In the water treatment and wastewater industries efficiency plays an important role, and the reduction of maintenance time is extremely relevant for stakeholders in terms of investment and the calculation of life cycle cost.
But technology must contribute even more. It must ensure a reduction in environmental pollution by the intelligent use of materials to save resources. It should ensure a reduction in energy consumed, while performing the necessary hydraulic functions required by a pump.
Seepex pumps meet all these requirements. Using ‘Smart Stator Technology’, seepex has introduced a fundamental improvement in pumping technology – by dividing the stator into two halves.
Dividing the stator into two halves allows maintenance work to be carried out in a much shorter time – reducing manpower, effort and therefore costs. The flexible stator concept allows quick and easy pump maintenance – this could be either to change the stator (without the need to dismantle the discharge pipe) or assist in the removal of debris. According to Roger Sankey, business unit manager for seepex distributor Viaflow, pump maintenance costs can be reduced by up to 80 percent – depending on pump size.
On numerous sites where SST-equipped pumps have been installed, due to the speed and ease with which blockages can be removed, process operators have been allowed to perform this once laborious duty. As a result, skilled maintenance engineers can now carry out duties that they were employed to do rather than mundane blockage removals.
SST also benefits the environment by reducing carbon emissions during manufacturing. This is due to the fact that stator halves no longer need to be bonded inside a metal tube and only the rubber stator halves need to be replaced when worn out.
Viaflow offers SST as part of the seepex N product range. It is available for new pumps and also as a retrofit for existing pumps.
“More than 80 percent of applications are suitable for SST. We are able to customise the features to meet your pump processing and maintenance requirements,” says Sankey.
In addition to seepex progressive cavity pumps, Viaflow is also exclusive New Zealand distributor for Zoeller (submersible pumping products and systems); Sonic Solutions (chemical free, ultrasound algae control with proven performance in tanks, lakes, reservoirs and wastewater treatment plants); and Environmental Equipment Engineering (high performance aerators).

In the wastewater treatment industry seepex progressive cavity pumps and macerators are used in almost all processes, such as conveying sludge, sludge dewatering, dewatered sludge treatment and the conveyance and metering of chemical auxiliary aids.
“We have worked on number of projects, such as the Mangere Wastewater treatment plant where a range of seepex progressive cavity  pumps have been supplied and installed on such processes as thickened blended sludge, thickened waste activated sludge, digester feed sludge, primary sedimentation tank, gravity belt thickener and polymer dosing. They have assisted with efficiently and effectively managing the wastewater,” says Sankey.
“This, together with numerous other installations for customers such as Silver Fern Farms, EBOP and the Whangarei and Hamilton District Councils, highlights our technical expertise in providing innovative environmental engineering solutions, to assist with the ongoing sustainability of our environment.”

Contact: roger.sankey@containment.co.nz