Sealless pumps tackle resinous wood glue problem
8 Sep 2011
Woking, UK – Pumping resinous glue at high temperatures presents a sticky problem for certain types of pump, especially when there is an added complication of the glue containing particulates. This challenging pumping application is part of the process of manufacturing oriented strand board (OSB) a timber based building product which is similar to plywood.
OSB is a sustainable timber-based material for both structural and non-structural building applications and is manufactured by compressing strands of wood with resins at high temperature to create strong and versatile panels.
Originally gear pumps were being used to deliver the resinous glue into a mixing chamber, where it is sprayed onto wood fibres in the early stages of the manufacturing process.
Chosen for their high pressure capability, these pumps leaked persistently through their mechanical seals causing damage to them when hardened resin became trapped between closely meshing gears. This resulted in the need for the pumps and gearbox to be replaced three times on one month.
The installation of a Hydra-Cell pump, supplied by Michael Smith Engineers of Woking, Surrey, at this stage of the process immediately solved the problem by providing reliable, high-pressure pumping of the resinous glue.
The sealless design of these pumps means no dynamic seals to leak, wear, or replace and their spring-loaded, horizontal disk check valves enable the pump to process liquids which contain particulates up to 500 or greater microns in diameter without problems.
Following six months of trouble-free operation, the second pumping system was installed on the process with the same successful results for the OSB manufacturer.
