Long Serving Glue Dispensing Pumps

Kappa Corby Corlon Packaging demonstrate Watson Marlow's reliability, with glue dispensing pumps which have been operating for 16 years. High reliability and low maintenance are two important qualities of production line equipment in the packaging industry, and these qualities have been amply demonstrated in Watson-Marlow Bredel pumps at Kappa Corby Corlon Packaging, which have been dispensing glue for over 16 years with just an annual hose change and a twice yearly change of lubricant.Six Watson-Marlow Bredel SP10 hose pumps handling viscous, water based PVA glue run for 16 hours a day, five, or sometimes six, days a week. The pumps operate in two pairs (with two units on standby). Each pair pumps glue from 200 litre capacity tanks and delivers over a distance of approximately three metres to the glue pot of a dispensing machine. From the glue pot adhesive is dispensed to a "wheel" and from there it is applied to the flaps and joints of cardboard boxes.

With only the smooth bore natural rubber hose element of the pump in contact with the pumped product, and without the complication of seals, glands, diaphragms, valves, rotors and other mechanical parts, the peristaltic pump has obvious advantages.

Cleaning and hose changes are simple operations, and the highly accurate, low shear pumping action enables consistent flow rates to be maintained irrespective of changes in viscosity, and without risk of product degradation through separation or foaming. The gentle pumping action is particularly important when handling PVA products which tend to "ball-up" when subjected to shear forces.

At Kappa Corby, sensors continuously monitor levels in each glue pot, starting the pumps automatically when glue falls to a predetermined level, and stopping them when the level is restored. The pumps run at fixed speed of 38 rev/min and are fitted with 0.55 kW motors. Pump output is one litre per minute.

 

Throughout the highly competitive printing and packaging industries, where it is imperative that downtime and maintenance are kept to the practicable minimum,

Watson-Marlow Bredel peristaltic pumps are extensively used for handling adhesives, coatings and inks.

Mike Sullivan, UK Marketing Manager at Watson-Marlow Bredel comments:

"Watson-Marlow Bredel is a world leader in peristaltic pumping and continually aims to bring further improvements and extensions to its product range. Meanwhile an increasing number of engineers are recognising the benefits of peristaltic pumps and specifying them in an ever widening range of applications.