Posted to News on 21st May 2015, 15:20
Quality and running costs make Bredel pump easy choice
Chorley-based Droyt Products Ltd has selected a Bredel 32 hose pump from Watson-Marlow Fluid Technology Group, to help transfer liquid glycerine soap between a mixing vessel and a cooling/setting mould. The pump was selected over lower-cost competitor models due to its quality and far more efficient lifetime running costs. Replacing a previously manual operation, the low-shear handling characteristics of the Bredel pump makes clean, light work of what was once a very laborious process.
Droyt Products is a privately owned manufacturer that has been hand-making glycerine soaps since 1893. In fact, somewhat unusually for the industry, Droyt produces its soap from first principles, namely from the reacting of vegetable oils and alkali. This process is known as saponification and takes place in a large heated (60degC) vessel. Here, additional ingredients such as essential oils, extracts, fragrances and colourants may be added as required.
While Droyt's production ethics lend quality to its distinguished brand, the company's managing director, Chris Effendowicz, thought it high time that the latest technology was introduced to the early stages of its manufacturing operation.
Mr. Effendowicz says: "Because our type of product is largely unmachineable, the initial phases of our production process have remained manual for decades. For instance, at the end of each shift we would pour out 1000 litres of liquid soap from a stainless steel reacting vessel into large frames to set into solid soap. Alternatively, the liquid soap is transferred into IBC containers if the soap is to be sold in liquid form."
To facilitate this process, Droyt would deploy a steel scoop mounted on a pole to transfer the soap manually on to a stainless steel runway, from where it would pass through filters and into the frame.
Mr Effendowicz adds: "We finally decided to replace our time consuming manual process with a pump because, frankly, it was hard work that involved a lot of twisting, and secondly because it would provide a cleaner, more efficient operation. We tried to do it years ago but couldn't find a pump offering gentle handling and low shear."
Too much shear is undesirable when it comes to pumping liquid soap. Firstly, it creates high levels of lather, and secondly, too many bubbles. Because Droyt's glycerine soap is clear, bubbles can easily ruin its appearance.
Mr Effendowicz says: "When I recently heard about peristaltic pumps offering no or very low shear, I invited a couple of suppliers to pitch, including Watson-Marlow."
Watson-Marlow proposed a Bredel 32 pump with nitrile rubber hose to match a required flow rate of 1000-2000 l/hr and provide the necessary 1.25m suction lift from the mixing tank. Because Droyt adds liquid sugar (as a transparency aid) to the saponified oil base, the soap has the consistency of thick custard. However, this is not a problem for the Bredel pump, which delivers low shear and gentle handling regardless of viscosity.
Mr Effendowicz says: "Watson-Marlow were extremely helpful on this project. They provided lots of useful advice, such as suggesting that the inlet piping should be of larger diameter than the discharge piping, for example, which wouldn't have crossed my mind."
Installed in November 2014, the Bredel continues to ensure customer satisfaction at Droyt - thanks to trouble-free operation and tangible process improvements.
Follow the link for more information about the Bredel 32 hose pump from Watson-Marlow Fluid Technology Group.
