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Chemical Technology • November/December 2016
S
ince KSB developed the PumpMeter for centrifugal
pumps a few years ago, thousands of pumps have
been optimised. This helpful tool is now also avail-
able for pumps used in hygienically demanding processes.
Despite all endeavours to optimise pump systems, we
have found that in real life most pumps are operated far
outside their optimum operating range, ie, nowhere near
their best efficiency point. The consequences of operating
a pump in the low-flow or overload range are grave: Not
only does efficiency remain under the optimum, but the
service life and reliability of wear components such as
shaft seals and bearings are also reduced.
Since the introduction of PumpMeter in 2010, pump
users have been benefiting from a valuable tool. Pump-
Meter provides information on the pump’s condition via
a display so that users can immediately establish how
their pump is operating. A typical pump curve illustrates
in which range the pump is operating at a particular point
of time. This allows the pump user to see at a glance if the
pump is operating in an efficient and cost-saving manner,
or if its availability might be in jeopardy (Figure 1).
Today, this product has been installed in around 30 000
systems around the world. Offering this product for pumps
used in hygienically demanding applications such as the
pharmaceutical or food industry was an option considered
by KSB right from the start. “Adapting the sensors to meet
hygienic standards posed special challenges from a design
point of view,” says Daniel Wetter, Life Sciences Product
Manager at KSB. “PumpMeter, a product originally designed
for standard process conditions, incorporates the kind of un-
covered threads and dead volumes that are a no-go for LSA
applications as these spaces cannot be cleaned properly.”
Focus on quality and energy costs
In general, energy consumption was not always considered
top priority in the pharmaceutical and food industries
A clear
signal
PumpMeter optimises fluid handling in the life sciences industry
by Christoph P Pauly, KSB Aktiengesellschaft, Frankenthal, Germany
Whether or not a pump is running in its optimum operating range is difficult
to judge from the outside. Although vibrations or unusual noise levels are an
indicator of irregularities, for a long time we did not know exactly what was
happening inside a pump.
PUMPS AND VALVES