By Vincent Lejeau
Processing fish, lard and vegetable oils is the main business of Olvea Group in the small town of Fecamp, close to the English Channel in the northwest of France. These oils that were arriving at the plant were to be used for specific end products. This included the creation of cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, human food and animal feed, as well as various technical uses, such as the building of lasers and as lubricants for leather and metal work.
France-based Olvea Group is supplying fish, lard and vegetable oils for food production; and helping them along the way have been A Series and P Series Eccentric Disc Pumps from Mouvex.
These processes require strict purity for the oils as they move from transport truck to storage tank to 330-gallon intermediate bulk containers (IBC) and 50-gallon drums, meaning that no cross-contamination could be tolerated. Addition-ally, because of the high value of the oils, any products that were left in the transport truck, storage tank or hoses after the transfer process was completed would essentially be lost during the necessary cleaning process.
Francois Daudruy, technical director of the company, tested the A Series model for the transfer of the oils from storage tanks to shipping containers, and P Series Vane Pumps for the unloading of transport trucks.
Mouvex A Series pumps operate via the “eccentric movement principle”. These pumps are driven by an eccentric bearing that is installed on the pump shaft. This creates four distinct pumping chambers that increase and decrease in volume as the disc is rotated by the eccentric bearing, producing both suction and discharge pressures as the cham-bers move in pairs that are 180 degrees apart. This ingenious method of operation ensures that the fluid passes through the pump at a constant and regular flow rate.
The A Series pumps feature self-priming capabilities that enable dry-running and pipe-clearing operation. An automatic clearance makeup system maintains initial performance levels over time without the need for adjustment. Constant output is also maintained even as product viscosities and delivery pressures vary, which allows the pumps to reliably handle viscous, non-lubricating, volatile or delicate liquids with no shear. “It’s very important for us to avoid cross-contamination between the different products,” said Daudruy. “This pump has very good suction and it cleans the lines; it is very, very efficient.”
Mouvex’s P Series Vane Pumps use the rotation of the pump rotor and vanes to transfer liquids from the suction to the discharge side of the pump body in a continuous movement. This method of operation allows P Series pumps to be used in a large range of applications that involve the transfer of very thin to very viscous fluids, whether they are non-lubricating, abrasive or corrosive. The vane-style design also allows the pumps to deliver exceptional volumetric performance and reliability, which leads to reduced energy consumption. Maintenance is also easy since P Series pumps can be dismantled in place without the need to disconnect the suction and discharge lines.
“When we unload trucks and air arrives in the pump, the Mouvex continues pumping and empties the lines, which is very important for us,” said Daudruy. “Even when the truck is empty, the pump pushes the air in the tank and we can empty the pipes.”
Contributing to success
“It’s not hyperbole to say that the Mouvex A Series and P Series pumps have played a significant role in the growth of the Olvea Group. Today, the company annually handles 45 million tons of oils with exports to 90 countries and annual sales of €80 million.
The Fecamp facility is outfitted with a total of 13 Mouvex pumps, which are mounted on skids so they can be easily moved were needed during the course of the day. Each pump is dedicated to a different type of oil, with hoses of differing colors (red, green, blue, orange, silver, etc.) snaking around the grounds to indicate which product they are to be used for.
Actually a new facility is planned. The new plant is expected to be operational in early 2018. “We are outfitting our new factory with 18 Mouvex pumps,” said Daudruy. “We will be able to handle about 60 different kinds of vegetable oils and with that many, it’s important to empty the lines to avoid product cross-contamination. With the Mouvex pumps, I am totally confident that our new factory will run efficiently.”
www.mouvex.com