SAMOA heavy-duty piston pumps in an automotive manufacturing industry

The end user is a company that manufactures steering and power transmission systems for automotives (passenger vehicles and high-performance vehicles for competition). They had previously installed twelve pumping units for grease and assembly paste transferring in different production lines. These pumping units, which feed the systems and tools for grease application through the transmission elements manufactured, consume 185 kg drums for each work shift and day.

The customer wanted to replace their old units, and considering the plant’s workload had increased, also improve the feeding unit’s performance while reducing operating costs.

Challenges to solve

Ensuring pumping equipment reliability and durability in such demanding working conditions.

Maximize efficiency

Pump very high viscosity greases and assembly pastes

This is how we face the project

Given the demanding production processes it's crucial to have high-performance pumps made from top-quality, durable materials.

The fluid variety to be supplied requires pumps with a very high capacity and performance. Therefore, it was considered using at least a piston pump with a 6" air motor, SAMOA’s PM60 piston pump. However, after evaluating the existing installation, it was clear that there were significant pressure losses and to fix this situation pumps with a higher-pressure ratio were required. For this reason, it was decided to install PM80 industrial piston pumps, with 50:1 ratio and 8” air motor. These pumps have a divorced design and a shovel inlet valve to help priming viscous materials, as in this case.

Since the fluids are highly viscous and challenging to prime, especially at low temperatures, the pumps are installed with a pneumatic double post inductor to aid priming.

The solution

The SAMOA PM80 50:1 pumps are known for their durability and reliability, thanks to top-quality materials and their innovative technology. With their high pumping capacity and pressure ratio, they can easily meet the dispensing needs required for this application.

SAMOA’s piston pump reliability, due to its fast-reciprocating movement to avoid stalling during operation, is crucial in any manufacturing industry like this one. These industries cannot afford downtime, caused by pumping equipment, in their production lines. For this reason, SAMOA’s PM80 air motors, designed for an efficient heat transfer and without energy-consuming springs to avoid icing or motor failures, are key for this installation.

The user was highly satisfied with the result of the first two pumping systems installed. They were able to pump the whole 185 kg drum in less than eight hours, and the flow delivery met the requirements on each application point. Furthermore, given the high drum replacement at these stations, we included in the kit the inductor plate bleed rod for priming aid, which was very valuable for the user.

After the pumping systems installation, there was a noticeable reduction in grease waste thanks to the double post inductor used to aid grease priming. The inductor, along with the follower plate, helps make the most out of the grease drum content in comparison to other brands, eliminating air pockets and removing the grease from the drum walls.

The user, who has been highly satisfied with the performance, efficiency and level of finish of the SAMOA pumps, has requested more units in this plant.