The overriding challenge for producers of paint and coatings is to meet growing demands while controlling costs, optimizing uptime performance and complying with environmental requirements. This requires a balancing act, however, since both the components
used in their manufacture and the final paint and coatings products can be, at the same time, shear sensitive, highly viscous, abrasive and particulate laden.
To meet the needs of these varying and challenging handling characteristics while simultaneously being able to ensure the highest quality standards for finished products, paint and coatings manufacturers must utilize robust pumping equipment that offers
the highest levels of flexibility and performance in terms of reliability, product-loss prevention, environmental protection and energy efficiency.
While other pumping technologies have been tried in paint and coatings applications, air-operated double-diaphragm (AODD) pumps have proven over many years of in-the-field use and observation to reliably excel in handling paint and coatings components and finished products. This is thanks to the AODD pump’s unique seal-less design and method of operation that allows it to be shear sensitive, dry-run capable, self-priming,
portable and easy to maintain, all while ensuring total product containment and energy-efficient performance.
When speaking specifically about AODD pumps, Wilden® Pro-Flo® SHIFT AODD Pumps outperform a variety of other AODD technologies thanks to a unique
design that maximizes energy efficiency by minimizing air consumption. In many cases, the Pro-Flo SHIFT can provide up to 60% air savings while producing up to 34% greater flow rates than competing AODD technologies. This capability lowers total cost
of ownership and eases maintenance while still allowing the pump to be used in the harshest operating environments.
The performance of Pro-Flo SHIFT pumps are further enhanced when they are paired with one of Wilden’s latest diaphragm innovation: the Chem-Fuse Integral Piston Diaphragm (IPD).
Compared to traditional diaphragms, Wilden Chem-Fuse diaphragms excel in paint and coatings applications because they feature a patented one-piece design that offers safe, leak-free operation with no product-trap areas. This enables Chem-Fuse IPDs to minimize product contamination while also providing up to 100% increased flow and suction-lift rates when compared to the performance of AODD pumps that rely on PTFE-laminate
diaphragms. The one-piece design also eliminates outer-piston abrasion, which is a common leak point for traditional diaphragms. The result is significantly longer diaphragm life, easy cleanability for faster changeovers between product runs and reduced
hazardous leaks for improved safety.
Click here to learn more about Wilden solutions for the paint and coatings industry.