Weir Specialty Pumps of Salt Lake City, UT, has announced the launch of its WEMCO(r) Chop-Flow solids handling chopper pumps and their immediate availability for shipment.
The horizontal pump line features 6" x 3", 6" x 4", 8" x 6", and 10" x 8" sizes for a combined nine pump models. There are four impeller sizes and vane configurations for the 6" x 3" pump, three for the 6" x 4", and one each for the 8" x 6" and 10" x 8" pumps. Several of the new pumps have already been sold and delivered to customers.
Weir developed the pump line to meet customer need for a more advanced chopper pump design. With this in mind, the engineering staff benchmarked what was available and decided how they could improve the product. The company believes it has met the goals of improved reliability in chopping, consistent performance, easier maintenance, efficient power consumption and lowest total cost of ownership.
The pump line features WEMCO(r) abrasion and corrosion resistant materials of construction and a heavy duty casting. With a common footprint to other chopper pumps, the Chop-Flow will bolt up to existing piping and coupling.
The new pump line was highlighted at this year's WEFTEC exhibition in New Orleans, LA, October 3-6. Interest in the product was very high, with potential customers spending time viewing the working model of the pump and discussing its benefits with the Weir sales force.
According to Weir, a top 10 US-based consulting engineering firm was so impressed with the new chopper pump, they made the decision to remove a competitor's product from their specification and replace it with the Chop-Flow.
Vertical and submersible Chop-Flow models are in final production and will be ready for shipment by the end of 2004.
The chopper pumps are used in sludge applications where rag content would clog any other type of pump. They are also used in any application where long fibrous or herbaceous material is present and needs to be reduced in size to move through a system. Typical applications include raw sewage, screenings/septage, clarifier scum pits, primary sludge, return activated sludge, waste activated sludge, digester service and thickened sludge.
The Chop-Flow pumps feature a wrap-around nose vane that insures effective chopping at the center of the impeller, without the need for an impeller nut. A one-piece, ridged cutting bar spans the entire suction opening.
On the back side, the pumps have a patent pending rear cutter action and a labyrinth to protect and prevent any material from reaching the seal area, whether the pump is running or not.
When running, the back pump-out vanes on the rear shroud of the impeller "pump-out" any material which tries to enter the area between the rear of the impeller and the backplate. These back vanes also incorporate two cutting slots which intermesh with cutting teeth on the backplate.
The wearing parts - the cutting bar and rear cutting teeth - are replaceable. All clearances are adjustable externally, without the need for two people and the hassle of unbolting and moving the pump and/or the motor as required by some other designs. The pumps are available with packing and all conventional mechanical seals, flushed or flushless.
More information is available on the company's Internet site: www.weirsp.com.
