A specialist print media company has installed peristaltic pump technology from Watson-Marlow Pumps Group to eradicate issues with printing machine breakdowns caused by failures to its previous air-operated diaphragm pump. The move has also reduced the need for ongoing maintenance.
Bristol-based Portishead Press is a family run print media business established some 40 years ago. Offering both digital and conventional (litho) printed communications, the company has found a strong niche in short-to-medium runs, providing everything from brochures and newsletters, to corporate stationary. With a diverse customer portfolio that ranges from the NHS to the University of Bristol, the company is maintaining its market position and looking to expand in the near future.
To build a sound platform for growth, Portishead Press knew it had to address an ongoing issue with its five-colour printing machine. The machine offers the traditional four-colour process (CMYK – cyan, magenta, yellow, black), plus a coating to seal the ink. The coating dries by oxidation and hence must be kept agitated. Here, a pump is used to keep it flowing around the system via a special trough.
Until recently the company used an air-operated diaphragm (AOD) pump for this duty, but not without difficulties.
“The AOD pump was fine when it was clean and new, but it soon became quite high maintenance,” explains the company”s production director Andy Povey. “The coating, which is a caustic solution, causes the seals to go – we were replacing them every few months. We”d had the machine six years and this issue never went away. Eventually enough was enough.”
The coating is a styrene acrylic polymer, which would leak into the machine”s bearings when the seals on the AOD pump perished. The bearings would seize causing the printing machine to stop with significant delays as a result. And there was another problem: the AOD pumping action thickened the coating during the agitation process, creating bubbles that were sucked back down the return pipe leading to frothing issues.
“We needed a pump that could move the coating fluid quickly, without introducing air,” says Mr Povey.
After searching the internet, the company came across Watson-Marlow Pumps Group and its range of innovative peristaltic pumps. In peristaltic pump technology nothing but the tube touches the fluid, eliminating the risk of the pump contaminating the fluid or vice versa. Fluid is drawn in, trapped between two rollers and finally expelled. It is the complete closure of the tube that gives the pump its positive displacement action.
A team from Portishead Press visited Watson-Marlow”s headquarters in Falmouth to see a pump in action. Satisfied it could meet the company”s requirements, Watson-Marlow engineers helped Mr Povey specify a suitable model, recommending the 621VIX/RE close coupled peristaltic pump.
“It was installed 18 months ago and we haven”t touched it,” says a pleased Mr Povey. “Watson-Marlow explained that the tubes will need replacing at some stage. This only takes five minutes but we haven”t even needed to do this yet!”
Furthermore, the issue of frothing has also been solved. The 621 series peristaltic pump provides gentle, low shear fluid handling, so avoiding air entrainment, and the issue of frothing is circumvented.
The pump is self-priming and intuitive to set-up and use. It has independent flow control in terms of forward and reverse, as well as electronic speed control.
“Shortly after installation, Watson-Marlow sent an engineer to check the pump”s performance – the service and support has been really good,” concludes Mr Povey. “The pump is not only saving us money, it ensures continuity of service for our customers, which is priceless.”
Watson-Marlow Fluid Technology Solutions
- 01326370370
- info@wmftg.co.uk
- https://www.wmfts.com/
- Bicklandwater Road, Falmouth Business Park, Falmouth, Cornwall, TR11 4RU GB
About us
Watson-Marlow Fluid Technology Group (WMFTG) peristaltic tube and hose pumps meet requirements including: value for money; low cost of ownership; reliability and ease of maintenance to the food and beverage, chemical, pharmaceutical, mining and many other industries.
We demonstrate how pumps deliver significant process efficiencies over the lifetime of the equipment. Whether performing flavouring addition in food processing, chemical metering in water treatment or mineral recovery, we have a solution which can cut pump downtime and reduce costs through higher accuracy metering and transfer. WMFTG has dedicated application engineers available to help customers make the right pump and tubing choice from a range providing microlitres per minute to 80 cubic metres per hour flow rates.
The only part of the pump to come into contact with the product is the tube or hose. This means there are no seals or valves that can wear or fail. Replacing the tube or hose can be performed quickly and safely. Peristaltic pump benefits include:
Total fluid containment with no seals No ancillaries Handle viscous and abrasive slurries and sludge Self-priming capability Dry running without damage to the pump In addition to their range of positive displacement pumps, Watson-Marlow Fluid Technology Group has added PTFE-lined chemical and industrial hoses to their range. Aflex hoses are reinforced to withstand the most severe conditions and use.
Where we supply to
Europe, Africa, Asia, Australia, South America, North America
Industries we supply to
Automation, Chemicals, Consultants, Components Electronics, Energy and Power, Food and Beverage, Glass Ceramics Cement, Metals and Minerals, OEM, Paper and Pulp, Pharmaceutical Cosmetics Toiletries, Plastics and Rubber, Recycling, Textiles, Tobacco, Water and Wastewater
-
Watson-Marlow to showcase Bredel CIP pump and next-generation fluid handling at PPMA 2025
Watson-Marlow Fluid Technology Solutions (WMFTS) will unveil the latest Bredel CIP pump and its portfolio of next-generation fluid management technologies...
-
Watson-Marlow launches new Bredel CIP pump for beverage producers at drinktec
Watson-Marlow Fluid Technology Solutions (WMFTS) is launching its latest innovation for the brew and beverage market; the Bredel CIP pump,...
-
Bredel Hose Pump Solves Ash Slurry Problem at Biomass Plant
A Bredel 100 hose pump with an NR Transfer hose has been installed at a biomass power station in Pécs,...
-
Watson-Marlow Fluid Technology Solutions introduces WMArchitect Interchangeable Parts for robust single-use assemblies
Watson-Marlow Fluid Technology Solutions (WMFTS) has introduced WMArchitect Interchangeable Parts to improve the longevity of single-use assemblies. The introduction brings...
-
Watson-Marlow to Exhibit Peristaltic Pump and Fluid Path Technologies in London Biotechnology Show Debut
Watson-Marlow to Exhibit Peristaltic Pump and Fluid Path Technologies in London Biotechnology Show Debut Watson-Marlow Fluid Technology Solutions (WMFTS) will...
-
German Waste-to-Energy Plant Prolongs Hose Life Using Bredel NR Transfer Hoses
Abfallverbrennungs- und Biokompost GmbH (AVBKG), the German waste processing plant, has achieved significant hose maintenance and hose life savings. Based...
-
Flexicon PF7 tabletop peristaltic liquid filling machine
-
Sterile ReNu SU Technology cartridge
-
Quantum and ReNu SU Technology cartridge - Make sterile connections in non-sterile environments
