Upon hearing about their willingness to commit to trying a Yamada pump in their process, I coordinated with engineering at Yamada on coming up with a pump offering that would give them a solution to the issues they were experiencing. Previously, the customer had been using a ½” pump constructed of polypropylene with Santoprene® elastomers. Instead of offering the same material and size pump, we decided to suggest a larger ¾” pump to be run at a slower inlet air pressure supply to lessen the wear from the abrasive fluid. Along with increasing the pump size, we also decided to offer an aluminum pump with stainless steel check balls/seats that would hold up better to the abrasive service that was eating away at the seating surface of the competitor pumps. In addition, we also supplied the pump with abrasion pads, which are unique to Yamada pumps, providing an extra layer of protection between the inner portion of the diaphragm and center disk. These abrasion pads protect against the commonly seen uniform wear pattern that develops in abrasive service applications and helps extend the life of the diaphragm over time. We put the Yamada pump in on trial and it proved to be much more successful and durable, as compared to the competitor pumps the customer was already using. Previously they were getting approximately 3-4 weeks of service out of the competitor brand pumps. The Yamada pump stayed in service, without a failure, for 9 weeks! After successful completion of the trial period, the customer then tried larger versions of the same Yamada pump in similar applications, utilizing Yamada’s 2” and 3” pumps. The larger pumps proved successful as well. The plant has now decided going forward to switch all of their diaphragm pumps over to Yamada pumps.
Given the alternative materials of construction we offered for the trial pump to hold up in the abrasive service, and the support from engineering at Yamada, we were able to provide the customer with a pump that held up longer and proved reliably in a demanding ceramic slip transfer application. Thus, allowing us to earn their business and trust all while standing behind our product via a trial. |
AuthorMeet Dave! Archives
March 2023
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