FPZ units supply dry oil-free air tank aeration
Methods
FPZ units supply dry oil-free air tank aeration
Keywords Aeration,Electroplating, FPZ, Metal treatments
Electroplating specialists British Metal Treatments are being helped in their drive for production flexibility and increased efficiency in their Sparkbrook (Birmingham, UK)plating shop by strategic use of FPZ side channel blowers for vat aeration(Plate 2). A further step was taken nine months ago when a new nickel plating vat was installed for limited-run contracts.
Plate 2 FPZ blowers supply dry oil-free air for the tank aeration at British Metal Treatments
The new vat was located close to chrome plating vats to save time on transfer of workpieces and avoid need for re-etching, but it was too distant to be supplied with air from the main compressor, which in any case has to work at full capacity in peak periods. The company overcame this problem by installing an FPZ blower a compact self-contained unit that could be sited right alongside the new tank to deliver the continuous supply of dry air needed to agitate the nickel sulphate solution.
Works manager Roy Jukes explained why he chose this type of blower, which can produce higher pressures than a fan and is smaller, quieter and less expensive than a Roots-type blower.
"Convenience and flexibility were the main reasons", he said. "The FPZ unit can be placed anywhere. As for performance, it has more than enough flow and pressure capability for a vat of this size and the air flow is smooth and consistent,with no pulsation. Moreover, the air delivered is clean and dry. There are no oil droplets. This is very important because we must avoid contamination,particularly in nickel plating, to achieve 100 percent cover with no pinholes or other defects."
In FPZ blowers there is said to be no contact between moving and stationary parts, so the blower can be oil-free in the working chamber and needs no lubrication, in fact little maintenance of any kind. A wide range of blowers and exhausters is available,with pressure capabilities up to 1,600 mbar A, vacuums to 550 mbar A and flows to 1,800 m3/hour.
British Metal Treatments put in their first FPZ blower five years ago, when their first small nickel vat was added and there was not enough air capacity on their big compressor to cope with the extra demand.
"We now have several FPZ units serving small vats and acting as back-up for our main compressor", says Roy Jukes. "They help give us production flexibility and make it easier to plan or reorganise layout. They can be switched on as and when needed, though in practice they are running continuously 24 hours a day, seven days a week."
Details: a new FPZ brochure is also available from the company: Northey Technologies Ltd. Tel: +44(0) 1202 74125; Fax: +44 (0) 1202 735868.
