Hospital Water Supply Relies on Vesconite Bearings
Share:
Vertical turbine booster pumps are commonly used to maintain adequate water pressure in high rise buildings. When the equipment at a large metropolitan hospital repeatedly failed, Waupun, Wisconsin-based Municipal Well Pump responded with a state-of-the art design that included Vesconite bearings.
The hospital was investing considerable labor hours repairing the equipment. "Because of how the system was set up, the pumps would run at full speed with little to no flow, often at dead head," said Marty Van Ells, Municipal Well Pump sales and project manager. "They were just eating up the bronze bushings."
The company engineered a solution with standardized equipment and variable frequency drives. It installed four skids with several new Vesconite-equipped Goulds pumps and retrofitted 10 existing units with the polymer. The bearing material was specifically chosen to ensure reliability and prolong service life. Hospital staff noticed that the system runs far quieter.
"We've gotten good results with Vesconite," continued Van Ells. His company replaced bronze bushings in a well pump with Vesconite and has had no issues in its seven years of service.
Low friction, abrasion-resistant Vesconite doesn't swell in water like nylon. It offers up to ten times the useful life of bronze. Unlike metal bearings, that can contain lead, the internally-lubricated polymer doesn't need to be greased. It's a safer solution for use in potable water supplies and is WRAS-approved for cold and hot up to 150° F.
For nearly 85 years, Municipal Well Pump has served municipal and industrial clients in Wisconsin, Iowa and Illinois. The employee-owned company engineers, builds, installs and maintains a broad range of pump stations and well and irrigation systems. Its website is municipalwellandpump.com.
Vesconite manufactures a wide range of easily machined industrial polymers. Rods, bushes and plates are offered in a wide selection of dimensions and thicknesses, with tolerances of +0.012"/-0.000". They are available for immediate shipment from the company's Texas warehouse.
Contact Vesconite, PO Box 40647, Cleveland, Johannesburg 2022, South Africa. +27 11 616 11 11; Fax: +27 11 616 22 22. vesconite@vesconite.com; www.vesconite.com.
