One of Vesconite's customers, a large independent polyurethane and plastic foam manufacturer, restarted an important gear pump without difficulty after the company's closed period from December through January. This gear pump is used to pump glue to rebound foam chips.
Because it pumps viscous adhesive liquid at one of the company’s two chip plants, the gear pump can fail to restart if component parts are immobilized by glue after a long period of inactivity.
Viking Pump Restarts With Ease With Hilube
However, with the introduction of Vesconite Hilube polymer bushings in the well-known Viking internal gear pump, the company’s pump restarted with ease.
The foam manufacturer service manager noted that the self-lubricating hard-wearing Vesconite Hilube polymer bushings replaced carbon graphite ones, which had tended to crack in the warm operating environment, in which the viscous glue-like chemicals needed to be heated to be applied to the foam chips.
This did not occur with the Vesconite Hilube, which had the added advantage of being self-lubricating and being able to move in the high-friction environment.
“You can’t use an ordinary plastic bush,” says the service manager.
The gum dries out and sticks to the bush if you try. After the December break and after long weekends, the gear pumps ceased to operate before we used Vesconite Hilube.
The company manufacturers 800 tons per year of chip mattress blocks, which are used for bus seats, gymnasium mats, restaurant seats, mattresses, and other high-density furniture/bedding applications.
The service manager said that the Vesconite Hilube bushing was currently on it's eight month, and is pleased it has survived and continued to operate after the holiday period.
He has installed Vesconite Hilube bushings on several gear pumps at the factory, including several pumps where temperatures can reach 65°C.
He believes that this is a low-maintenance solution for a challenging operating environment.
For the original article, visit Vesconite's website.
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