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Solving a common problem with a seepex hopper pump
Russell Grant is a major fish processing company in Grimsby. Like every fish processor, this company has to process the fish waste it creates. On their site they were using an open hopper system to pump the macerated fish waste into a dryer, which is common practice in the industry. The end product of the process is powdered fishmeal, which is then sold on.
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The starting situation
But the unit was performing badly. Says Howard Graham, of US contractor Scott Equipment, which was called in to address the issue, "The open hopper pump that had been installed would just not pump properly. Although the system incorporated an open hopper unit - complete with a separate extension hopper above the pump - it really didn't seem to be processing the waste effectively. It was almost as if there were fish heads blocking the way!"
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The solution
Knowing their pumps well, Scott Equipment called in seepex UK. After rejecting the idea of reducing the viscosity of the waste by adding water, because of the cost of the extended drying time this would involve, seepex recommended that the best way to resolve the issue was to install a pump with an effective bridge breaker. seepex supplied a trial pump which included an integral bridge breaker and auger feed screw prior to the pumping elements the rotor and stator. The bridge breaker forces the highly viscous product into the openings of the auger feed screw thereby over coming the bridging problems, this pump worked without problems from day one. As a result of the trial, a new unit to the same specification was ordered and has now been installed.
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The benefit
"It was so frustrating to have a unit that had seemed to be able to do the job, but then kept causing blockages," said director of the fish processor, Derek Grant. "I am really glad Scotts recommended seepex, because what we had hoped to get from the first bit of kit, the new seepex pump is actually delivering!"
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Key Facts
- Handle highly viscous products
- Closed system no odours
- Patented dry run protection
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Significant cost savings
- No down-time due to bridging problems
- Reduced whole life costs
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