36-Month Tube Life on High-Density Copper Sludge

Featured Case: IRCE SPA — Copper Powder Sludge

The Challenge

IRCE SPA, an electric cable manufacturer in Imola, Italy, had a gear pump that was failing repeatedly on copper powder sludge. The product — sludge with suspended copper powder at an extreme specific gravity of 5 to 6 — was clogging inside the piping system and rapidly abrading the gear pump's internal components. Replacement intervals were frequent and costly.

The high density of the product (5–6 SG, compared to 1.0 for water) means any pump with internal clearances is at immediate risk of plugging. And the abrasive copper particles destroy metallic seals, rotors, and impellers at a fraction of the normal service life.

The Solution

KECO specified a Rotho MS2 (M Series) peristaltic pump. The peristaltic design has no internal clearances and no product-wetted mechanical parts — the copper sludge passes only through a flexible natural rubber tube. There is nothing to clog and nothing to abrade except the hose interior.

Operating parameters: 1,200–1,800 L/h at 30 RPM, 2 bar discharge, 3 h/day intermittent duty. The reduced daily operating hours compared to the worst-case chemical applications contributes to the exceptional tube life result.

Results

IMP SPA — 24/7 Acid Handling

The Challenge

IMP SPA (Altavilla and Vicenza, Italy) needed to pump sodium hypochlorite (4–15%) and hydrochloric acid (13%) continuously, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Highly corrosive acids at these concentrations attack most elastomers and destroy metallic pump components within weeks.

The Solution and Results

KECO specified Rotho MS2 (M Series) and SF100 (L/LD Series) pumps with Hypalon (HY) tube material. Hypalon provides exceptional resistance to chlorinated and acidic chemicals. Combined flows of 9,000 L/h (MS2) and 12,000 L/h (SF100) at 2–2.5 bar discharge pressure.

Additional Chemical Industry Installations

MAZZARI s.p.a. — Tartaric Acid and Calcium Tartrate

MAZZARI (Sant'Agata, Italy) transfers tartaric acid and calcium tartrate crystals — highly abrasive crystalline product — using Rotho MS3 and MS2 pumps at 3,000–8,000 L/h, 24 h/day. Previous pump types required frequent mechanical seal and stator replacement. With Rotho, only the hose needs replacement — once per 6 months. Dramatically lower total maintenance cost.

TEKMETAL — Sulphuric and Hydrochloric Acid Dosing

TEKMETAL (Imola, Italy) replaced dosing piston pumps that had excessive maintenance and poor accuracy on sulfuric and hydrochloric acid. The Rotho PSF2 (S Series) with Hypalon tube delivers improved dosing accuracy. Intermittent duty extended tube life to 12–13 months.

NERI — Extreme Viscosity Sludge (3,000 cps at 50–60°C)

NERI (Faenza, Italy) pumps thick sludge at 3,000 cps viscosity and 50–60°C — conditions that can prevent a peristaltic tube from returning to round shape after compression. KECO specified the MS2 with its vacuum-assisted tube recovery system inside the stator housing, which pulls the tube back to full bore after each compression. The result: reliable handling of extreme viscosity at elevated temperature. Tube life: 3 months.

MARANIT s.p.a. — Cement-Fibre Slurry

MARANIT (Ferrara, Italy) uses Rotho SF100 (L/LD Series) to pump cement-fibre slurry at density 1.25, 12,000 L/h, 24 h/day. Previous progressive screw pumps required high maintenance. Tube life: 6 months. Maintenance reduced dramatically.

MADEL s.r.l. — Liquid Detergent and Foamy Products

MADEL (Cotignola, Italy) pumps highly foamy liquid detergent and liquid soap for bottling line feed. Foamy liquids interrupt bottling machines with most pump types due to foam settling and loss of prime. Rotho's peristaltic action pumps highly foamy liquids continuously — no foam settling, no prime loss, uninterrupted bottling line feed. Tube life: 7–8 months.

COSMINT s.p.a. — Cosmetic Cream (5,000 cps)

COSMINT (Como, Italy) transfers delicate cosmetic cream at 5,000 cps viscosity. Other pump types were damaging the cream and causing foam-related machine stoppages. The gentle peristaltic transfer prevents both product damage and foam formation — no stoppages reported since installation.