Processing, August 2019

solids such as tumbleweed plastic strapping and rags Solids entering the pump move to the area of highest velocity which is the center of the discs and pass through unobstructed Orlando says Discflo even recently reengineered their original Discpac specifically to suit the handling of return activated sludge RAS We widened the space between the discs opening it up to allow for even more items to easily pass through Orlando says That open flow virtually eliminates product damage during pumping including shear damaging shear thickening dilatant and shear thinning thixotropic products such as latex emulsions and large delicate solids The pumps can also handle fluids containing high amounts of entrained air without cavitation such as anaerobic sludge or dissolved air flotation DAF sludge We have pumps that can handle all sorts of corrosive and hazardous fluids adds Orlando listing off toxic slurries nuclear waste and hot acids and alkalis To withstand these fluids the pumps are offered in a range of metallic and non metallic materials including the latest in glass lined for highly abrasive and or corrosive applications Discflo Pumps has a technology so universally applicable that it can handle every application needed within a municipal water and wastewater plant From beginning to end you can put our pumps everywhere needed in a wastewater facility says Orlando With flow rates to 8000 GPM and heads to 700 ft TDH Discflo models include over under sideby side submersible dry pit cantilever and sump pump configurations The Other End of the Spectrum As forceful as the Discflo technology applies itself to solid laden slurry it serves equally well in solving the delicacy needed by shear sensitive materials The reason lies in the minimized contact between the pump and the material With no impeller forcing the flow through the pump products such as fragile pharmaceuticals never touch the pump equipment alleviating any potential damage to the product Its the same reason you can sit inside a plane at 500 mph without being crushed explains Orlando Because youre traveling at the same speed as the plane And More The diversity of applications for a non turbulent nonimpingement mechanism that handles solids including Lime Sludge seems limitless We dont do clean water says Orlando We could do it but theres nothing to impinge no problems theyre trying to fix to make our pump worth investing in But list most anything that makes a pump falter and Discflo technology compensates no radial load no foaming or emulsifying no pulsating or vibration No degradation of the product makes its application to industries proven from food paper oil chemical processing and pharmaceuticals to mining nuclear clean up Discflo Pumps have proven successful in cutting maintenance parts costs and providing unheard of reliability even in harsh environments Orlando says Typically Disc Pumps outlast centrifugal gear and lobe pumps over four times the average Its Upfront The realistic side of this singular technology comes down to price We are not the lowest cost savings up front But overall we beat the market hands down on cost savings Orlando admits On average a normal progressive cavity pump may run 5000 A Discflo base model pump can start at 15000 But thats not the whole cost of any pump warns Orlando referring to breakdowns Most pump companies make around 60 of their revenue from parts At Discflo that number sits at about 5 Buyers tend not to add in the costs of parts lost productivity and repair personnel to a pumps purchase price Discflo sold five pumps to a wastewater facility near the California border with Mexico The company staffed four mechanics Now they have two because our pumps dont break down Orlando says The other forgotten cost comes from shortened lifespans Replacing a pump every six to 18 months quickly surpasses 25000 for something lasting decades We replaced a PV pump for primary sludge that lasted only six months Ours has been working there since 1993 Orlando says Latest Design About 18 months ago an oil company approached Discflo asking for a very particular solution to a problem Our engineers came up with this tiny little Discpac You can hold it in the palm of your hand You can wrap your index finger and thumb around it says Orlando sounding a bit awed Dubbed the Multi Stage Pump the tiny Discpacs link together In each stage as liquid pumps through it it builds the pressure by approximately 5 pounds per stage describes Orlando You can add as many stages as you want And its not limited in diameter Right now the new pump is undergoing final testing by the oil company Theyre using it in the deep sea and so far theyve not had any problems touts Orlando It acts as a centrifugal pump she adds But each stage is considered its own pump Any other pump has one Discpac one shaft one motor This has one motor but as many pumps as you want New Leadership After leading Discflo for the past 36 years founder Max Gurth handed the reins to Xochitl Ruiz this year I want Discflo to be recognized as the best solutions based pump company says Ruiz She plans on increasing their share of the market by selling more direct and expanding product offerings Gurth was also not interested in marketing His tag line for us was The worlds best kept secret But we dont want to be a secret says Orlando then pausing Remember the TV show Bionic Man Were the Bionic Pump Nothing else out there can do what we do as long as we do it without wear SPONSORED BY