Air-Operated Double Diaphragm (AODD) pumps can be used in a number of different industries ranging from pharmaceuticals to water treatment, from cosmetics to the food and beverage industry and many more. If your business relies on the use of AODD pumps, you need to take care to make sure it is maintained properly so that they function at their peak levels as long as you need them to.
In the world of industrial pumps, AODD pumps are real workhorses. They can be used for a number of tasks. These are self priming pumps that require no electricity to work and can be run while dry without doing any damage to the high pressure diaphragm pumps themselves. As their name suggests, AODD pumps are powered only with compressed air. This makes them especially useful when they are used in remote areas where it is not feasible to have electricity or where it is not safe to use power. This makes using AODD pumps more useful in some situations than electric drum pumps.
Of all of the pumps on the market, AODD pumps are some of the most versatile and can get liquid out of areas when other kinds of pumps cannot. They are also very low maintenance, this is because there are not as many moving parts. Whenever you have equipment with moving parts, there is a chance they will break down.
An Ounce of Prevention Is Worth a Pound of Cure.
One reason so many companies prefer to use AODD pumps is the lack of moving parts that was already mentioned. When compared to pumps that have rotating parts or close fitting sliding parts, AODD pumps are easier to use and maintain. That is not to say that these pumps need no maintenance. When you are looking at what parts need to be maintained, you need to think about the following:
Pay attention to the lifespan of the diaphragm. This is a dynamic seal that takes pneumatic pressure that is located on one side of the pump and converts it to fluid pressure on the other side. This is the material that is being pumped. AODD pumps have a differential pressure across the two sides that is lower than pumps that are mechanically driven. In spite of this, the AODD pumps have a finite lifespan for their diaphragms. This is because, in order to do their work, they need millions of cycles. Most can make it through about 20 million cycles. This will be reduced if the pump is allowed to run dry too many times or for too long.
Pay attention to the quality of the compressed air. Anytime there is air from the environment, there will be moisture in it. Once inside the pump, the air expands and the water vapor may freeze. Any ice that is formed inside the pump can cause any moving parts to stall. You can keep your AODD pumps running better by keeping the air that is introduced to the pump as fry as possible. Some engineers recommend lubricating the air line.
How well the pumps flush after the system is used. Because the AODD pumps are used for such a large variety of liquids, you need to be very careful about thoroughly cleaning the pump after each use of the pump. This is especially important when glue or concrete have been put through the pump as they can cause real damage to the unit if it is not completely cleaned. If these substances are allowed to remain, the unit will have no better fate than to be refurbished after being stripped completely down.
Develop Your Own Approach to AODD Pump Maintenance
AODD pumps are used for a number of different applications and in many different industries. Therefore, there is no “one size fits all” approach when it comes to proper maintenance. Some companies in certain industries can get away with doing their own maintenance on the pumps while others use them until the only thing they can do it return it to its manufacturer to be refurbished. Many of these pumps have a five year warranty but you should talk to them before you buy it to make sure you understand their policy for the warranty.
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