Things like fertiliser, acids or saltwater can be tricky to handle. The tank has to be made from the right material. Most operators seem to prefer stainless steel or polyethylene. Australia’s leading supplier of pumps for tanker applications, Australian Pump Industries, offers a full range of pumps for difficult applications.
“We learnt about corrosive liquids through working with seawater,” said Aussie Pumps chief engineer, John Hales.
Even whey at dairies requires tankers and pumps built to handle that liquid.
Wynyard Transport in Tasmania uses big Aussie 4” 316 stainless steel self priming transfer pumps to handle whey. They found these big 4” pumps ideal.
Like all pumps in the range, these self prime, so you don’t have to prime the suction line. They even lift liquids through a vertical lift of over 6 metres!
“Those big 4” pumps in 316 stainless steel are cast, not pressed. They’re built like tanks and even the Australian Army has standardised on them. We supply both 3” and 4” self priming stainless tanker pumps to the troops,” said Hales.
Diesel fuel… Get smart
Along with a range of Atex rated explosion proof cast iron diesel fuel transfer pumps, Aussie offers a range of standard commercial self priming pumps with Viton seals compatible with diesel fuel. Aussie Smart Pumps are available in 2” and 3” configurations. Farmers discovered them 20 years ago and every year, Aussie builds thousands with Honda petrol or Yanmar diesel engines for pumping liquid fertiliser. They’re made from 30 per cent glass filled polyester and will handle flows up to 1000 litres per minute with maximum heads up to 37 metres.
These pumps come from a pump genius. Al Marlow was an American who started building pumps out of polyester and polypropylene back when oil fuel was cheap and it made sense to build a pump strong enough, efficient enough and low cost to sell to the multitudes. Marlow never lived to see the days when oil would be the price it is today.
The material spec means they can pump almost anything. When it comes to elastomers, they’re offered with a range of Buna (for diesel fuel or seawater); EPDM (for agricultural fertiliser transfer); or Viton, which is becoming the most popular, even though it’s the most expensive in the range. Viton seals handle a range of agricultural chemicals, acids, diesel fuel, seawater, oils and even reused waste oil and fuel.
What about AdBlue?
Aussie now builds these pumps with bodies made from polypropylene, not polyester. Polypropylene is more expensive than polyester but perfect for AdBlue applications. Those pumps will handle big volumes of AdBlue. They can be operated through a stainless steel gate valve, giving operators the ability to meter the flow to suit the requirement.
Stainless steel: Going exotic
“The latest pump range is 316 stainless steel 1½” – 2” pump. The 1½” is the inside thread of the suction and discharge ports, the 2” is the outside thread. It’s called intelligent design,” said Hales. These stainless steel pumps have been passed in the USA by the NSF and can be supplied with impellers and volutes of polypropylene or for extreme applications in Ryton.
Why hydraulics is the go
“When you’re talking about mobile applications, we know that an engine drive pump is going to have its issues. Beautiful products like Yanmars and Honda single cylinder engines do a mighty job. The problem is they also cop a lot of dust and are often neglected. Operators tell us they’re meticulous about checking the prime mover’s engine for oil, service, etc, but when it comes to the pump on the back or sometimes under the chassis, they get treated with less care,” said Hales.
In hydraulics, it’s a completely dust free drive circuit with unlimited power, as it comes from the truck engine.
Aussie claims to be number one in tanker pumps in Australia. They know operators using pumps from third world countries are asking for trouble. For a comprehensive pump guide and chemical compatibility chart, contact Aussie Pumps or a local dealer. Visit aussiepumps.com.au for info.