Case Study: Atlantic Pumps Engineer a Solution for Filter Press Cloth Washing
Background
Atlantic Pumps were approached by a major wash-plant manufacturer looking for an effective cloth wash pump solution. Efficient and effective washing of filter press cloths is a vital element for many materials recycling sites and quarries. Without the filter press in operation, sites can quickly be rendered inoperable with dewatering backing up and nowhere for silt laden water to go. Furthermore, the quality of wash will directly impact the ongoing effectiveness of the filter press. This means a consistent spray delivery at high pressure is non-negotiable.
Working with our customer and using our industry knowledge we identified some key points to consider….
Challenges to Solve
Firstly, to effectively clean filter press cloths you need a spray bar with nozzles that can not only handle the very high pressure required, but at the same time create a spray pattern that optimises coverage of the cloths. Partial or low -pressure washing will significantly impact on the running of your filter press.
Secondly, it is essential to have a high-quality pump that produces enough pressure to run these spray bars. Reliability and build quality are vital considerations, not just the rated pressure. The original purchase price of the pump will often be spent many times over in spares and refurbishment costs.
Downtime will also come into this calculation, possibly the most underestimated cost; if a pump is going down and requiring service work every few months this will quickly add up in terms of manpower used, along with associated costs.
Finally, and linked to downtime, is the availability of spares for rapid delivery. This is consistently the biggest issue we get feedback on from our customers and was very much a consideration on this job. The end user in the London area could not be in a position where their dewatering process was brought to a stop for several weeks whilst waiting for spares to be delivered.
Solution Provided Atlantic Pumps sourced a specialist 60bar, 122LPM, 15kW pump that could consistently deliver the high pressures and flow required. We then designed and built a unique spray-bar solution, which incorporated reverse-mounted high-pressure nozzles, producing a highly efficient washing solution.
This pump and spray bar combination delivered exceptional results within the parameters specified. This was backed up with a rapid delivery of spares on the shelf in Sheffield should it have been required.
This solution ran for 18 months, while the wash plant and filter press were operational, without any spares expenditure or unplanned downtime.
It has now been relocated to a new site and has been reinstalled with no further expenditure. Both our customer and the filter press operator are very happy with the outcome and are confident to invest in this solution for further sites.
