Howard Jones, industrial sales manager for AQS Liquid Transfer/Axflow, talks about the wide product range of pumps the company brings into Southern Africa for the food & beverage, agricultural, mining, industrial and utility markets.
“With the ever-growing demand for higher production and reliability, the need for high-quality equipment is imperative to ensure that production targets are met with minimum downtime. The correct selection of pump and materials of construction will minimise the chances of contamination and spillage during pumping operations,” begins Howard Jones, industrial sales manager for AQS Liquid Transfer/Axflow (AQS/Axflow).
“The global expansion of the AQS/Axflow product range is allowing us to address an ever larger range of markets in Southern Africa, from hygienic foods to chemical and mining markets,” he says.
Multiple types of pumps and pumping disciplines can be applied in all these applications, including peristaltic hose, rotary lobe, air-operated double diaphragm (AODD) and centrifugal pumps.
Although the initial capital outlay of these premium quality pumps can be high, the benefits of avoiding cheaper, substandard products is proven in all manufacturing and high-volume pumping applications.
Correct materials of construction are also important when selecting a product for a specific industry. In the case of peristaltic hose pumps, for example, the hygienic food industry would generally require FDA & EC 1935/2004-certified hoses manufactured from FDA-approved nitrile buna rubber.
“Production of food products such as pastry, tomato puree, crushed vegetables, beverages, dairy products and confectionery requires that the pumps used meet strict hygienic standards and can handle the products with sensitivity. “Our Abaque® and Realax® peristaltic pumps are perfect for sanitary pumping of many liquids and foods. The smooth pumping action performs well with shear sensitive products or fluids with delicate particles,” Jones explains.
These hose pumps are available in different sizes – ranging from HD10 to HD100 – enabling them to be used for use for dosing, mixing and bulk transfer. Advantages of using peristaltic hose pumps include: self-priming; dry-run capabilities; seal-less; reversible; optional fittings available (DIN, SMS, Tri-clamp); simple to use; easy and quick hose change; food grade lubricant; ability to pump liquids containing abrasive or hard or fragile solids in suspension; and excellent reliability. Hose pumps also lend themselves to pumping extremely corrosive chemicals and explosives as they do not have mechanical seals that can leak, which would cause a safety hazard.
The air-operated double diaphragm (AODD) pump ranges available from AQS are the result of research and development based on global challenges and success stories, which have been shared with end users of these products to help streamline their operations, improve production and, ultimately, deliver better profitability.
Sandpiper®, Versamatic® and Vega® AODD pumps for the transfer of foodstuff and sauces as well as inks, paints, chemicals, resins and very aggressive compounds for industrial markets have proven to be reliable and versatile over many years, with thousands of these AODDs currently installed across the world. The AODD pumps have also been very successful in underground mining activities for water transfer to central pumping stations. “The majority of our mines are equipped with AQS AODD pumps; this is as a result of their efficient use of compressed air and their rugged construction,” says Jones. Various materials of construction allow for a best-fit selection based on a material compatibility guide that ensures an ideal combination of materials is used for the medium being pumped. This extends the lifetime of the pump.
Many of the AQS range of different centrifugal pumps are used in pressure boosting , process water and dewatering applications, where shear sensitivity is not of concern. These allow high flows and total dynamic heads to be achieved.
In order to best serve as many markets as possible, AQS has been entrusted with the sole distribution and service rights for a large range of brands including Sandpiper, Versamatic, Vega, Realax, Andritz, NOV and a number of other brands in South Africa. “This is because of our geographical footprint and the successes that we have enjoyed over many years as well as our collaborative approach to supporting our customer base”, he explains.
“Our success, we believe, is achieved by advising on design parameters and aftermarket service requirements to ensure seamless onsite operations,” Howard Jones concludes.
