The hard fat is produced by a supplier. It has a melting point of 58 °C. At this temperature and values below this temperature, the fat hardens. The palm fat is delivered in heated tanker trucks and conveyed by a pump to the production plant for further processing. In order to ensure trouble-free conveyance, the fat should have a temperature of 80 – 90°C.
In order to prevent the temperature of the medium from decreasing and the pipelines from blocking, all pipelines and shut-off valves are heated. Previously, a heated screw pump was used for conveying the hard fat. The animal feed manufacturer decided to replace the screw pump by a Börger rotary lobe pump. The reason for this was the consistently positive experience with Börger pumps used for other tasks in the production process and the possibility to have Börger manufacture a custom-made pump.
Börger rotary lobe pumps
With the wide spectrum of 24 pump sizes (flow rates of 1 – 1,600 m³/h), a large selection of equipment and additional parts, Börger is able to build pumps which are perfectly suited to every single application. Rotors made of different materials, pump casings made of gray cast iron, stainless steel, aluminum or Hastelloy, various mechanical seal systems made of many different material combinations only give an idea of the wide variety of Börger rotary lobe pumps.
The rotary lobe pumps are especially suitable for conveying different media. Liquid as well as viscous or abrasive pumped media can be conveyed effortlessly, and even chemically aggressive substances pose no problem.
Heated pump casing
It was decided to equip the duplex stainless steel rotary lobe pump with a heated pump casing in addition to the steam heater cover so that the palm fat with a melting point of 58 °C does not harden in the pump. This way, the medium temperature of 80 – 90°C, which is necessary for conveying the hard fat, is guaranteed. Hot water ensures that the pump casing is heated. Alternatively, hot steam or thermal oil can also be used for heating. As the pump is not in use all the time, the pump and the pipelines are cleaned with compressed air after a truck has been emptied.
The Börger rotary lobe pump has been working reliably and without problems for more than seven years offering the highest degree of operational safety.
Maximum ease of maintenance
Thanks to the “Maintenance in Place” (MIP®) concept, the wear parts stressed by the pumped media can be replaced easily and directly at the installation site of the pump – by the operating personnel and without the need to remove piping and the drive system. This way, the system is like in a new condition very quickly.
