerous chemicals:
- Solid-Body Construction.
E-Series pumps are CNCmachined
from solid blocks
of polyethylene (PE) or
polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE).
The result is a pump that is
not prone to the creation of
leak paths while being able
to operate with the most
dangerous chemicals in the
harshest pumping environments
- Diaphragm and Containment
Ring. The E-Series features
a unique stainless-steel
containment ring and ring tightening
structure that helps
create consistent high-torque
compression that pulls the
components tightly together and
compresses the diaphragm in
such a way that a leak-free seal
is achieved.
- PERSWING P® Air Control
System. The PERSWING P®
is a lube-free valve with only
two moving parts that allows
the E-Series pump to achieve
superior flow-rate efficiency
and air consumption, which
helps lower the overall cost of
operation.
- Material Compatibility. The
E-Series pump’s housing can
be constructed of PE, PTFE, PE
conductive or PTFE conductive,
which allows it to be used
with a wide range of chemical
formulations. Additional
versatility in regards to material
compatibility is realized through
the availability of EPDM, PTFE/
EPDM and NBR diaphragms;
EPDM, PTFE, NBR and stainless steel
ball valves; and PTFE
cylinder valves.
- Intrinsic Safety. E-Series pumps
that are constructed of PE/PTFE
www.modernpumpingtoday.com Modern Pumping Today | August 2015 | 49
conductive plastics are intrinsically
safe and meet the requirements of
the ATEX 94/9/EG directive. This
means they can be safely used in
explosive atmospheres or when
pumping flammable liquids.
Almatec is now offering its E-Series
AODD pumps, which can be used a s
a direct replacement for its previous
A-Series line, in seven sizes: the ¼ inch
(6.4 millimeter) E08 with flow rate to 4
gallons (15 liters) per minute; the 3
/8 inch
(9.5 millimeter) E10 with flow rate to 6
gallons (23 liters) per minute; the ½ inch
(12.7 millimeter) E15 with flow rate to
15 gallons (55 liters) per minute; the 1
inch (25.4 millimeter) E25 with flow rate
to 35 gallons (130 liters) per minute; the
1-½ inch (38.1 millimeter) E40 with flow
rate to 88 gallons (330 liters) per minute;
the 2 inch (50.8 millimeter) E50 with
flow rate to 160 gallons (600 liters) per
minute; and the 3 inch (76.2 millimeter)
E80 with flow rate to 210 gallons (800
liters) per minute.
CONCLUSION
You may not want to see how
they are made, but we can't
live without laws. The same is
true for thousands of consumer
or industrial products that are
manufactured on a daily basis.
While we may not want to
know what types of dangerous
chemicals, solvents, caustics or
acids are being used to make
paints, detergents, paper and
fertilizer, we also know that we
can’t live without them and that
we don’t want them to be released
to the atmosphere or environment.
That’s why full containment of
these hazardous, flammable or
explosive substances is a front-of-mind
concern for the plant
operators who handle them.
Those concerns can be alleviated,
however, through the use of
pumping equipment that has been
designed to achieve full containment
of dangerous chemicals. While other
pump technologies can claim to do
this, only plastic solid-body AODD
pumps, specifically the E-Series
model from Almatec, can turn those
claims into reality.
Peter Schüten is the Almatec®
product manager with Almatec®
Maschinenbau GmbH, Kamp-Lintfort,
Germany. He can be reached at
peter.schuten@psgdover.com or
+49.2842.961.0. Almatec is one of the
world's leading manufacturers of air operated
double-diaphragm (AODD)
pumps, owns numerous patents and
has one of the largest product ranges
in the field of pneumatic diaphragm
pumps. Almatec is part of PSG®, a
Dover company. PSG is comprised of
several of the world’s leading pump
brands, including Abaque®, Almatec®, Blackmer®, Ebsray®, Griswold™,
Neptune™, Maag Industrial Pumps, Mouvex®, Quattroflow™,
RedScrew™ and Wilden®. You can
find more information on Almatec
and PSG at www.almatec.de and
www.psgdover.com.