Finding the right pump for vacuum conveying

Date 3/1/2016

A big question in the industry is, and has been, what type of pump to use with the conveyor.

Traditionally we have been marketing and selling only pumps based on compressed air. The conveyors were specifically designed to be used with our specialty, the COAX® ejector technology. COAX® is based on pneumatic technology and is driven by compressed air. A vacuum system based on COAX® technology can provide your customer with three times more vacuum flow than conventional systems, while reducing energy consumption. Also compressed air provides a lower sound level and heat emission than a mechanical pump. However, although it is widely regarded as the 4th utility of industry, along with water, gas and electricity, compressed air is not readily available to all producers. Unlike the other three utilities, it is not universally distributed to factories through taps, pipes or cables.

Realizing that we have over 30 years of experience of powder and granules transfer through vacuum conveying in different sizes and grades, the conclusion was why not expand our expertise to a wider range of customers? We are selling our expertise to move powder and granules from one location to another. Why not let the customer choose which type of pump to use? Wishing to enable more manufacturers to reap the benefits offered by the piFLOW® conveying systems, we decided to take the unusual step of introducing a pump technology that is very different from our specialization.

Now an alternative, in fact competing, pump technology has been introduced to run piFLOW® conveyors. The electro mechanical pumps were carefully selected to ensure that their performance would match that of our existing ejector pumps.

The introduction of rotary vane pumps as an alternative to ejector pumps in piFLOW® conveying systems enables us to be the one-stop-shop for all industrial conveyor customers, regardless of whether or not they have access to compressed air. This will be an interesting journey to be able to offer our conveying expertise with more customers than previously possible.

If you find this interesting and would like to know more please contact us – and we will reach out to you.

Auto tuning

Auto tuning is an example of decentralised decisions that form the basis for Industry 4.0. This is an area where Piab has been busy introducing new equipment features promoting smart production.

Preset settings

The ability to use accurate preset settings also provides opportunity for real-time adjustments of single or multiple settings without a major reset of the entire system.

Easy to simulate with software

Simulations are designed to increase the efficiency of, for instance, vacuum pumps. Estimates show that a pump that is 5 to 20 percent more efficient would result in a productivity gain of up to 10 percent.

Condition monitoring

Estimates suggest it will be possible to achieve a drop of between 1 and 20 percent in the amount of unplanned and/or planned stops. This would translate into a significant productivity boost.

Interoperability

The adoption of IO-Link is the key, as it guarantees interoperability between different devices, regardless of the technology standard used in the overall system.

Information transparency

IO-Link provides a platform for integrated communication and sensors, enabling successful information transparency. Hence, making equipment available with IO-Link can be viewed as a commitment to both interoperability and information transparency.

More energy saving

For large vacuum systems, there are features which can help reduce the air consumption by up to 90 percent in every cycle.