Accuracy Is Key In Neat Dye Dispensing

The Northern Pacific Paper Company (NORPAC), as with many cutting edge paper companies, is moving away from “make up” rooms, where they would mix their own dyes, to “neat dye” systems, where the dyes come pre-packaged in totes. NORPAC was looking to replace their piston pump dispensing systems and go to a “neat dye” dispensing system. With the old piston pump “make up” room system, pumps, mixers and tanks were used to prepare various colour dyes. This old system was a very time consuming and costly process, especially the cost to maintain the variable stroke piston pumps. The viscous and abrasive nature of the dye chewed up the pumps, and it took them hours just to flush the pumps when changing the dye colour.

Looking for a cost saving alternative, NORPAC tried a Watson-Marlow 520 peristaltic pump and made paper for three hassle free months. Over the trial period, their flow meter tracked our pump to be accurate to the 4th decimal point! (much more accurate than they needed). Following this success, NORPAC installed several 520 pumps on their paper machines throughout the plant and now pumps directly from the “neat dye” containers into the paper machines. If they want to change the colour they simply change the tube! No need to make the dye or flush the pumps out.

Brian Dalgardno from NORPAC said, "Considering the critical shade grades we were moving to, in order to get better shade control we had to go down to very low flows. With such a huge turndown, the system of direct dye injection with the 520 pumps worked much better for this application."

Watson-Marlow exceeded expectations on pump performance and service, and is now the pump of choice for dye metering at NORPAC.

Information on 500 series pumps.