New Nordson gear pumps improve product quality
Nordson Corp. has developed a new generation of gear pumps that provides up to 15% greater throughput without an increase in RPM.
The BKG BlueFlow gear pumps are a new-generation product range that improves upon well-known technologies developed separately by the Münster-based melt-filtration and gear pump business of Jan-Udo Kreyenborg, and by US-based Xaloy Corp.
Both companies were acquired by Nordson in 2013 and 2012, respectively.
Chief among the improvements are more efficient melt delivery, which makes it possible to achieve up to 15% greater throughput without increasing pump RPM or to reduce RPM to lessen shear stress on the polymer without sacrificing throughput.
The pumps feature better sealing performance and more sealing options, and the full range of sealing types are now available worldwide.
In addition to air- and water-cooled systems, alternative designs with cooling fins are also available.
The new gear pumps include pressure and temperature sensors at both the inlet and the outlet sides, contributing to more consistent melt properties and improved quality.
“BKG BlueFlow gear pumps provide better melt delivery performance for all processes and are particularly valuable in operations involving technical polymers, optically clear products, or other high-specification applications where it is important to minimise shear stress,” said Sven Conrad, business unit director for melt delivery products.
Besides providing improved performance, the new BKG BlueFlow design harmonises options previously available separately in different parts of the world, Nordson says.
The product range now includes three series: “EP” for standard extrusion, “MP” for processes involving frequent colour changes or heat-sensitive polymers, and “RP” for discharge out of vessels and reactors where no vacuum is applied.
Pumps are available for the full spectrum of contingencies, including pumping capacities, pressure rates, and heating methods.
While pumps are designated as “US” and “EA” (for Europe and Asia) because of regional differences in connecting and sealing, they all have the same core components, such as bearings, shafts, and sealing options.
The BKG BlueFlow range includes gear pumps for film, sheet, pipe, profile, fibre, compounding, recycling, polymerisation, and hot melt applications.
A wide range of pumping capacities or specific volumes are available, ranging from 33 to 3,201cc/revolution, for throughput ranges up to 12,000kg/hr.
The gear pumps are for use with polymer viscosities from 2 to 20,000Pas and at temperatures up to 350°C.
MP Series gear pumps in the BKG BlueFlow range are designed for processes involving several product changes a day and for sensitive or shear-critical polymers, such as PC or PMMA for optical applications.
It includes a piston-actuated self-cleaning procedure that facilitates purging, eliminating the need to disassemble the pump, and prevents polymer degradation.
