a new line of centrifugal pumps featuring stainless steel housings and durable composite impellers has been introduced by Berkeley Pumps. Designated the SSCX Series, the pumps are available in horsepower's from 1/2 to 2 1/2 and with TEFC or ODP motor types. Designed for temperatures up to 185oF, the pumps provide high-head performance, quiet operation and corrosion-resistant dependability in a variety of applications.

A stainless steel housing provides maximum corrosion resistance in either chemical or water applications. Quiet operation is assured by a smooth flow path. A separate compartment for the controls and switches seals out any dirt and moisture, making service faster and increasing reliability. A mechanical shaft seal featuring precision-lapped and highly polished carbon-ceramic, stainless steel construction also helps to deliver long-life reliability. Three seal options meet a wide variety of application needs.

The impeller is precision molded from Noryl composite material for perfect balance and lasting quality. Ultra-smooth flow ports maximize performance and efficiency. Standard drain vent ports make priming and draining faster and easier. Depending on pump size, inlet pipes are either 1 1/4 or 1 1/2 inch, and outlets are either 1 or 1 1/4 inch. At 3600 rpm, the six pumps in the SSCX Series produce flow rates from 40 to 95 gpm at heads from 20 to 50 ft.

THE PERFECT PUMPING SOLUTION FOR QUALITY FOOD

Riverside Bakery, part of the Northern Food Group, required a method of pumping pie fillings, casseroles and stews that would not damage the structure of the material. Having looked at a number of solutions, a Watson-Marlow Bredel peristaltic pump was found to be the answer.

Riverside Bakery is part of Northern Foods - a major producer of chilled prepared foods which counts all the major UK retailers as customers. Riverside Bakery is joined with Evesham Foods to form one of the eighteen strategic units which make up Northern Foods.

Riverside Bakery produces a range of quiches as well as variety of pie fillings, casseroles and stews and until now could not find an automatic solution that would keep the meat and vegetables intact when transferring them from the Eurobin to the filling hoppers in the production process.

Riverside carried out extensive trials of a Watson-Marlow Bredel SPX40 high pressure hose pump for this application.
The peristaltic principle involves a product being positively displaced within a hose by a squeeze and roll action. This gentle low shear pumping action means that the meat and vegetables are not damaged, and because the liquid has no contact with the pump and is contained within the hose there is no contamination of the pump or product.

With ever increasing hygiene standards, Riverside needed a solution to replace the previous manual handling process. The SPX40 meets food safety standards and enables the operator to clean in situ, so Riverside can flush the line with a cleaning solution and a "pig" (sponge ball) without any strip down. Furthermore, peristaltic pumps have no seals, check valves, diaphragms or glands to leak, clog or corrode making the SPX40 a completely hygienic solution for Riverside.

The SPX40 runs intermittently on a line operating 24 hours per day at Riverside, administering different foods substances depending on the product being produced. It therefore acts as if there were several different pumps on site. The food substance is passed from the Eurobin into a depositor, where the SPX40 pumps the food at variable speeds depending on the viscosity of the mix.

Ian Coughtrey, maintenance manager at Riverside comments, "We are pleased with he SPX40 because of its ease of operation and simple cleaning. We had been looking for an automatic transfer solution for the last three to four years that would not degrade any of the food in the production process. We had not thought of using a peristaltic pump until we were recommended it as a solution by a pump specialist. Since the installation we have not had a problem. The SPX40 hose pump from Watson-Marlow Bredel saves us time, freeing up operators to concentrate on monitoring other parts of the production process."

"Another advantage, "he continues, "is the very low maintenance cost. The SPX40 is still running on the same NBR hose that was first installed six months ago. When required, hose change over takes only minutes, and on completion the pump is ready to use."