PUMP SURVIVES FIRE

Even though it’s casing was badly burned in a fire, a Verder Autoclude MO45 mini peristaltic pump kept going. Manufactured in Basildon, Essex, the pump was installed in a testing chamber at Pfisterer in South Africa, a world leader in electrical engineering. 

Pfisterer develops and manufactures contact elements for power supply networks in four operating divisions – cable systems, components, overhead lines and railway catenary systems. The mini pump was supplied to form part of a rig for testing resistance to tracking and erosion on powerline transmission insulator material.  A wet, polluted environment is simulated by combining ammonium chloride, a wetting agent and deionised water which the pump consistently and accurately doses across the rubber surface.

The compact MO45 peristaltic pump is suitable for an extensive range of industrial applications including chemical dosing, sampling and analysis.  The standard pump has a polycarbonate/ABS housing for durability and a clear polycarbonate cover and rotor.  It can handle flow rates up to 40 ml/min and in the Pfisterer application doses at 0.6ml/min at 1 rpm through a 3.2mm diameter tube.

The ignition of poor insulation material in the test chamber was responsible for the fire that damaged the Pfisterer MO45 pump but Chemical Engineer, Shaun Aitken, was highly impressed with its resilience.  He added, “Because the MO45 is so small and not pressure dependent, it is ideal for achieving the exact flow rate required for the test.  The pump remains accurate for the six hour test every day.”

This Verder Autoclude pump was supplied to Pfisterer by South African distributor, VPSA.