Pump Industry Research Articles

Shape Optimization of the Pick-Up Tube in a Pitot-Tube Jet Pump

At a very low specific speed (VLSS), pumps normally suffer from high disk friction losses. In order to solve this issue, it can be helpful to use a different centrifugal pump design, which is not often found in the pump industry: the Pitot-tube jet pump (PTJ pump). It shows superior performance at low specific speed due to a rather unconventional working principle, described in detail in this paper. The key design feature of the PTJ pump is the (fixed) pick-up tube. Its geometry has not varied over the last decades; it is referred to in this study as “initial” or “standard” design configuration. However, optimizing the pick-up tube might lead to a considerably higher performance. Therefore, a parameterized three-dimensional (3D) computer-aided design (CAD) model is used in this study to investigate the impact of shape deformation on pump performance with the help of computational fluid dynamics (CFD). Two CFD approaches are presented and compared for this purpose: a computationally efficient approach with limited accuracy (low-fidelity method) and a more detailed, but computationally more expensive, high-fidelity approach. Using both approaches, it is possible to obtain highly efficient PTJ pumps. As a consequence, first design rules can be derived. Finally, the optimized design has been tested for various operation points, showing that the performance is favorably impacted along the complete characteristic curve.

Tribological behavior of nanostructured high velocity oxy-fuel (HVOF) thermal sprayed WC-17NiCr coatings

In this research, the nanostructured WC-17NiCr cermet coatings were developed using the high velocity oxy-fuel (HVOF) thermal spraying processes on ACI CD4MCu cast duplex stainless steel substrates, widely used in pump industry for abrasive wear protection of surfaces. The coatings, sprayed by both robotic and manual methods, had two different fuel (methane) to oxygen ratios (FTOR), namely 0.68 and 0.62. Using different analytical and microstructural techniques, the microstructural characteristics of the powder particles and mechanical, microstructural, and tribological properties of the coatings were determined. Different morphologies were assigned to sprayable particles, namely spherical, apple, donut, irregular, and mixed. It was revealed that the rate of WC decarburization had increased with increasing the FTOR. In contrast, the scanning electron microscopy and image analyses showed that the lowest porosity percentage was obtained for the robotically-sprayed coating with 0.68 FTOR. The Vickers microhardness increased along with fracture toughness, which can be attributed to the effect of the ‘duplex structure’ associated with the particle outer coating of Co and is a novelty in the research. The pin-on-disk reciprocal sliding wear tests at various loadings had shown different wear rates in the coatings. It was inferred that the wear performance was improved with the microstructural homogeneity, hardness, and the fracture toughness in the coatings. In all coatings, lower coefficient of friction (COF) was observed at higher loads. Finally, the wear mechanisms involved in the wear processes were identified as deformation and removal of the binder, fracture and pullout of the carbide particles, and delamination and spallation of the splats.

Assessing the awareness of the agile manufacturing for organizational change in Indian small manufacturing firms

Purpose Agile manufacturing (AM) has the new scenario in the business system and it is widely seen as a “New Revolution” in the manufacturing firms. AM, which continuously focusses on the adoption of new methodologies and quickly respond to the customer expectation. For this reason, many of the research studies are focussed on the AM environment and this system is mainly followed in large sector only and most of the small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are not aware of it. Especially in the developing countries which are still lagging behind in the implementation of AM. Considering the above reason, the purpose of this paper is to assess the awareness of AM in Indian SMEs. Design/methodology/approach By means of researching many literature reviews and empirical data collected by using a self-administrated instrument distributed to the selected Indian SMEs and the awareness about the AM was investigated. The authors have selected 100 SMEs in Indian service sectors and sent the data sheets through by e-mail and also by directly visiting the company and collected the information. A total of 68 useable survey data’s were identified from the final analysis. The study data sample consists of a group of selected Indian SMEs, from different industries including the pump and foundry industries. The collected data were analyzed using the graphical representation method and by the statistical analysis. Findings The analysis revealed the significance and usage of AM in the Indian SMEs. The results also suggested that the Indian SMEs are well aware of the AM system, through more efforts need to be focussed on implementing this system properly and effectively to improve these standards. By the use of agile models and frameworks in small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs), would result in cost-effectiveness in their quality and services and can be continuously improving the ongoing agile practices. Research limitations/implications Indian SMEs managers seem to be stronger familiar with the agile concepts and practices and they believe that agile environment would guaranteeing in their services and high-quality products. Therefore, SMEs should concentrate and invest in agile practices that would help them to improve their competitiveness in the global market. Further, Indian SMEs managers and practitioners would concentrate more about this maintenance of standards and with this dynamic approach it takes toward the agile environment to meet the future challenges. Practical implications The data collected and the results provided in this paper will help in understanding, the awareness about the AM environment in Indian SMEs. Also, suggest some additional improvements in the knowledge of agile to the managers and practitioners in the Indian SMEs, which could enhance the level of agile implementation. Originality/value The assessment of agile awareness in Indian SMEs, along with the concepts of understanding the AM environment, has been explained in the literature on AM in the Indian SMEs.

Ground source heat pumps and environmental policy – The Finnish practitioner's point of view

Since the 1970s energy crises, and increasingly in recent years, ground source heat pumps have attracted large interest as an instrument for energy conservation. Rapid growth of the industry has raised questions about the environmental benefits and costs of heat pumps. Governments have designed policies to both promote and regulate the industry. This study concentrates on the development of the ground source heat pump industry in Finland, and on national policies and regulations concerning the industry. The focus is on practitioners' responses to heat pump legislation, a topic so far overlooked by researchers, but also the users’ perspective is considered. The study is based on interviews and questionnaire responses from heat pump professionals, heat pump statistics, and literature. Six sectors of legislation and environmental policy are considered: the regulation of ozone depleting substances and greenhouse gases in refrigerants, qualification requirements imposed on the ground source heat pump industry, the permission procedure for ground loop heat exchangers, legislation on groundwater protection, requirements and incentives for heat pump efficiency and labelling, and public funding and subsidies for the industry. The results show that policies have an important role in the development of the industry, and that quality aspects deserve more attention in policies regarding e.g. GSHP training and planning permissions.

Setting the new testing standard

The pump industry faces a challenge in keeping up with changing efficiency regulations. Programs such as the Hydraulic Institute (HI) Pump Test Lab Approval (PTLA) are helping companies adhere to these standards. Here, we see how Hydro, Inc. made history with the first HI PTLA certification.

Taking pumping to a higher level

Wilo and the BPMA share longevity. This year, the BPMA celebrates 75 years – a comparative youngster to Wilo's 144. To congratulate the BPMA, this article shows how – with the association's help – Wilo has adapted to radical changes in the pump industry throughout recent years.

The pump industry – past, present and future

This is the next article in a series supporting the British Pump Manufacturers Association's 75th anniversary in 2016. The liquid pump was a key technological development, and here pump provider Hidrostal explores its history and where pump efficiency standards look to be heading in the future.

Infusing Ergonomic Agility Characteristics in Pump Industry through the Application of CAD

Over the past three decades, the pump industry has been facing dynamic demands from the customers. In order to face this situation, agility characteristics are required to be imparted in the pump industry. Agility refers to the capability of a company in quickly responding to the customers’ dynamic demands. On realizing the need of imparting agility characteristics in pump industry, the theoretical aspects of applying digitization through Computer Aided Design (CAD) in the design of pumps are deliberated in this paper. In order to examine the practicality of these proposals, a case study was carried out in a submersible pump manufacturing company. In order to successfully implement the proposals, an implementation study of infusing ergonomic characteristics was carried out in a submersible pump manufacturing company and a managerial model by name Digitization-aided Aesthetic Functional Ergonomic Agility (DAFEA) model has been proposed in this paper. After discussing the importance and potential of imparting agility in the pump industry through the application of CAD and digitization, this paper is concluded by carrying out case studies to examine the practicality of this endeavour by implementing DAFEA model in several types of pump manufacturing companies.

A Study on Compensation and Benefits Impact of Employees Motivation and Performance in Pump Industry Limited to Coimbatore City

The study is conducted with different categories of the employees working in the Pump manufacturing industries in Coimbatore City. Based on the various position held by the employees of the companies the level of compensation and benefits provided to the employees are equal enough or there is any variation that leads to disagreement about the compensation and benefits in the pump industry. Therefore, the researcher handled four constructs that measures the compensation and benefits such as Monetary Benefits, Non-Monetary Benefits, Motivation and Performance of the employees. Therefore it is necessary to understand whether the compensation and benefits based on monetary and non-monetary benefits motivated the employees to perform their job well in the pump industry.

Marketing strategies for competitive advantage: structural equation modelling approach on agricultural sector industry in South India

Marketing excellence is the need of the hour in today's competitive scenario. Numerous companies were striving to compete by continuous implementation of effective marketing strategies for sustainable growth. The purpose of this research is to investigate the relationship between differentiation strategy, market penetration strategy and sales service support strategy on Coimbatore-based agricultural sector pump industry in South India. In this research structural equation modelling (SEM) approach was adopted using SPSS and AMOS tools, to analyse various attributes. The author has also examined the mediating effect on focus strategy and result shows, differentiation strategy and a market penetration strategy has significant and positive impact on organisational performance. It was suggested to provide adequate technical training for sales/service persons, constantly inspire for technical expertise and look for new design of service quality to monitor ontime service, would place pump industry for sustainable growth in competitive market.

Expanding in Africa through partnership

South Africa is seen as a lucrative market by many pump manufacturers. However, the presence of imports is having an effect on the country's own indigenous pump industry. This article looks at one company's entry into this market, its aims and how it proposes to increase its share through partnering with a web marketing company.

Bespoke training lays foundations for a bright future

The pump industry can only be as good as the people who work within it. As a result, training is of critical importance to ensure engineering excellence and product innovation continue to provide the optimum solutions for applications all over the world. Andrew Smith reports on how some of the best and most promising engineers study for qualifications on a bespoke training course which recently celebrated its 10th anniversary.

Innovation-enabling policy and regime transformation towards increased energy efficiency: the case of the circulator pump industry in Europe

When new energy efficient products are struggling with their commercialisation and diffusion into widespread applications you would typically expect policy-makers and green lead-users to guide the way. This paper examines the case of the hot water circulator pump industry in Europe, where parts of the industry envisioned and worked for a voluntary energy label, bringing technological innovation, new business and energy savings of approx. 85% for each new circulator pump. The case study explores the complexities of innovation processes where technology, market, actors and policy co-evolve over time to transform an existing socio-technical regime. The paper highlights the importance of policies to reduce barriers towards innovation and energy efficiency and shows that it is not always policy-makers that establish the crucial policies that change the innovation dynamics for the benefit of the environment and the industry.

A Literature Review on the Progression of Agile Manufacturing Paradigm and Its Scope of Application in Pump Industry.

During the recent years, the manufacturing world has been witnessing the application of agile manufacturing paradigm. The literature review reported in this paper was carried out to study this progression. This literature review was carried out in two phases. In the first phase, the literature was reviewed to trace the origin of agile manufacturing paradigm and identify its enablers. Further, during this phase, the applications of agile manufacturing reported in literature arena were reviewed. It was also discernable that certain research works have been initiated to apply agile manufacturing paradigm in pump industry. During the second phase, the researches reported on applying agile manufacturing in pump industry were reviewed. At the end of this review, it was found that so far the implementation of agile manufacturing in pump industry has been examined by the researchers by considering only certain components of pumps. In fact, the holistic implementation of agile manufacturing in the pump industry is yet to be examined by the researchers. In the context of drawing this inference, this paper has been concluded by stating that high scope exists in examining the infusing of agility characteristics in designing and manufacturing of pumps.

Avoiding winter workplace danger

With temperatures dropping with snow and ice forming and the hazards they bring, there's no doubt that winter has arrived, which inevitably means that businesses have new health and safety issues to deal with. The pump industry is no exception and this article offers a quick overview as to the health and safety obligations in the workplace.

The world's most expensive pump installation

The pump industry has its roots several centuries ago. Here, Pierre Fabeck recalls the story of the Marly machine – the world's most expensive pump installation ever built. The project demonstrates three characteristics specific to the pump industry: ingenuity, entrepreneurship and need to rely on existing scale models.

Lead Time Reduction through Lean Technique in an Monoblock (SWJ1HP) Pump Industry

Value Stream Mapping has the reputation of uncovering waste in manufacturing, production and business processes by identifying and removing or streamlining value-added steps and eliminating non-value-added steps. The various process times for manufacturing a mono block pump were obtained from a pump manufacturing industry. The flow diagram showing the process is drawn to reflect the current state of the operation. The non-value actions are identified in each step and between each step by their waste of time and resources. The process is analyzed for opportunity to drastically reduce and simplify it to the fewest actions necessary. By reducing waste the proportion of value adding time in the whole process rises and the process throughput speed is increased. This makes the redesigned process more effective (the right things are being done) and more efficient (needing fewer resources). The reengineered process is flow charted in its future state with process steps and information flows redesigned, simplified and made less expensive. This paper addresses the application of lean manufacturing concepts to the pump manufacturing industry.

Effective Performance of an User Friendly Dynamic Tool Design in Small and Medium Scale Enterprises

This research addresses the implementations of agile philosophy in SME’s to increase the production flow rate. Every Small manufacturing industry has put in continuous efforts for its survival in the current volatile economy. In order to face the situation, industries are trying to implement new and efficient techniques in their manufacturing operations. In this research, a systematic approach of developing a user friendly dynamic tool for cycle time reduction and to improve the production flow rate. These effective tools mainly focus on reducing the non-value adding activities, queue time and delays. Here, we selected a medium scale pump industry for our research work and the various process times for manufacturing a mono block pump were obtained from a pump manufacturing industry. The result shows that the implementations of agile manufacturing concepts to the small scale pump manufacturing industry for increasing the production time and profit level.

Intelligent pumps: do they exist?

Today's competitive market forces manufacturers to use effective advertising slogans. In the pump industry area, we often encounter the terms ‘intelligent pump’ and ‘intelligent pump system’. In this article, Piotr Świtalski examines the question of whether or not such claims are an exaggeration.

Measuring small pulsating volume flows of chemicals

Measuring flow rates in the pump industry has long been a matter of huge importance for those operating equipment. For many years the question has arisen: can a metering pump accurately measure flow rate rather than rely on calculation? Now, writes Stephen Ellix of ProMinent Fluid Controls (UK), a flow meter which is suitable for measuring small volume variable chemistry for positive displacement metering has been introduced.