Win-Win: High-End AODD Pump Performance at an Affordable Price

When looking to purchase a new automobile, there are many options to consider. The decision usually comes down, however, to what tasks the new vehicle will be asked to perform. For example, within the realm of General Motors, while it might be nice to drive a Cadillac, if the car is to be used mainly to transport kids to and from school or soccer practice, a more pragmatic and economical choice might be a Chevrolet.

The same theory holds true for industrial processors who need to outfit their facilities with pumps. Everyone wants a pump that will perform as expected while meeting the demands of the specific product-transfer application. A top-of-the-line pump can usually be a good choice in these situations, but sometimes the demands of the application, along with budgetary restraints, may indicate that a less expensive, but still capable, model can do the trick.

“C”-ing Is Believing

In the world of plastic air-operated double-diaphragm (AODD) pumps, the gold standard is a model that is constructed of heavy, dense plastic that can withstand the rigors of continuous-duty use and has wetted parts constructed of polyethylene (PE) or PTFE that make it compatible with a wide variety of fluids, including those that are highly acidic, abrasive or corrosive. The tradeoff for the operator in attaining these high levels of robustness, versatility and reliability is usually a higher purchase cost.

Today, however, many industrial processors are realizing that a premium AODD pump does not need to a be a first-choice technology for more basic fluid-handling applications. In these cases, while users know that it’s always better to have a heavier pump, they will instead choose a lighter alternative because it can still reliably perform rudimentary fluid-transfer tasks, but will do so with a much lower capital investment.

In 1984, Almatec^®, a product brand of PSG^®, introduced its AD Series AODD Pump to the processing market. AD Series pumps were truly revolutionary as they featured an industry-first compact “closed” design that made them Almatec’s trademark model. The pumps earned their popularity through heavy plastic construction that provided the mass that oscillating pumps require, housing materials constructed of abrasion resistant PE or chemically resistant PTFE and an outer surface that was completely metal-free. This produced a pump that provided reliable, long-life performance – at a corresponding price. With the successor pump models A-Series and E-Series, this quality strategy has been continued consequently.

However, the recent industry trend toward developing and offering cost-effective pumps prompted Almatec to consider the creation of a less expensive alternative. The result is the new Almatec C-Series AODD Pump, which is being billed as the “New Original.” The pump, which is available in five port sizes ranging from 10 mm (3/8”) to 50 mm (2”), is designed for fluid-transfer applications that do not require high-end features. Still, the pump has the mass needed for oscillating pumps with wetted parts constructed of PE or PTFE, with conductive versions with ATEX conformity also available, while the diaphragms and ball valves are made of PTFE and EPDM.

The pump’s housing parts are tightened against each other via a diaphragm-sized ring on each side. This structure transmits the forces from the housing bolts into the housing parts evenly, which improves the pump’s longevity and increases its safety. The pump’s engine is the patented PERSWING P^® Air Control System, which has no dead center and operates without the need for any lubrication.

The C-Series pumps are equipped with separate female NPT-threaded inlet and outlet manifolds, while the air inlet is BSP-threaded with an optional NPT-threaded air inlet also available. The connection manifolds can be installed in one of two configurations: a standard “Z” setup with inlet and outlet on opposite of the pumps, or a “C” configuration with the inlet and outlet on the same side of the pump.

Conclusion

By gauging the evolving attitudes toward the implementation of less expensive pumps for basic industrial fluid-transfer applications, Almatec has developed the new C-Series AODD Pump, which cost-effectively capitalizes on the reputation of the AD Series pumps, the pump that revolutionized the industry 35 years ago.

About Almatec^®

Almatec^® is a product brand of PSG^®, a Dover company, Oakbrook Terrace, IL, USA. Almatec pumps are manufactured at PSG’s Duisburg, Germany, facility. For more information on Almatec’s full line of plastic and metal air-operated double-diaphragm (AODD) pumps and other technologies, please go to almatec.de.

This content is sponsored by Almatec. Sponsored content is authorized by the client and does not necessarily reflect the views of the Process Flow Network editorial team.